Optimus Princeps: Masculinity and Control in Suetonius' Lives of the Caesars - Couverture souple

Clarkson, Heather

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 3639124308 ISBN 13 : 9783639124309

Editeur : VDM Verlag, 2009

Synopsis

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.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Heather Ellis is a junior lecturer and researcher in British History at the Centre for British Studies, Humbolt University, Berlin. She is also in the final stages of completing her doctorate in Modern History at the University of Oxford. Her main research interests are in the history of masculinity, higher education and classical scholarship.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: VDM Verlag
• Date d'édition: 2009
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 3639124308
• ISBN 13: 9783639124309
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 112
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible