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Modules

Text and Context: Suetonius and Imperial Power (CLA1408)

StaffProfessor Rebecca Langlands - Convenor
Credit Value15
ECTS Value7.5
NQF Level4
Pre-requisitesNone
Co-requisitesNone
Duration of Module Term 2: 11 weeks;

Module aims

  • To study Suetonius Lives of the Caesars in detail, taking a broad overview of the work, exploring comparisons between the treatments of different emperors, and also focusing in on specific passages for close analysis.
  • To consider how the author uses the ancient genre of biography to explore the question of what it meant to be a Roman Emperor and how imperial power changes from the 1st century BC and the dictatorship of Julius Caesar, through the rule of the Julio-Claudian and Flavian emperors to his own day.
  • To explore how the author uses standard and recurrent motifs and themes such as physical appearance, family relationships, death scenes, military campaigns, behaviour at the games, omens and portents, and sexual behaviour to characterise emperors as good or bad rulers.
  • To investigate how Suetonius writes about public figures as a way of thinking about the nature of power itself.

ILO: Module-specific skills

  • 1. Describe and evaluate, with guidance, what the text can tell us about specific aspects of Roman culture such as the development and representation of imperial power, the cultural role of gladiatorial shows and other ancient spectacles and Roman sexual mores
  • 2. Demonstrate a basic understanding of biography as a formal ancient genre with specific literary conventions and, with guidance, show how Suetonius manipulates these conventions
  • 3. Analyse, evaluate and use Suetonius' Lives of the Caesars both as literature from a particular genre and as a historical source
  • 4. Demonstrate background knowledge about Rome under the Emperor Hadrian and an understanding of how contemporary issues informed the way that the biographies were written, and how this might affect the way we use them as sources for the material they relate and Suetonius' own day

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

  • 5. Demonstrate a basic understanding of the issues involved in reading in translation, using commentaries and secondary literature to enhance your reading of ancient texts and identifying different theoretical approaches to ancient literature
  • 6. Show an understanding of issues involved in using ancient texts as historical source material and the ability to relate texts to their socio-historical context

ILO: Personal and key skills

  • 7. Demonstrate independent and group study skills in guided research and the presentation of findings
  • 8. Select and organise relevant material and present this in connected oral and written form
  • 9. Demonstrate ability to reflect on your own work, to respond constructively to feedback, and to implement suggestions on the basis of feedback, new information and developing understanding of the topic

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

  • Introduction to Suetonius and the genre of biography
  • The use of ‘rubrics’ and the structure of the lives
  • Comparative techniques and characterisation
  • Suetonius’ use of recurrent themes, such as ancient physiognomy, portents and omens, fate and destiny, childhood, the sex lives of the emperors, imperial spectacles, building programmes, the death scenes of the emperors

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
22.5127.50

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching154 x 2 hour lectures; 7 x 1 hour lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching7.55 x 1.5 hour seminars
Guided independent study127.5Private study

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Close study of key primary and secondary texts in seminars, with broader discussions of issuesOngoing1-9Oral feedback from lecturer and peers

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Written assignment 110500 words1-9Mark and written feedback
Written assignment 210500 words1-9Mark and written feedback
Written assignment 3 [revised version of assignment 1]20750 words1-9Mark and written feedback
Written assignment 4 [revised version of assignment 2]20750 words1-9Mark and written feedback
Essay401500 words1-9Mark and written feedback

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Written assignmentsWrittens assignments1-9Referral/Deferral period
EssayEssay1-9Referral/Deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Core set text:

  • Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars, (trans. Catharine Edwards) Oxford World Classics

Other recommended reading:

  • Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, Suetonius. The Scholar and his Caesars (2nd edition, 1992)
  • Tristan Power and Roy K. Gibson (eds) Suetonius the Biographer: Studies in Roman Lives (2014)

Module has an active ELE page?

Yes

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

The module is supported by ELE; much of the source material and secondary reading is available here in electronic form. 

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

03/03/2016

Last revision date

17/02/2021

Key words search

Suetonius, Power, Julius Caesar