I’m on a Rome kick again.

Previously I read free (and early 20th century) translations and had stopped after the life of Caesar, so this was a refreshingly updated version with an introduction, footnotes, and a throughline from one life to the next. (Yes, of course Graves’s translation is practically historic, but Rives replaced all of his bizarre 20th century anachronisms with the Roman terms so it’s very readable.)

Suetonius is not the world’s most accurate historian, but no one can fault his enthusiasm for gossip. As pointed out in the intro, the bulk of the book is the first 2-3 lives and things shorten rapidly from there. Hard to say if this is personal interest (if so, it’s a mood) or a change in life that cost him his historical sources (also a mood, like graduating college costs you library access…). But Suetonius is an invaluable source if taken with several grains of salt, and he’s an engaging, fascinating writer.