Research Catalog

Title

How to be a bad emperor : an ancient guide to truly terrible leaders / Suetonius ; selected, translated, and introduced by Josiah Osgood.

Author

Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122

Publication

Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2020]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Osgood, Josiah, 1974-

Description

xxi, 288 pages; 18 cm.

Summary

"Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus was secretary of correspondence for the emperor Hadrian and author of the multi-part biography, Lives of the Caesars. A landmark in the development of realistic biography-writing, this work gives an account of twelve emperors, beginning with Julius Caesar. In each biography, Suetonius moves beyond the great events of Roman history and sets out to reveal the small and telling details of his subjects' lives. Suetonius' zeal in accumulating and relating what may appear to be trivial has sometimes led to the charge that he was little better than a gossip. Yet he was interested in deeper questions that fascinate political observers today. It is Suetonius' view that emperors ultimately had the power to achieve much both for good and for ill. Augustus beautified Rome, improved its infrastructure, restored its religion, and promoted discipline in the army. But other emperors, such as Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero, infamously used their power to indulge vice and harm others. Ever since their publication, Suetonius' imperial biographies have appealed to readers, both because of their sensational stories and the larger questions of power they raise. They spawned many sequels in antiquity (as well as more recent works like Robert Graves's famed, I, Claudius). While a number of good English translations are in print, reading Lives of the Caesar from cover to cover can be daunting, so many details are included. Also general readers, including students, are really interested in the stories of the bad emperors. This book, then, in a reversal of the usual self-help formula that Suetonius would appreciate, offers selections from the lives of four bad emperors (Julius Caesar, Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero) to create a guide on how to be a bad leader. own worst qualities and become more dangerous to us than any enemy. Osgood will start the volume with an introduction to Suetonius and his biographies, and also include introductions and (as appropriate, epilogues) to the individual selections. These will offer a reader already acquainted with Suetonius a better sense of the biographer's achievement and value as well as some ideas on why autocrats, or would-be autocrats, have always proven a rich subject for biographers"--

Series Statement

Ancient wisdom for modern readers

Uniform Title

Ancient wisdom for modern readers.

Subjects

• Emperors
• Emperors > Rome > Biography > Early works to 1800
• Biographies
• Rome (Empire)
• Early works
• History
• 30 B.C.-476 A.D
• Rome > History > Empire, 30 B.C.-476 A.D

Genre/Form

• Biographies.
• Early works.
• History.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references.

Language (note)

• Parallel English and Latin text. "I have based the Latin text in this book on M. Ihm's Teubner edition of 1908 ... I have followed Kaster [Oxford, 2016] at several points ... where his proposed reading strikes me as significant improvement on Ihm."--Pages 287-288

Contents

Introduction -- Ignore bad omens, and your wife. Divine Julius 76-82.3 -- Spend all your time at your resort. Tiberius 38-67 -- Make your horse a consul. Gaius Caligula 22-35 and 50-55 -- Fiddle while Rome burns. Nero 20-25 and 40-50.

Call Number

JFC 20-569

ISBN

• 9780691193991
• 0691193991
• 9780691200941 (canceled/invalid)

LCCN

2019026869

OCLC

1107169242

Author

Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122, author.

Title

How to be a bad emperor : an ancient guide to truly terrible leaders / Suetonius ; selected, translated, and introduced by Josiah Osgood.

Publisher

Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2020]

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Ancient wisdom for modern readers

Ancient wisdom for modern readers.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references.

Language

Parallel English and Latin text. "I have based the Latin text in this book on M. Ihm's Teubner edition of 1908 ... I have followed Kaster [Oxford, 2016] at several points ... where his proposed reading strikes me as significant improvement on Ihm."--Pages 287-288,

Chronological Term

30 B.C.-476 A.D.

Added Author

Osgood, Josiah, 1974- editor, translator.

Container of (expression): Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122. Divus Julius. 76-82.3. English (Osgood)

Container of (expression): Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122. Divus Julius. 76-82.3. Latin (Osgood)

Container of (expression): Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122. Tiberius. 38-67. English (Osgood)

Container of (expression): Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122. Tiberius. 38-67. Latin (Osgood)

Container of (expression): Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122. Caligula. 22-35. English (Osgood)

Container of (expression): Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122. Caligula. 22-35. Latin (Osgood)

Container of (expression): Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122. Caligula. 50-55. English (Osgood)

Container of (expression): Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122. Caligula. 50-55. Latin (Osgood)

Container of (expression): Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122. Nero. 20-25. English (Osgood)

Container of (expression): Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122. Nero. 20-25. Latin (Osgood)

Container of (expression): Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122. Nero. 40-50. English (Osgood)

Container of (expression): Suetonius, approximately 69-approximately 122. Nero. 40-50. Latin (Osgood)

Other Form:

Online version: Suetonius, How to be a bad emperor 1st. Princeton : Princeton University Press, 2020. 9780691200941 (DLC) 2019026870

Research Call Number

JFC 20-569