Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Book review - "The Twelve Caesars" by Suetonius

Surely one of the most influential books of them all - a gloriously gossipy account of the first twelve Roman Emperors from Julius Caesar to Domitian: womanisers, rapists, matricides, bisexuals, maniacs, soldiers mocked for being gay, baldies, epileptics, pedophiles, sister marriers, castraters. They come across as very human: fall Caesar's genius he used a comb-over; Augustus the harried family man; unhappily married Claudius; Galba being so excited at the prospect of being emperor he has sex with his male lover in a tent; Nero desperate that his music be accepted. Great fun.

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