The Lives of the Caesars · Theme
Ambition and the Pursuit of Power
How The Lives of the Caesars develops Ambition and the Pursuit of Power.
The narrative consistently highlights the relentless ambition of the Caesars, from Julius Caesar's early emulation of Alexander the Great to Augustus's calculated consolidation of authority, showing how personal drive for power shapes political action and often leads to conflict.
Where it surfaces
- Book I: The Deified Julius
Caesar's relentless drive for power is evident from his early defiance of Sulla to his accumulation of unprecedented honors.
- Book II: The Deified Augustus
Augustus's relentless drive to avenge Caesar and secure sole control of the Roman state, including his manipulation of the political and military landscape.
- Book III: Tiberius
Tiberius's adoption by Augustus and his calculated assumption of imperial authority, despite feigning reluctance, illustrate the relentless pursuit of power.
- Galba
Galba's rise to power is marked by omens and prophecies, but his inability to manage ambition in others (e.g., Otho, Nymphidius) leads to his fall.
- Otho
Otho's entire career—from currying favor with Nero to seizing the throne from Galba—is driven by relentless ambition, culminating in his desperate gamble for empire.