[Authors and titles are listed at the end of the review]
Forty years after Jacques Gascou’s seminal Suétone historien, this volume offers a timely re-evaluation of Suetonius’ De Vita Caesarum, focusing on the narrative techniques that shape his portrayal of some of Rome’s most illustrious rulers.
While narratological methods have long deepened our understanding of other ancient Greek and Roman historians, their application to Suetonius has often been limited to isolated aspects or broad conjectures about their significance. This edited volume, originating from a 2021 conference, breaks new ground by systematically analysing key narrative strategies—such as pacing, focalization and the interplay of retrospection and foreshadowing—to illuminate the literary sophistication of Suetonius’ work. By reframing him as a deliberate and artful storyteller, the volume not only enriches our appreciation of his Vitae but also bridges the gap between historical, biographical and literary interpretations, opening fresh avenues for interdisciplinary scholarship.
Edoardo Galfré and Christoph Schubert begin by outlining the aims of the volume, focusing on three interrelated themes that shape its contributions. The first concerns the structural complexity of De Vita Caesarum, with chapters examining how micro- and macro-level elements interweave to create coherence across the collection. Specifically, contributors analyse features such as intratextual links, recurring motifs and the nuanced framing of narrative openings, revealing how such structural choices encourage both linear and interconnected readings of the text. The second theme reevaluates Suetonius’ place within the genre traditions of Graeco-Roman biography. Moving past outdated critiques of his clumsy attempts to fuse Greek biographical traditions, the volume instead highlights his originality. Using narratological tools like focalization and multi-perspectivity, the contributors show how Suetonius breaks free from the conventions of historiography, offering a fresh and self-assured vision of storytelling in antiquity. Finally, the relationship between Suetonius and his readers takes centre stage. Techniques such as repetition, omission and the juxtaposition of conflicting details actively engage the audience, fostering a dialogic exchange between biographer and reader. Rather than being straightforward accounts, Suetonius’ biographies emerge as intricate works that reward careful and thoughtful engagement with their layered structures and literary complexity.
One of the core strengths of this collection lies in the diversity of its contributions, which skillfully zoom in and out of different aspects of Suetonius’ work, all ultimately reinforcing the same central argument. The eight chapters are organized into four thematic sections. The first section, “Erzählerische Variationen,” examines how Suetonius employs techniques to introduce multiple perspectives and activate reader engagement. First, Dennis Pausch identifies methods such as juxtaposing contrasting information across lives, reproducing anonymous rumours and rapidly shifting focus to create ambivalence. Verena Schulz complements this analysis by focusing on Suetonius’ use of double narratives, identifying four types that challenge readers to reassess events and evaluate historical reliability, particularly in his depictions of Caligula, Nero and Domitian.
The second section, “Tyrannenerzählungen”, delves into the psychological portrayals of the emperors Tiberius and Nero. In her contribution, Nicoletta Bruno highlights Suetonius’ ability to craft consistent, show-don’t-tell character studies, weaving in familial and psychological legacies. Alessio Mancini, on the other hand, focuses on Nero’s final moments, emphasizing Suetonius’ use of intertextual references that connect episodes across the narrative, crafting a sophisticated, non-linear portrayal of events.
“Im Labor des Erzählers,” section three, turns to Suetonius’ linguistic and stylistic innovations. Margherita Fantoli’s analysis of phrases à rallonge reveals how Suetonius uses these intricate participial constructions not merely to compile information but to shape his biographical narratives—capturing oral traditions, citing sources and offering precise, nuanced commentary on imperial behaviour. Edoardo Galfré then examines Suetonius’ strategic use of poetic citations in character speech, arguing that these serve as a tool for activating readers’ interpretive skills, further enriching the narrative’s complexity.
The last section, “Mikro- und Makrostrukturen”, explores how Suetonius integrates micro-narratives into his broader biographical framework. Matthias Grandl, for instance, argues that these micro-units, particularly anecdotes, not only reveal character traits but also engage the reader in Suetonius’ analytical process. In the final paper of the volume, Robert Kirstein brings together earlier discussions to show how Suetonius’ use of multiple perspectives places De Vita Caesarum somewhere between history and fiction. Rather than presenting a single, straightforward view, Suetonius invites readers to see the Principate from various angles. Kirstein illustrates this by looking at key examples, like the differing accounts of Domitian’s death and the contrasting depictions of his games, where the variation in perspectives offers readers a range of interpretations.
The individual chapters stand on their own, yet together they make a compelling case for thinking of Suetonius not as a failed biographer, but as an engaged and active narrator. While there is no concluding chapter, this is not a drawback—Kirstein’s contribution effectively pulls together the threads of themes touched on earlier in the volume. His focus on multi-perspectivity forms a fitting conclusion, neatly connecting back to Pausch’s chapter and providing a satisfying sense of closure. The volume’s organization into four thematic sections, however, feels somewhat forced, though this is a common challenge in edited volumes. The book is attractively produced, with an open-access version available to ensure greater accessibility and reuse. Readers will also appreciate the comprehensive index and the individual bibliographies accompanying each chapter, both of which significantly enhance the book’s usability. While there are very few errors in the text, some inconsistencies in the citation of Suetonius—ranging from translations to footnotes and inline references—may pose difficulties for readers less familiar with the source material. A more standardized approach to citations would have improved the overall coherence of the volume.
In their introduction, the editors set out to show how a variety of interpretative lenses could deepen our understanding of Suetonius—a goal they have undoubtedly achieved. The interdisciplinary methodology, blending narratology with reception theory and other critical frameworks, marks a noteworthy advance in the field. Fantoli’s use of digital corpus analysis in particular exemplifies how new methodologies can deepen our understanding of Suetonius’ narrative precision and stylistic complexity. Minor inconsistencies in organization and citation aside, the book sets a new benchmark for Suetonius scholarship, affirming the place of De Vita Caesarum within both literary and historical traditions.
Authors and Titles
- Einleitung: Sueton, der Erzähler (Edoardo Galfré and Christoph Schubert)
I. Erzählerische Variationen
2. Audiatur et altera pars? Multiperspektivität als narratives Prinzip bei Sueton (Dennis Pausch)
3. Suetons Doppelerzählungen als kreative Leerstellen (Verena Schulz)
II. Tyrannenerzählungen
4. Suetonius on Tiberius’ Misanthropy and Self-Reproach (Nicoletta Bruno)
5. Nochmals Neros Tod: Aufbau und Intratextualität (Alessio Mancini)
III. Im Labor des Erzählers
6. Phrases à rallonge in Suetonius’ De vita Caesarum: Communication Patterns (Margherita Fantoli)
7. Zwischen Biographie und Dichtung. Zur Rolle der Literatur in Suetons De vita Caesarum (Edoardo Galfré)
IV. Mikro- und Makrostrukturen
8. Suétone micro-narrateur. ‚Aspekte‘ anekdotischer Erzählzeit in Suetons De vita Caesarum (Matthias Grandl)
9. Mikronarrativik und Multiperspektivität in Suetons De vita Caesarum (Robert Kirstein)