History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

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Answers about the Roman Emperors
THE TWELVE CAESARS - SUETONIUS
The Basis of Much Of What We know About These Guys
The Gold Standard of Ancient History
Rome's Tabloid Historian

The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics)
Suetonius
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140449213
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Book Description

Translated by Robert Graves and Revised with an Introduction by Michael Grant.

Customer Reviews:

Answers about the Roman Emperors.......2007-08-24

This is an engaging book, full of intersting facts which sometimes are hard to find. The book is written with an easy flow, that keeps your interest till the end.
For avid followers of history, in particular the good and bad of Roman emperors, this is a book for you.

THE TWELVE CAESARS - SUETONIUS.......2007-07-21

I FOUND THIS TITLE BY THE ROMAN AUTHOR SUETONIUS TO BE A FASCINATING AND IN-DEPTH [ IF ACCORDING TO SOME HISTORIANS A BIT BIASED ] OVER-VIEW OF THE FIRST TWELVE RULERS OF ROME WHO HELD OR ADOPTED THE NOMEN OF CAESAR. MY REASON FOR PURCHASING WAS THAT MY OLD PAPERBACK VERSION HAD SUFFERED FROM BEING OVER-READ AND REFERRED TO AND WAS DELAPIDATED.

GAIUS JULIUS WAS OF THE FAMILY - HIS GREAT NEPHEW OCTAVIANUS TOOK HIS NAMES AFTER ADOPTION INTO THE FAMILY AND THEREAFTER THE CAESAR TITLE CAME LESS TO BE A FAMILY TITLE THAN AN INDICATOR THAT THE EMPERORS LOOKED BACK TO THE ASSASSINATED ORIGINAL AS THEIR FOREBEAR IF NOT IN BLOODLINE THEN IN SIMPLE FACT.

IT IS A TITLE THAT SURVIVED DOWN TO THE RUSSIAN CZARS AND THE GERMAN KAISERS. KAI-SER, IN FACT, IS HOW THE NAME CAESAR WAS ORIGINALLY PRO-NOUNCED IN LATIN USEAGE.

WITH NERO THE IMMEDIATE LINE OF THE CAESARS EXTINGUISHED BUT THERE WERE MANY MORE INTERESTING, IF NOT AS DEEPLY INTERESTING, RULERS TO FOLLOW HIM. THE BOOK COVERS THE JULIO-CLAUDIANS, THE THREE INTERIM EMERORS IN 68 AND 69 [ GALBA, OTHO AND VITELLIUS ] AND THE FLAVIANS, VESPASIAN, TITUS AND DOMITIAN.

ALONGSIDE GRAVES' 'I CLAUDIUS', 'THE TWELVE CAESARS' IS A VERY GOOD INTRODUCTION FOR ANYONE SEEKING TO EXAMINE, FROM MANY CENTURIES DIVORCED , THE INTRIGUING AND LITERAL BACK STABBING THAT WENT ON IN IMPERIAL ROME'S EARLY YEARS.

ROGER DESHON - 22 QUEENSCOURT ROAD ALEXANDRA HILLS QLD 4161 AUSTRALIA

The Basis of Much Of What We know About These Guys .......2007-06-16

This is really a fascinating book on so many levels. First so much historical fiction, and drama that has been based on the lives of the Ceasars is indebted to Suetonius as the author who wrote these incredible character sketches. There's much to learn about the personal lives of the famous Roman emperors in this fine translation. This has served as source material for centuries of scholars and writers who found universal truths about human nature and political power in these lives.
Very accessible to the general reader and highly entertaining.

The Gold Standard of Ancient History.......2007-04-17

This translation of Suetonius's Twelve Ceasars translated by Robert Graves with a great introduction by Michael Grant is a history-lover's dream. This is definitely my favorite historial work in translation; it is expertly and lovingly brought to life. To me, anybody should be able to be transported in moments back to ancient Rome in the time of Augustus or Nero and have one hell of a read. Suetonius was a minor government functionary who was given the spectacular opportunity to see the early imperial archives, kind of like a blogger or National Enquirer reporter given the opportunity to look at Clinton-era video surveilance or Nixon's Watergate tapes. This work is one of the most accessible views of ancient history ever. It's filled with lurid sex, gossip, murder, palace coups, degeneracy, monumental building, war, poisonings, etc. If you're going to be a liberal arts major, it pays to know a few dirty stories about the Caesars; this is the book to read.

