Heather Ellis

Optimus Princeps: Masculinity and Control in Suetonius' Lives of the Caesars Heather Ellis

This short study examines the question of masculinity in Suetonius' most famous work, the Lives of the Caesars. As the most complete collection of imperial biographies in existence it offers an unparalleled depiction and dissection of Roman imperial power, from Julius Caesar to Domitian. This study argues that there was an intimate relationship in the High Roman Empire between notions of masculine and imperial power which has not as yet received the scholarly attention it deserves. An analysis of this relationship has the potential to provide a more nuanced picture of how the figure of the emperor was seen by his subjects, in particular, the extent to which the ideal emperor was also seen as the ideal man. Through a detailed study of the biographies, set in their historical context, it is argued here that Suetonius employed contemporary ideals of masculinity when assessing the careers of the respective emperors. It is hoped that this study will also go some way towards filling a gap in current Suetonian studies, particularly the need to understand more about Suetonius' assumptions about correct imperial behaviour and the standards by which he judged his emperors.