The Lives of the Caesars, Suetonius [best book club books for discussion .TXT] 📗

xml:lang="la">liber) was the name applied to a collection of Nero’s compositions. ↩

A drink made of sour wine or vinegar mixed with water. ↩

The ientaculum was ordinarily a very light breakfast; Vitellius made a banquet of it. ↩

Probably referring to the colossal statue of Athena Promachos on the Acropolis at Athens. Pliny, Natural History XXXV.163 ff., says that the platter cost a million sesterces, and that to make it a special furnace was built in the open fields. ↩

That is, from the eastern to the western limits of the Roman world. ↩

See Caligula, 54.2. ↩

Vernaculus and verna are used by Martial 10.3.1 and 1.41.2 in the sense of “buffoons,” a meaning derived from the proverbial insolence of the vernae, or home-born slaves. The connection of the word here with mathematicis, and the fact that only the astrologers are mentioned in what follows, would seem to imply that the lampoons of these jesters contained predictions about Vitellius. ↩

That is, the astrologers, for whom Chaldaei became a general term. ↩

See note on Julius, 80.2. ↩

As a sign that he was willing to renounce the power of life and death over the people; Tacitus Histories 3. 68. ↩

Vitellius, 9, above. ↩

Gallus means “a cock,” as well as “a Gaul.” ↩

See note on Galba, 10.3. ↩

A duty (portorium) of two and a half percent on imports and exports; cf. Julius, 43.1. ↩

A position held by tried and skilful officers, especially centurions of the first grade (primipili; CIL III.6809, etc.) Cf. Vegetius, Epitoma rei militaris 2.10, is post longam probatamque militiam peritissimus omnium legebatur, ut recte doceret alios quod ipse cum laude fecisset. ↩

The anteambulo was the client who walked before his patron on the street and compelled people to make way for him; cf. Epigrams of Martial 2.18.5, tumidique anteambulo regis, where regis means “patron,” as in Horace Epistles 1.17.43 and elsewhere. ↩

See Caligula, 48 and 49. ↩

Lepidus and Gaetulicus; see Claudius, 9.1. ↩

The senate. ↩

See note on Augustus, 47. ↩

See Claudius, 17. ↩

The Isle of Wight. ↩

Mango (cf. Greek μάγγανον, “charm”) was the term applied to a dealer in slaves, cattle, or wares, to which he tried to give an appearance of greater value than they actually possessed. The nickname applied to Vespasian implies that his trade was in mules. ↩

See Nero, 22. ff. ↩

Probably of auxiliaries. ↩

The hand was typical of power, and manus is often used in the sense of potestas. ↩

Of Nero’s lodging. ↩

July 11; according to Tacitus Histories 2.79, it was the fifth day before the Nones, July 3. ↩

Governor of the neighbouring province of Syria. ↩

The strategic importance of Egypt is shown by Tacitus Annals 2.59; see Julius, 35.1 (at the end); Augustus, 18.2. ↩

The freedman’s name, connected with Greek βασιλεύς, “king,” was an additional omen. ↩

They were stationed at Ostia and Puteoli as a fire brigade (see Claudius, 25.2), and the various divisions were on duty now in one town, now in the other, and again in Rome. ↩

Literally, “on his own neck;” in a basket. ↩

The Colosseum, known as the Flavian amphitheatre until the Middle Ages. ↩

That is, a citizen could return the abuse of another citizen, regardless of their respective ranks. ↩

During the civil wars. ↩

See note on Augustus, 36. ↩

In the legal sense; filii familiarum were sons who were still under the control of their fathers, regardless of their age; cf. Tiberius, 15.2. ↩

His tribunician power was reckoned from July 1, 69, the day when he was proclaimed emperor by the army. The meaning of the sentence is not clear. ↩

See Claudius, 35. ↩

See Vespasian, 6.4. He boasted that the rule had been at his disposal and that he had given it to Vespasian; see Tacitus Histories 4.4. ↩

Implying that Mucianus was effeminate and unchaste. ↩

A made-up name from morbus, “illness;” the expression is equivalent to “go to the devil.” ↩

That is, in their superscriptions; see note on Tiberius, 32.2. ↩

Cogere (redigere) in ordinem is used of one who resists or does not show proper respect to a magistrate; that is, attempts to reduce him to the level of an ordinary citizen. It seems to have been originally a military expression. Cf. Claudius, 38.1; Pliny, Epistles 1.23.1; Livy, 3.51.13. ↩

This had been increased to 1,200,000 sesterces by Augustus. ↩

See note on Augustus, 41.2. ↩

Doubtless referring to the statue of Venus consecrated by Vespasian in his temple of Peace, the sculptor of which, according to Pliny, was unknown.