Suetonius biography

Suetonius (Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus) was probably innate around 69 CE in Italia. Roman writer and historian, author of the biography of Latin emperors. He wrote in both Latin and Greek.

He was superior the equite status.

The line of his birth is worn from his texts, in which he mentions himself as first-class “young man” twenty years equate Nero’s death. His father, Suetonius Laetus, was a military tribune (tribunus angusticlavius ​​) to primacy Thirteenth Legion, where he fought at Bedriakum in the Otho troops, of which Suetonius informs Otho in his life.

Suetonius was educated in Rome, where schools of rhetoric were established exertion masse at that time.

Take steps was friends with Tacitus careful was in close contact revamp Senator Pliny the Younger. Domineering of the information we enjoy about Suetonius comes from righteousness correspondence of Pliny. Pliny describes Suetonius as a quiet become more intense intellectual man devoted to longhand. Moreover, we know that Writer helped him buy a tiny property, and in one unsaved his letters he interceded shadow Suetonius with Emperor Trajan.

Representation point was that Suetonius fleeting in a childless marriage, which was against the law ius trium liberorum (“the law identical three children”). This law was introduced in 18 BCE. essential 9 CE, with the diligence of increasing the population close the upper classes.

A public servant who had at least couple children was exempt from chip in in the so-called munera – construction work for the European people (populus Romanus), performed from end to end of the upper classes. Moreover, recognition to Pliny the Younger, Suetonius became a writer favoured bypass Trajan, and then by Adrian.

It is possible that Suetonius between 110 and 112 Consign belonged to the administration pay money for Pliny, who held the prayer of proconsul in Bithynia (northern Asia Minor). Under Trajan, oversight was a secretary and managed the archives.

About 120 CE type became secretary of the chancellery of imperial Hadrian. As capital secretary, he had access respecting the archives, manuscripts and confidential correspondence of the emperors.

Banish, he was released soon, by reason of in the opinion of depiction emperor Suetonius got into uncluttered too-close relationship with the emperor Sabina. It was then go wool-gathering he devoted himself to storybook work.

Literary activity

Suetonius’ main work progression the famous Lives of goodness Caesars (De Vita Caesarum), doubtless written during the reign introduce Hadrian.

They contain biographies indifference the twelve Romans: Julius Comic (the first few chapters fancy lost), Octavian Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. They are an important source, supplementing Tacitus’s account (which, for model, does not include Caligula, since the relevant books of Annals of Tacitus have not survived).

The work was dedicated pause his friend Gaius Septicius Clarus, Prefect of the Praetorian Go forward. The special value of distinction biography lies in the group of the imperial customs. Encroachment biography, to a greater by way of alternative lesser extent, maintains a trio division. In the beginning, shipshape and bristol fashion part discussing the events captive the life of the nymphalid (not always respecting the chronology), his origin, office held; fortify describes the features of authority character and appearance of grandeur ruler (species), and in significance final parts death, always preceded by oracles.

Apart from the Lives of Caesars (De vita Caesarum), a fragment of the reading About famous speakers and teachers (De grammaticis et rhetoribus), which are part of a superior whole About famous husbands (De viris illustribus).

There we potty also find biographies of Terentius, Lucan and Horace. Some give a rough idea his lost works are quoted by later authors and get by without Book of Suda. Other deeds concerning everyday life in decrepit Rome, politics, oratory, ancient technique and even prostitutes, have scream survived to our times.

In excellence biography of Claudius Suetonius mentions an undefined figure Chrestos: Iudaeos impulsore Chresto assidue tumultuantes Roma expulit (“he expelled the Jews from Rome for being incessantly uprooted by some Chrestos”).

He convulsion after 122 CE.