Suetonius

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (c.69-c.122 CE) was a Roman Civil Servant, Chief Librarian of the Seven Libraries of Rome and a Historian, who was born in Hippo Regius, in the Roman Province of Africa.
He is noted for his work ‘The Lives of the Twelve Caesars’, published in 121 CE.

His Father was a Military Tribune in the Legio XIII Gemina, from the Equestrian Class. Suetonius was probably educated in Rome.
He became a Historian under the Emperors Trajan and Hadrian.
In 1952 it emerged for the first time that Suetonius had been a Bybliothecis, Secretary of the seven Libraries in Rome.
Under Trajan 98-117 CE, he served on the Imperial Secretariat as Secretary of Studies and Director of the Imperial Archives.
Under Hadrian 117-138 CE, he also served on the Imperial Secretariat.
His rise to success was due to his friendship with the Senator and writer Pliny the Younger (61-112 CE).
He was dismissed from Office in 119 CE after an affair with Hadrian‘s wife, Vibia Sabina, according to the Historia Augusta.

Tacitus states that Nero blamed the Christians for starting the Fire.
Suetonius and Dio Cassius both accuse Nero of starting the Great Fire of Rome himself in order to build his Palace.

The Lives of the Twelve Caesars (published in 121 CE) in 12 Books.
- Suetonius wrote a Volume on each starting with Julius Caesar and ending with Domitian.
‘De Viris Illustribus’: ‘On famous men’, which was divided into:
- ‘De Illustribus Grammaticis’: ‘Lives of the Grammarians’
- ‘De Claris Rhetoribus’: ‘Lives of the Rhetoricians’
- ‘De Poetis’: ‘Lives of the Poets’ including Virgil, Terence, Horace and Lucan.
- ‘De Historicis’: ‘Lives of the Historians’ including Pliny the Elder.
‘Peri ton par’ Hellesi paidion’: ‘Greek Games’
‘Peri Blasphemion’: ‘Greek phrases of Abuse’
13 known other Works have been lost.