Suetonius: The Fragments

The Roman writer Suetonius (second century CE) is best known for his Lives of the Caesars (De vita Caesarum) and Lives of famous men (De viris illustribus). It seems he also wrote about sixteen or seventeen other works, now lost to the manuscript tradition. There remain about sixty fragments attributed to Suetonius by various later writers, from Fronto to Gerald of Wales, which have until now been available only in Greek and Latin. The works seem to cover not just biography, but such diverse fields as the proper use of language, Roman culture and institutions, names for rivers and winds, animals, body parts, types of insults and types of garments.

A treasure trove from the time of Hadrian, looking back on institutions that were already passing into history, these fragments are here collected in one volume with the first translation in any language, plus detailed notes by a team of scholars.

Alongside the texts and translations, the attribution of each fragment with reference to the possible genre and background of the lost works is discussed, with an afterword by eminent Suetonian David Wardle. Literary scholars and ancient historians as well as students of social history will for the first time be able to easily access and study this unique collection.