Rome's Tabloid Historian.......2007-03-26

Suetonius grew up in the years following Nero's reign and wrote these histories while he was the secretary of the emperor Hadrian in the early second century A.D. His book covers the successive reigns of Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian.

The stories focus on the emperors themselves more than the events which took place under their reigns and, although there's certainly some truth to those emperors, many of Suetonius' facts are anecdotal stories and rumors. Suetonius has therefore been called one of the first tabloid writers. Nevertheless, his biographies are rather concise and systematic; touching upon the physical attributes of the ruler, his background, the good deeds (if any) in his reign and then, of course, the bad deeds.

Robert Graves' translation is superb and probalby one of the best ones available. It is quite faithful to the generally jovial mood of Suetonius' work and presented with a good introduction by reputed historian Michael Grant. I can't help but be amused at some of the stories Suetonius recites on Nero and Caligula as they are definitely two of the most eccentric emperors (to put it lightly)that ever ruled the Principate. For example, when Nero first inaugurated his new gigantic Golden House with a mile-long corridor and a 130' statue of himself at the entrance, he was said to have exclaimed, "At last! I can live like a human being!"

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If ancient Rome had tabloids...
All the Dirty Laundry!
Fascinating insights into 12 first century leaders
A must for advocates of democracy opposed to demagogues
Read your primary sources people!

The Lives of the Twelve Caesars
Suetonius
Manufacturer: Welcome Rain
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1566492106

Book Description

Covering the Roman rulers from Julius Caesar to Domitian, remains on e f the most enlightening of all Roman histories.

Customer Reviews:

If ancient Rome had tabloids..........2005-12-10

Not much is known about the life of Gaius Suetonius Tranquillis. He was probably born in A.D. 69--the famous 'year of four Emperors'--when his father, a Roman knight, served as a colonel in a regular legion and took part in the Battle of Baetricum.

Suetonius became a scribe and noted secretary to the military set, eventually ending up in the service of Hadrian, who was emperor from A.D. 117-138. He was dismissed for 'indiscreet behaviour' with Hadrian's empress, Sabina, but not before doing sufficient research to complete many books of a historical nature. His attempts at philosophy were much less well received, and most of his history has been overlooked by all but classical scholars, but this work, 'The Twelve Caesars' has held the imagination of more than just the scholarly set since it was first written.

Suetonius had the good fortune of speaking to eyewitnesses from the time of the early Caesars. Much of his information about Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero in fact comes from those who observed and/or participated in their lives. Suetonius is in many ways more of a reporter than an historian--he would record conflicting statements without worrying about the reconciliation (this set him apart from Tacitus and other classical historians who tried to find a consistency in stories and facts.

Suetonius has been described as the tabloid journalist of ancient Rome, because not only did he not appear to check facts (which in fact is not true--he did check, he just didn't try to smooth over the conflicting facts), but he choose to concentrate on the private lives, motivations and personality quirks of his subjects rather than their grand plans, policies and military/political victories. Thus, many details of the lurid scene appear. Suetonius, and this volume in particular, formed much of the basis for Robert Graves as he wrote 'I, Claudius' and 'Claudius the God', which in turn pulled up the popularity of Suetonius in this generation.

Suetonius had first hand knowledge of many of the Caesars who followed the Claudians, and ready access to the archives of the imperial family and the Senate, given his imperial posting.

This translation is not intended to be a faithful rendering of the language (which might well result in a stilted English construct) but rather a faithful account of the stories Suetonius tells. Graves has taken the liberty of changing monetary, date, and technical terms into standard English measurements of close kinship of meaning.

For the record, the twelve Caesars, about whom Suetonius writes, are:

+ Julius Caesar
+ Augustus
+ Tiberius
+ Gaius Caligula
+ Claudius
+ Nero
+ Galba
+ Otho
+ Vitellius
+ Vespasian
+ Titus
+ Domitian

Suetonius held nothing back in writing about the personal habits of the emperors and their families, nor did he hold back in his moral judgement of them. Of Tiberius, for instance, he wrote that Tiberius did so many other wicked deeds under the pretext of reforming public morals--but in reality to gratify his lust for seeing people suffer--that many satires were written against the evils of the day, incidentally expressing gloomy fears about the future.... At first Tiberius dismissed these verses as the work of bilious malcontents who were impatient with his reforms and did not really mean what they said. He would remark: 'Let them hate me, so long as they fear me!' But, as time went on, his conduct justified every line they had written.

