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The Twelve Caesars
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins
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Publisher's summary
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.
What listeners say about The Twelve Caesars
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Overall
- Robyn C. Blaber
- 03-13-10
A pleasure to read...
It's always a concern how many stars to give a treasured work of history. This book is of course a history, but also a piece of history and as necessary in the milieu of the great works of western literature as any other work from the period. As such, I give it 5 starts, and on it's own merit it was a very enjoyable read.
Beginning with Julius Caesar and ending with the reign of Domitian, Suetonius tells a tale that includes all the victories, works and scandals of each of the emperors in turn. There is some question as to the reliability of some of his sources, as experts have learned, but I think that this in no way diminishes the text. Like with any history, several sources should be considered and Suetonius should be the first with Tacitus next and whatever you can find to follow, as this is truly a fascinating period in Western history.
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18 people found this helpful
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- Marius
- 08-05-12
Horrible narrator.
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
Someone who is not annoyed by the pompous narrator, who is American but tries to apparently tries to speak Queen's English.
What was most disappointing about Suetonius’s story?
Suetonius's work is supposed to be great, but I couldn't tell because the narrator made it painful to listento.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
He removed all quality and turned the experience into torture for my ears and brain. It's like having Niles Crane inside your head.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Disappointment.
Any additional comments?
STAY AWAY!
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9 people found this helpful
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- Gator
- 08-03-17
Brilliant Narration, Great Insights
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes. Insight into the social and political order of the times, and insight into what shaped the psychology of these powerful yet flawed individuals. It's also a consistent reminder of how power corrupts.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Twelve Caesars?
Caligula and Nero are of course the most colorful and horrifying. Julius and Augustus are the only ones out of the 12 who seem to be essentially sane, within the context of their times. There is truly nothing new under the sun, and while technology and communications may evolve, the lessons for democracy are there for those who care to see them.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I did
Any additional comments?
I cannot understand those who fault the narrator. Charlton Griffin has narrated an enormous number of classical works, and in my view is consistently brilliant. I have listened to literally hundreds of hours of his narration of various writings. His pacing, enunciation, and pronunciation of Greek, Latin, and other "foreign" languages is flawless. He is able to bring a sense of drama to what can be otherwise dull writing, and for me makes these ancient times and personalities come alive.
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7 people found this helpful
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- PearlGirl
- 02-04-12
Just the gory details, please.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I would recommend this audiobook to an ancient history or roman history buff.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I cannot say I had a favorite ceaser because I learned new or different facts/gossip about each. The author had a unique viewpoint of the 12 and it was interesting to compare, say, the history of Claudius to the work of Claudius translated by Robert Graves.
What about Charlton Griffin’s performance did you like?
His narration was adequate.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I wanted to listen to this in parts rather than try to take it all in at one listen. Some stories were a little juicier than others and I wanted to listen to them more than once.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall
- steve
- 06-07-11
A very good listen
I really enjoyed this listen. I rarely listen to the same book twice but I will make an exception for this book!
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Kindle Customer
- 05-26-16
Brilliant performance
Outstanding reading of a classic; thoroughly engaging. I found myself listening several times over to key parts. Highly recommended.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Ann Latham
- 03-12-14
this is awful
What disappointed you about The Twelve Caesars?
it is the worst audible item I have ordered and was a total waste of a credit. I have many, many audible books and if I could return this item I would cheerfully do so. It is boring, a cure for insomnia and not a good representative of Audible. The reader has no inflection and is almost a one tone reader.
What do you think your next listen will be?
Maybe nothing I may cancel membership and go back to the library which is free.
What didn’t you like about Charlton Griffin’s performance?
Absolutely everything
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
No
Any additional comments?
I want a free credit to order another book
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4 people found this helpful
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- Anniebligh
- 11-27-11
Horrible Reader.Great Content
Never much liked the Romans of old. Having listened to 'Lustrum', I was interested to learn more. This is a source. I have listened a few times already. Charlton Griffin is not easy on the ear. So it took a few tries to actually hear the content.
One of the things I like, is that in spite of the years and that this is a translation, and it is gossipy, is that Suetonius is almost like a neighbour telling me a story over the fence.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Conrad
- 11-11-20
Impossible to follow along
It’s nearly impossible to follow along. The book goes from chapter to chapter (Caesar to Caesar) without any clear understanding of which Caesar is being discussed. It might mention the Caesar once at the beginning of the chapter, but all references thereafter are “he”. You literally have no clue who is being referred. Unfortunately the chapter guide doesnt offer any help either because those are blank. Even googling the chapter your on to find the book chapter isn’t helpful, because the audiobook chapters don’t follow the book chapters.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Chassity Overcash
- 05-29-18
Excellent
Well done. I only wish it was easier to navigate between chapters. Twelve biographies divided only into two sections makes jumping around difficult.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Graham
- 12-14-12
Labourious read.
