SCENIC SPECTACLES AND AUGUSTUS’ DRAMA POLITICS IN SUETONIUS’VITA AUGUSTI

Abstract

Throughout the Vitae XII Caesarum references to theatrical performances and the relation between performers and principes are constant. The abundance of anecdotal information is one of the defining traits of ancient biography and, thus, of the Suetonian Vitae; they provide us with detailed information on the intimacy of the emperors which cannot be found in other genres, for instance in the annalistic historiography. Moreover, the presence of this sort of news in the Vitae and its distribution throughout the work it is not due to chance, but, as some studies on the

Suetonian production have shown, to the conscious determination of the author of subtly

modelling the psychology of its characters by means of anecdotes which contribute to shape their figures. In this work we aim to analyse Suetonius’ Vita Divi Augusti in order to discover the procedure used by the biographer to outline the personality of the first Roman emperor from the references to the performances and theatrical artists, with special attention to both mime and pantomime.