Graves' edition of Suetonius is available under many covers, from hard-back study editions to Penguin paperbacks, including a wonderful, finely printed edition by the Folio Society. Take a step back into the seemier side of ancient Rome, the side most history courses overlook in favour of more traditional historical events, and hie thee to the bookstore for this work.

All the Dirty Laundry!.......2005-09-09

Seutonius did the world a great service when he wrote his "The Lives of the Twelve Caesars". This was one of the first primary sources that I read, and it remains a favourite of mine.

Seutonius tackles each of the first twelve Caesars in chronological order, with a section on each one. He claims he has used many sources, and has even included some hearsay or otherwise unconfirmed information. He certainly was not shy about airing their dirty laundry.

Unlike a lot of ancient authors that get translated into English, Suetonius' style is very relaxed and very easy to get absorbed into. Even in translation, the book maintains a brisk pace and has enough to keep one interested until the last page.

Suetonius' "The Lives of the Twelve Caesars" is a fascinating book, written with access to sources long lost to us. This is a great book to read and enjoy, simultaneously being good for those interested in serious study of the period.

Fascinating insights into 12 first century leaders.......2003-10-01

Suetonius book covers the lives and works of the 12 leading Romans of the periode from ca. 70BC to 96AD: Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasianus, Titus and Domitianus. He describes their commendable achievements first an then goes in depth into their not so nice qualities too. The account he gives is lively and alive with quite private details of the 12 men. It's a fascinating read that also gives the reader an insight into Roman live in the first century AD

A must for advocates of democracy opposed to demagogues.......2001-03-08

I find this book essential not, as most readers see, a simple history of Rome, but rather as a grim example of the excesses possible when democracy fails and absolute power is contained in one human being(Rome beginning its career as a wonderfull Republic). Although most see Suetonius' vivid descriptions of lust and other deviant vices as mere gossip, I propose that is exactly what he is trying to elucidate for the ages to see. These same excesses gave rise to almost the entire fundamental ideas of the religion known as Christianity and their whole hearted opposition to orgies, torture, crucifictions, feeding to the lions and the like, all due to the whims of deranged monkeys who called themselves Caesar. Read for yourself, for example, the history behind St. Valentine's day.

Read your primary sources people!.......2000-02-16

In historical study there are two types of literature. Secondary sources are written based on the original writings which are known as Primary sources. If you want to lern about the earliest Roman Emperors this source is indispensable. True, some of it is not historical and Suetonius is somewhat of a gossip monger at times, seeing as he explains in detail the various sexual appetites of each Caesar as well as other deviant behaviour. Still, this is one of the foremost primary sources about those famous Romans and most of the history books written on the Caesars are standing on Suetonius' shoulders.

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Indispensable guide to the early Roman Empire
Suetonious or Tacitus?
A Great Introductory Book to Imperial Rome
A fine collection of inbred pedophiles, sadists & basic
By Jove, this is scandal!

The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics)
Suetonius , and Michael Grant
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140440720

Amazon.com

Born in 60 A.D., Suetonius served for several years as secretary to the Roman emperor Hadrian. His years in the palaces and halls of imperial government served him well when he set out to write this oftentimes eye-popping, tell-all account of the doings of the first 12 emperors, from Julius to Domitian, who make the good fellas of Mafia renown seem tame by comparison. From Suetonius we learn that Augustus was afraid of lightning and thunder and carried a piece of seal skin as protection against them; that Caligula slept with his mother and his sister; and that Nero outlawed mimes in Rome--which may mean that he wasn't such a bad man after all. Suetonius doesn't hesitate to say when he's reporting gossip that he has not personally verified, but what gossip it is! This translation, by the noted classicist Robert Graves, serves the ancient chronicler very well indeed.

Book Description

Little is known about the life of Gaius Suetonius Tranquillis, but much is inferred. He was born in the first century A.D. when Roman power was at its zenith. Pliny the Younger tells us that Suetonius briefly practiced law, avoided political controversy and became chief secretary to the Emperor Hadrian.

Suetonius lived out his full span and died in 140 A.D. He was a prolific writer, for there are records of numerous books. But the only one extant is THE TWELVE CAESARS, the most fascinating and richest of all Latin histories.

Customer Reviews:

Indispensable guide to the early Roman Empire.......2007-03-08

This is a collection of essays about the first twelve rulers to bear the name Caesar. It is the definitive collection of eyewitness stories about the early emperors as they were seen by their contemporaries.

