The Lives of the Twelve Caesars -Tiberius- - Paperback

by G. Suetonius Tranquillus (Author)

The life of Tiberius, second emperor of Rome, presented through Suetonius's biographical method, combining public record with personal detail and contemporary report.

In this account, Suetonius examines the reign of Tiberius, tracing his rise to power following Augustus and the consolidation of imperial authority in the early Roman Empire. The narrative records both administrative actions and personal conduct, reflecting Suetonius's characteristic approach of organising material thematically rather than strictly chronologically. The result is a portrait that considers governance alongside temperament, habit, and reputation.

Written in the early second century AD, The Lives of the Twelve Caesars remains one of the principal sources for the study of the Julio-Claudian emperors. The life of Tiberius is of particular interest for its depiction of a ruler whose reign combines effective administration with increasing withdrawal from public life. While shaped by the perspectives of its time, the text preserves material essential to the understanding of early imperial Rome and the development of biographical history.