The Twelve Caesars
Manuscript of De vita Caesarum, 1477 | |
| Author | Suetonius |
|---|---|
| Original title | De vita Caesarum (lit. 'On the Life of the Caesars') |
| Language | Latin |
| Genre | Biography |
Publication date | 121 AD |
| Publication place | Roman Empire |
De vita Caesarum (Latin; lit. "On the Life of the Caesars"), commonly known as The Twelve Caesars or The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire during the Principate. The subjects are Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian.
The Twelve Caesars was written in 121 AD by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (called "Suetonius" by scholars) while he served as a personal secretary to the emperor Hadrian. Suetonius dedicated the work to his friend, Gaius Septicius Clarus, a praetorian prefect.
The Twelve Caesars was a large and significant work in its day. Along with the works of Tacitus, it has become an enduring primary source for Classics scholars.