The rulers covered by this book include Julius Caesar, his adopted son Augustus and his descendents, the warlords who contended for power in the "Year of Four Caesars" after Nero was overthrown, and the Flavians.

In other words, the full list of twelve is:

Julius Caesar
Augustus
Tiberius
Gaius Caligula
Claudius
Nero
Galba
Otho
Vitellius
Vespasian
Titus
Domitian.

If you want to understand the early Roman Empire, you need to read this book. If you are a budding novelist and want to write about the early Empire, you need to read this book.

Robert Graves, author of "I Claudius" and "Claudius the God" translated this version: not surprisingly many of the snippets of gossip and fascinating little stories from Suetonius find their way into his novels. They also find their way into every good novel about first century Rome that I have ever read, absolutely without exception.

You should not take for granted that every word of Suetonius's account is accurate. For example, he supports the story that Nero set fire to the city of Rome, and then sang an aria as he watched the city burn. (This is story is often misquoted as Nero having fiddled while Rome burned - an impossibility since the violin had not been invented.)

Some modern historians have made a strong case that this was a clever libel spread by Nero's contemporary opponents, that Nero was actually away from the city when the fire broke out and hurried back to Rome to personally lead the fire-fighting efforts.

If they are right it does not cast doubt on Suetonius's integrity as a reporter of what was said about the emperor, because there is no dispute that the story of Nero singing while Rome burned was widely believed at the time. As the saying goes, "Si non e vero, e ben trovato" - if it's not true, it's well invented. Aspects of the story certainly seem in character with many of Nero's other proclivities including his love of art, enormous vanity, and complete ruthlessness. However, it illustrates that Suetonius does seem to have a propensity to repeat every snippet of gossip he heard about the early emperors, with rather less selectivity and critical judgement than the other great ancient historians, Herodotus and Thucydides.

However, for this very reason, though perhaps he is a whisker behind Herodotus and Thucydides as a historian, Suetonius is far and away the most entertaining of the three.

The translation by Graves is very easy to read. This is one of the most important, fascinating, and informative works of ancient history which was ever written.

Suetonious or Tacitus?.......2006-03-07

That question can be solved by me by choosing the former simply because of what survives of his work and here it is: The Twelve Caesars. Tacitus is the other great Roman historian but what survives of his two masterpieces: The Annals and The Histories, is not as comprehensive as what is found in The Twelve Caesars.

The Twelve Caesars is definatley my favorite historical work of the Roman Empire. In it, Suetonious goes over the actions and character of not only the entire Julio-Claudian dynasty but the Flavian as well, making The Twelve Caesars cover roughly 138 years.

This is probably the best historical account of the emperors of the Roman Empire and is the best introduction to other works such as the great works of Tacitus.

A Great Introductory Book to Imperial Rome.......2005-03-02

Suetonius grew up in the years following Nero's reign and wrote these histories while he was the secretary of the emperor Hadrian in the early second century A.D. His book covers the successive reigns of Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian.

The stories focus on the emperors themselves more than the events which took place under their reigns and, although there's certainly some truth to those emperors, many of Suetonius' facts are anecdotal stories and rumors. Suetonius has therefore been called one of the first tabloid writers. Nevertheless, his biographies are rather concise and systematic; touching upon the physical attributes of the ruler, his background, the good deeds (if any) in his reign and then, of course, the bad deeds.

Robert Graves' translation is superb and carries the jovial mood of the writings quite well. I can't help but be amused at some of the stories Suetonius recites on Nero and Caligula as they are definitely two of the most eccentric emperors (to put it lightly)that ever ruled the Principate. For example, when Nero first inaugurated his new gigantic Golden House with a mile-long corridor and a 130' statue of himself at the entrance, he was said to have exclaimed, "At last! I can live like a human being!"

A fine collection of inbred pedophiles, sadists & basic.......2003-12-31

lunatics that ruled Rome in the first century, & told very well in the audio cassette format. As history it is not much but as biography it is informative & entertaining. Apparently the mores & standards of decency were much diiferent than they are today. Most of these 12 Caesars did not not rule very long but they impacted the Empire probably for a long time after. I'd like to read more about the individuals that followed Domitian & before Julius thus supplementing other well known works such as the Fall of the Roman Empire. This book however, is a good start.

