Sex in Suetonius: Sexual Material as a Characterisation Device for Tyrannical Emperors

Abstract

This thesis analyses the ways in which Suetonius uses sexual material as a characterisation device in his de Vita Caesarum. While Suetonius’ detailed descriptions of the emperors’ sex lives have long entertained readers, scholars usually dismiss them as scarcely credible gossip. However, these passages do warrant serious study. The thesis approaches Suetonius’ Caesares from a literary standpoint and argues that sexual material serves as a device to characterise the ‘bad’ emperors as archetypal tyrants. I begin by assessing the stereotypical behaviour of the tyrant character and determine that Suetonius is employing this character-archetype in the biographies of his tyrannical emperors. I argue that sexual behaviour was a key aspect of the tyrant figure, who was often characterised by his unrestrained and deviant sexual desires and by the ways in which he abused his power in order to fulfil them. Suetonius employs various structural and rhetorical techniques within his passages on the emperors’ sexual habits to emphasise this tyrannical characterisation. I demonstrate that the passages are placed at vital points within the biographies, drawing emphasis to their cruel, arrogant, and lustful nature. The tyrannical character is further highlighted through Suetonius’ arrangement of each anecdote within the passage, as well as his use of other rhetorical techniques, including generalisation and contrast. My analysis of the passages shows that they drastically alter the reader’s perceptions of the emperor in question and thus serve a key function in Suetonius’ narrative. I also argue that deviant sexual material is employed by Suetonius precisely because it was so emotive to Roman readers. Deviant sexual behaviour served as ‘proof’ that a man lacked the necessary masculine virtues to rule others. As sexual encounters in Roman society were usually constructed around a power imbalance, Suetonius’ tales of deviant sexual behaviour serve as metaphors and exempla for how an emperor uses (or abuses) his power, and whether he is fit to wield it. Suetonius’ passages on the tyrannical emperors’ sex lives influences the reader to view the men as justifiably removed from power. This thesis demonstrates that Suetonius’ descriptions of deviant sexual behaviour are more than just prurient gossip. Rather, his rhetorical use of sexual material serves a strong narrative purpose, furthering his characterisation and judgement of these emperors as tyrants.