Ok its my fault I should have listened to an except first. the narrator is monotone, great for going to sleep with, but not good enough to hold your attention. Other things I didn't like - this is a translation of the original from early AD and I think this translation is from the 1950/60's. it needs updating in translation as it reads like a poor text book. I recommend you listen to an except first before buying.
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7 people found this helpful
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- J. Goss
- 07-12-15
Try the abridged version
This is a grand entertainment, but if you're trying to decide between the full or an abridged version, do go abridged - there are an awful lot of lists and chunks of complicated legal procedure. The meat of this fascinating story are the awful, awful emperors. Listening to this fruity performance, you can immediately see why Robert Graves zoned in on Claudius - after the increasingly unbelievable outrages of his predecessors, a quietly competent emperor must have been a relief.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Matthew
- 12-25-12
The Twelve Caesars
The twelve Caesars is a gripping account of the lives of men who shaped the early Roman empire, and a catalog of the corrupting influence of power on Rome and its leaders. In this book you can learn about the early empire, the laws and traditions if that's what you want. However, far better than the history is the story, we learn about the personal proclivities and pecadilloes of great men and in that we come closer to them than any textbook or tv show. We hear what an eloquent citizen thought about the leadership of Rome and in his voice we can imagine a multitude. This is a must for anyone who wants to feel the basic humanity at the core of the Empire, in all its wretched glory. I enjoyed every salacious minute.
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- MRM London
- 09-03-18
Splendidly gory
Fantastic read, superb description of 12 of the Roman emperors varying from the saintly Augustus to the Satanically evil Nero and Caligula. No holds barred with descriptions of debauchery and gore. The description of each Emperor reads a bit like a best man’s speech with an exaggerated list of his achievements and also his extremes of good or bad behaviour. Fascinating because it was written very shortly after the actual events. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. What sort of Emperor would you have been???
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- Rohan
- 02-14-18
Unfortunately a Poor Translation Used
Just so people are aware, this audiobook uses the translation of Alexander Thompson. Previously there was an audiobook by the same company and even the same narrator (!) - though I've no idea whether it was available on audible - that used the Robert Graves translation. I suppose they either lost or couldn't afford the rights to it anymore and so came out with this instead. There are audiobooks out there with the Graves translation (such as the one already mentioned) - and that's the version of Suetonius I would recommend to people - though I see none are available through Audible at this time.
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Heavily modified and softly translated
- By NeoAtreides on 12-03-15
By: Suetonius
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Lives of the Twelve Caesars
- By: Suetonius
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Abridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Suetonius wrote his Lives of the Twelve Caesars in the reign of Vespasian around 70AD. He chronicled the extraordinary careers of Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, and Domitian and the rest in technicolour terms. They presented some high and low times at the heart of the Roman Empire. The accounts provide us with perspicacious insights into the men as much as their reigns.
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Translation doubts
- By Elizabeth on 05-20-07
By: Suetonius
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The Twelve Caesars
- By: Suetonius
- Narrated by: Andrea Giordani
- Length: 16 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
De Vita Caesarum ("About the Life of the Caesars"), commonly known as The Twelve Caesars, is a set of 12 biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire written by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus. The work was considered highly significant in antiquity and remains a primary source on Roman history. It examines the critical period of the Principate from the end of the Republic to the reign of Domitian.
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Terrible performance
- By Amazon Customer on 07-06-21
By: Suetonius
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The Histories
- By: Polybius, W. R. Paton - translator
- Narrated by: Jonathan Booth
- Length: 37 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The rise of Rome is one of the great stories of world history and fortunately we have a reliable and at times an eyewitness account, from the Greek historian Polybius of Megalopolis. Polybius reports on the main confrontations with the authority of a man who was present at many events and also visited historic sites of importance to ensure his accounts of the past were accurate.
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One of the greatest works of history ever!
- By damianvincent on 03-11-22
By: Polybius, and others
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The Commentaries
- By: Julius Caesar
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Julius Caesar wrote his exciting Commentaries during some of the most grueling campaigns ever undertaken by a Roman army. The Gallic Wars and The Civil Wars constitute the greatest series of military dispatches ever written. As literature, they are representative of the finest expressions of Latin prose in its "golden" age, a benchmark of elegant style and masculine brevity imitated by young schoolboys for centuries.
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My favourite audiobook
- By David Cormier on 08-17-11
By: Julius Caesar
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Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans
- By: Plutarch
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 83 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Plutarch (c. AD 46-AD 120) was born to a prominent family in the small Greek town of Chaeronea, about 20 miles east of Delphi in the region known as Boeotia. His best known work is the Parallel Lives, a series of biographies of famous Greeks and Romans, arranged in pairs to illuminate their common moral virtues and vices. The surviving lives contain 23 pairs, each with one Greek life and one Roman life as well as four unpaired single lives.
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For the Very Dedicated
- By John Pinkerton on 03-13-18
By: Plutarch
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The Twelve Caesars
- By: Suetonius
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 17 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
As private secretary to the Emperor Hadrian, the scholar Suetonius had access to the imperial archives and used them (along with eyewitness accounts) to produce one of the most colorful biographical works in history. The Twelve Caesars chronicles the public careers and private lives of the men who wielded absolute power over Rome, from the foundation of the empire under Julius Caesar and Augustus, to the decline into depravity and civil war under Nero and the recovery that came with his successors.
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Heavily modified and softly translated
- By NeoAtreides on 12-03-15
By: Suetonius
-
Lives of the Twelve Caesars
- By: Suetonius
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Suetonius wrote his Lives of the Twelve Caesars in the reign of Vespasian around 70AD. He chronicled the extraordinary careers of Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, and Domitian and the rest in technicolour terms. They presented some high and low times at the heart of the Roman Empire. The accounts provide us with perspicacious insights into the men as much as their reigns.
-
-
Translation doubts
- By Elizabeth on 05-20-07
By: Suetonius
-
The Twelve Caesars
- By: Suetonius
- Narrated by: Andrea Giordani
- Length: 16 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
De Vita Caesarum ("About the Life of the Caesars"), commonly known as The Twelve Caesars, is a set of 12 biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire written by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus. The work was considered highly significant in antiquity and remains a primary source on Roman history. It examines the critical period of the Principate from the end of the Republic to the reign of Domitian.
-
-
Terrible performance
- By Amazon Customer on 07-06-21
By: Suetonius
-
The Histories
- By: Polybius, W. R. Paton - translator
- Narrated by: Jonathan Booth
- Length: 37 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The rise of Rome is one of the great stories of world history and fortunately we have a reliable and at times an eyewitness account, from the Greek historian Polybius of Megalopolis. Polybius reports on the main confrontations with the authority of a man who was present at many events and also visited historic sites of importance to ensure his accounts of the past were accurate.
-
-
One of the greatest works of history ever!
- By damianvincent on 03-11-22
By: Polybius, and others
-
The Commentaries
- By: Julius Caesar
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Julius Caesar wrote his exciting Commentaries during some of the most grueling campaigns ever undertaken by a Roman army. The Gallic Wars and The Civil Wars constitute the greatest series of military dispatches ever written. As literature, they are representative of the finest expressions of Latin prose in its "golden" age, a benchmark of elegant style and masculine brevity imitated by young schoolboys for centuries.
-
-
My favourite audiobook
- By David Cormier on 08-17-11
By: Julius Caesar
-
Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans
- By: Plutarch
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 83 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Plutarch (c. AD 46-AD 120) was born to a prominent family in the small Greek town of Chaeronea, about 20 miles east of Delphi in the region known as Boeotia. His best known work is the Parallel Lives, a series of biographies of famous Greeks and Romans, arranged in pairs to illuminate their common moral virtues and vices. The surviving lives contain 23 pairs, each with one Greek life and one Roman life as well as four unpaired single lives.
-
-
For the Very Dedicated
- By John Pinkerton on 03-13-18
By: Plutarch
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The Complete Works of Tacitus: Volume 1: The Annals, Part 1
- By: Cornelius Tacitus
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In the pantheon of ancient men of letters, none hold a more venerated position than the Roman historian, Tacitus, venerated alike for the accuracy of his chronicles as well as for the superiority of his style. He was a writer of unexcelled genius and consummate skill. But his work fell into oblivion not long after his death, and has come down to us based on the text of a single tattered manuscript from the Middle Ages.
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Tacitus
- By cbrann on 03-25-08
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The History of Rome: The Complete Works
- By: Titus Livy, Cyrus Edmunds - translator, William A. McDevitte - translator
- Narrated by: Alastair Cameron
- Length: 89 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Titus Livy's only known surviving work is a monumental history of Rome that was originally written in Latin. It is estimated that Livy's The History of Rome was written between 27 and 9 BC and covers the legends of Aeneas, the fall of Troy, the city's founding in 753 BC, and Livy's account ends with the reign of Emperor Augustus. The History of Rome is a must-have for anyone interested in ancient history and the Roman era. With colorful detail and intriguing insight, Titus brings to life some of the most turbulent times in human history.
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The horrible book
- By Amanda on 08-22-18
By: Titus Livy, and others