By Jove, this is scandal!.......2003-07-16

The Twelve Caesars is the first classical book I ever read, and it fascinated me to no end. I'd recommend this is a starter book for anyone interested in the History of Political Power. Gore Vidal reviewed this book years ago, and he wrote an excellent piece about it--the nature of power, the perversions it causes, and the absurd humanity of it All. Hopefully there won't be another Tiberius as President of the USA (we only have our cheap Clintonius) but it's fun to wonder what may become of our American Empire. Please, please buy this book.

Average customer rating:

Valuable in Many Ways
Intense Roman History, though perhaps a bit dry at times
Out of Print?
Emperors, Ceasors, Imperators, O My!
Not For The General Reader

The Twelve Caesars
Michael Grant
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0684144026

Customer Reviews:

Valuable in Many Ways.......2007-01-09

With the death of Michael Grant in late 2004, in many ways, a scholarly era came to a close. He died at 89 years of age. He outlived all of his early contemporaries, Syme, Runciman, and Frank Cowell among others. He closed his career as an independent scholar retiring from academia and government service in 1966 to devote himself to full time writing. He stayed active with his last book appearing in the year 2000. His original training was as an academic numismatist which is apparent in this work under consideration. With over fifty books to his credit, he was probably the most productive classicist and historian of the Greco Roman world of the twentieth century. He was an ardent popularizer and enjoyed an immense audience which persists to this day. Michael Grant was one of the few classical historians to win praise from both academics and the interested lay reader.

While a fine communicator, it has been noted by other reviewers that Grant can be a challenging read given his vocabulary usage. More troubling to this reader is the lack of footnotes and end notes only which complicates reading this work. Specifically, because some but not all quotes from ancient authors are unattributed in the text. Even at its publication in 1975, let alone in the year 2006, most readers do not have the background in the Greek and Latin classics to easily identify the authors of these unattributed quotes. Also, a woefully lacking suggested reading list of secondary materials is included. One star is duly deducted for these shortcomings. The book opens with a splendid and extended essay on classical sources, biography, history and things Roman. It alerts the reader to many facts and interpretations that make the subsequent text far more intelligible. This opening coupled with a short but deeply insightful conclusion can be read with immense profit without ever even approaching the body of the work. However, this would be mistake as the twelve short biographies in chronological order provide a fascinating overview of the first hundred odd years of the Roman Empire as viewed from its center and through the personages of its rulers. Therein lies both the strength and weakness of the book. Others have devoted thousands of pages to materials Grant covers in limited and truncated form in a few hundred pages.

And within those twelve short biographies, I believe he accomplishes much. By Suetonius's standards, Grant provides us with a sober and coherent explanation of the problems and challenges faced by those emperors. That overwork and fear of assassinations were debilitating to all that ruled long enough is made plain in these pages. The Senatorial nobility would sooner or later tire of any ruler and plot against him. And if overwork and sedition by the nobility in Rome were not enough, by the middle of the period under consideration, the praetorian guard would start installing emperors, and this would be followed by emperors installed by the provincial legions. In spite of the brevity of each portrait, many incisive judgements regarding each of these personalities are rendered convincingly by Grant. I find those judgements valuable to an overall understanding of the formative era of the Roman Empire. Within its limitations, this a marvelous work that can be appreciated by those with a modest knowledge of the Roman world. Equally, there is much of interest here for the well read in this area. A careful consideration of this work will reward the diligent reader with some remarkable insights on early Roman imperial rule.

Intense Roman History, though perhaps a bit dry at times.......2003-12-01

I have to say that although Grant is clearly an expert in his field and often provides terrific insights, his Erudite and wordy style fails to provide the easiest of reads at times(especially for beginners). Nevertheless I think this is my favorite of all Grant's works that I have read so far(I've read 3). Part of that is because I love Roman History and perhaps another factor is that this book tends to stick more or less to a chronological narrative(preventing it from becoming too dry). My favorite part in this book is the conclusion. Grant's enlightened insight into the job of being an emperor is outstanding! Yeah, although the book as a whole I would give 4 stars that conclusion is definitely worth 5. So, to sum up although this book may not be the greatest page turner the insights are fabulous, and I would recommend it to people with a love of Roman History, but I would recommend the curious beginner try an easier read first before tackling a book like this.

