Suetonius

Born around 69 CE, Suetonius was a Roman biographer and scholar writing during the early Roman Empire. He is usually identified as Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, and much of what is known about him comes from scattered ancient references and his own surviving works.

He is most famous for De vita Caesarum, often called The Twelve Caesars, a series of biographies of Julius Caesar and the first eleven Roman emperors. Rather than writing straightforward political history, he focused on personality, habits, private behavior, and memorable anecdotes, which makes his books especially readable and influential.

Suetonius also held imperial administrative posts, likely giving him access to official records, before falling from favor under Emperor Hadrian. Although only part of his larger body of writing survives, his biographies remain one of the key literary sources for the early emperors and have had a lasting impact on both historians and general readers.