The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Volume 02: AugustusSuetonius
History
The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Volume 02: Augustus
Suetonius
Emperors -- Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- History -- Empire, 30 B.C.-284 A.D.
LXIII. By Scribonia he had a daughter named Julia, but no children by
Livia, although extremely desirous of issue. She, indeed, conceived
once, but miscarried. He gave his daughter Julia in the first instance
to Marcellus, his sister's son, who had just completed his minority; and,
after his death, to Marcus Agrippa, having prevailed with his sister to
yield her son-in-law to his wishes; for at that time Agrippa was married
to one of the Marcellas, and had children by her. Agrippa dying also, he
for a long time thought of several matches for Julia in even the
equestrian order, and at last resolved upon selecting Tiberius for his
step-son; and he obliged him to part with his wife at that time pregnant,
and who had already brought him a child. Mark Antony writes, "That he
first contracted Julia to his son, and afterwards to Cotiso, king of the
Getae [201], demanding at the same time the king's daughter in marriage
for himself."
(118) LXIV. He had three grandsons by Agrippa and Julia, namely, Caius,
Lucius, and Agrippa; and two grand-daughters, Julia and Agrippina. Julia
he married to Lucius Paulus, the censor's son, and Agrippina to
Germanicus, his sister's grandson. Caius and Lucius he adopted at home,
by the ceremony of purchase [202] from their father, advanced them, while
yet very young, to offices in the state, and when they were
consuls-elect, sent them to visit the provinces and armies. In bringing
up his daughter and grand-daughters, he accustomed them to domestic
employments, and even spinning, and obliged them to speak and act every
thing openly before the family, that it might be put down in the diary.
He so strictly prohibited them from all converse with strangers, that he
once wrote a letter to Lucius Vinicius, a handsome young man of a good
family, in which he told him, "You have not behaved very modestly, in
making a visit to my daughter at Baiae." He usually instructed his
grandsons himself in reading, swimming, and other rudiments of knowledge;
and he laboured nothing more than to perfect them in the imitation of his
hand-writing. He never supped but he had them sitting at the foot of his
couch; nor ever travelled but with them in a chariot before him, or riding
beside him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account