Out of Print?.......2003-01-06

I don't think this book is out of print anymore because I recently bought the hardcover edition (new) at a big chain store. You can get it used as well. Anyway, I finally finished this thing. It took awhile to read because I found myself cross referencing a few of the chapters with Grant's recommended reading list and I ended up reading three other books while I was reading this one. Overall a very good volume and an easy one to read if you are a novice in classical history. Grant has always done a great job with somehow making a complex topic easy to read for the masses. He covers the first twelve emperors adequately, but to get more out of each one you really need to purchase a separate book on each of the emperors. I liked this book because it gave a good overview of each of them and I was intrigued enough about the lives of a few of them to go out and buy an additional book. If you want a good overview of the emperors without much detail then this is a great book, but it lacks depth into the time period for obvious reasons. You could not cover everything in a volume this size. It is a good book to get you started and to find out what aspect of ancient Rome you are interested in.

Emperors, Ceasors, Imperators, O My!.......2002-06-24

Conspiracy, suspicion, power, corruption, poison, conquests, marauders, murders and more murders. Such is the history of Roman Empire. Then again there are copious examples from every nation's history of such dastardly acts to grab power, from Egyptians pharos, to Bourbons, to Indian Moguls, to British royalty. Human nature has changed very little in two thousand years. Now instead of murdering opponents, we vilify them to such an extent that populace loathes and discards them in the garbage bin. Grant discounts Lord Acton's polemical quote "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely". Later Lord Acton had modified in saying that too much responsibility coupled with intense fear of life corrupts absolutely. It is very hard to imagine for us, normal souls, with two thousand years separation, what would we do if we were given absolute power over everybody and every thing. But would we resort to killing our own mother like Nero, or have sexual relationships with sisters, like Caligula. It is quite possible if Nixon were the Roman Empire and Watergate exploded on the stage, he would not have hesitated in having few senators, congressmen dispatched in due haste. If there are any good emperors, the vote should go to Augustus, starting from nothing, except, Julius Caesar's adopted nephew, to emerge as victor, after defeating all his rivals, one by one including Mark Anthony and his beloved Cleopatra. Vespatian can also be called a hero to come up the ranks from an ordinary family to start a dynasty and consolidate Rome after bitter civil war.

Aggripina the younger stands out among all the women ,( if one can discount Livia, Augustus wife in Graves incomparable "I, Claudius", where he portrays Livia as villai) who is married to aging Claudius, the fourth emperor. She runs the kingdom in his name and manages to bypass Claudius own son and places her son, Nero on the throne. How does Nero reward her? He lets her go out on a faulty boat to drown. What are sons for?

Few emperors, imperators were tyrants, megalomanias and sadists and most of them were murdered by conspiracy. Why any body wanted to be one is puzzling as no doubt they all knew the history so well. So Lord Acton is right. It is human nature to lust for Absolute power.

The Roman history is fascinating read of human nature, ambition, treachery, power and above all its glory.

Not For The General Reader.......2002-04-18

This book is trying to give an overview of each of the twelve Roman Caesars. Overall I was looking for more of an exciting telling of the story with some action, suspense, and maybe a little decadence thrown in for good measure. What I got was a textbook best suited for a college campus. The writing was so labored I wondered why the author chose this line of work, recipes have more punch and creativeness in the writing. I truly struggled to get to the half way point of the book before I gave up. Now let me add that this is not a main interest topic for me so maybe my review is not reflective of a person that is really into the Roman's.

Average customer rating:

Great peace of epic work:
Valuable in Many Ways
A good, basic treatment
From Republic to Empire.

The Twelve Caesars
Michael Grant
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0760700885

Customer Reviews:

Great peace of epic work:.......2007-03-05

Michael Grant is a scholar who takes you for a guided tour of historical delight. In this 282-page epic page-turner, Grant easily acquaints the reader with biographical insight into twelve generations of ruler-ship. From the exploits of Gaius Julius Caesar, through the chasms of Caligula's madness, to Queen Boudicca's recalcitrancy over Suetonius Paulinus' hegemony in Britain.
Grant knows his material well. He paints picturesque moments that envisage long lasting memories for the reader. After reading this book if you aren't an expert on Roman history then you don't comprehended what you read. Grant makes his short biographies simple to follow. In each chapter Grant gives a brief synopsis of each emperor's life and death before going into vast details of what transpired during their reign. That way, the reader is never over whelmed with historical fact and biographical information that can sometimes become tedious, and incomprehensible. This is a short pleasurable book that all who revels in Roman history will treasure for a lifetime.

Valuable in Many Ways.......2007-01-09

This is a reissue of the 1975 original edition of this book by Scribner. My review of this book can be found here on Amazon under that first edition. It is also available as a reissue by the History Book Club in 2000. All three editions are identical. As the first is the most plentiful in the used market, it is also the least expensive. If you wish to purchase this book, which I highly recommend, the Scribner edition is the one that I suggest you seek out.

A good, basic treatment.......2006-11-28

As a good, VERY basic biography of the first twelve rulers of Rome this book is good. Grant basically turns Acton's saying about "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutley" into his conclusion that overwork and poor health mixed with a healthy dose of fear will do the job even better. As a historian Grant is first rate and cites all the obvious sources for his subject (Suetonius, Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny etc...) As a writer however, Grant is not as accessible as someone like Joseph Ellis, James Reston or Steven Ambrose. He has a penchant for the more "scholarly" style of prose which can often make good information like this a bit less accessible for the general reader. These guys led amazing lives full of intrigue, violence and incredible self-indulgence. A little on how the Roman populace and the Senate viewed these rulers would have given a more well-rounded picture.

From Republic to Empire........2006-06-05

This is an excellent biography of the first twelve emperors who led the Roman empire. This book would be a good companion piece to Suetonius's more famous book. Grant is an excellent biographer and historian of the ancient world. This book also draws on other materials than Suentonius, so it is more complete and may give a more accurate view of the twelve men who held this position. The more infamous are detailed here such as Caligula and Nero.
Grant's main thesis is that these men had to be extremely hard working. Years of hard work had their toll on these able men. Many aged rapidly from the work. Grant also states that the Republic was not durable enough to pass the test from a small country to a large country spanning continents. Empire was inevitable and if Julius Caesar or Augustius was not there, someone else would have seized power. There were some weird people in this twelve, like Nero. However for the most part, they were able.

This is a nice read about the early days of the Roman Empire. Grant is a great historian.

The Lives Of The Twelve Caesars - Complete

Average customer rating:

A great book doesn't gets older

The Lives Of The Twelve Caesars - Complete
Tranquillus Suetonius
Manufacturer: Echo Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1406808016

Book Description

Memoirs rather than history, lives rather than events; includes Lives of the Poets, Grammarians and Historians

Customer Reviews:

A great book doesn't gets older.......2007-07-01

I read this book, translated to the portuguese language, here in Brazil.Are you worried, about sexual scandals today?Oh!In Roman Empire sexual perversions were the rule.Homosexuality, incest,etc. in roman emperors is the subject of this book.This book was writen more than 1,700 years ago, but this book is so fun to read, as any excellent book writen today.This book again shows to everybody, that a great book doesn't gets older.

Vidas de los doce Cesares/ Lives of the Twelve Caesars (Biblioteca Clasica Gredos/ Gredos Classical Library)

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Vidas de los doce Cesares/ Lives of the Twelve Caesars (Biblioteca Clasica Gredos/ Gredos Classical Library)
Suetonio
Manufacturer: Gredos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 8424914929

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The Twelve Caesars
Suetonius
Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Twelve Caesars (MP3 CD)
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus , and Charlton Griffin
Manufacturer: Audio Connoisseur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: MP3 CD

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ASIN: 192971839X

Book Description

1 MP3-CD, Unabridged, With Music and Sound Effects, Running Time: 13 hours 39 minutes

"The Twelve Caesars"
From the dignified grace of Augustus to the cruel debauchery of Nero, this history chronicles all the vices and virtues of the first twelve rulers of Imperial Rome. "The Twelve Caesars" was written based on the information of eyewitnesses and public records. It conveys a very accurate picture of court life in Rome and contains some of the raciest and most salacious material to be found in all of ancient literature. The writing is clear, simple and easy to understand, and the numerous anecdotes of juicy scandal, bitter court intrigue and murderous brigandage easily hold their own against the most spirited content of today's tabloids. The biographies and periods of reign are: Julius Caesar (dictatorship: 46 B.C. - 44 B.C.), Augustus (31 B.C. - A.D. 14), Tiberius (14 - 37), Caligula (37 - 41), Claudius (41 - 54), Nero (54 - 68), Otho (68 - 69), Galba (69), Vitellius (69), Vespasian (69 - 79), Titus (79 - 81) and Domitian (87 - 96). Like no other work before or since, "The Twelve Caesars" has continued to shock, titillate and entertain audiences for 2,000 years.

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