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Did Tacitus and Suetonius paths cross.
#1
Did there paths cross at any point and did they know about each other work.
Martin Marriott

Væ, puto deus fio ("Dammit; I think I am becoming a god").
Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus
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#2
Quote:Did there paths cross at any point and did they know about each other work.
They are connected through Pliny the Younger, who was a friend of Tacitus and the literary patron of Suetonius. It is very likely that Tacitus and Suetonius knew each other.
Jona Lendering
Relevance is the enemy of history
My website
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#3
I would agree with Jona so far as Pliny is concerned for there is a letter of Pliny to a friend where he seeks the good offices on behalf of Suetonius and refers to him as scholasticus ( a student ) and contubernalis meus ( my intimate friend ), who is anxious to purchase a small estate.
Indeed there is also a letter of Pliny to the Emperor Trajan where he begs the emperor to grant Suetonius the " jus trium liberonum " ( privilages bestowed upon those who had three children ) to which Trajan somewhat grudgingly assents,

It was a rule where those with three chidren could take more than half of a legacy or inheritance bequeathed to them, so realy Pliny did take good care of Suetonius in many ways

Infact later Suetonius went on to become private secretary to the Emperor Hadrian a post which he owed to Septicius Clarus praefect of the Praetorian guard 119 - 121. Both he and his Patron however were deprived of their offices because they had treated the Empress Sabina disrespectfully during Hadrians' absence in Britian ( Spartianus, Hadrian ).

This information of course comes from my 1606 translation of Suetonius by Philemon Holland ( and believe me 17th century English is very hard to follow but wonderfull to read )
Brian Stobbs
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#4
A biography of Hadrian by Danny Danziger and Nicholas Purcell it say's that Suetonius was discharged from his postion because he was a little to friendly with Sabina.
Martin Marriott

Væ, puto deus fio ("Dammit; I think I am becoming a god").
Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus
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#5
I have also read of the discharge due to disrespectful or bad treatment of her.
Not sure where exactly I read it though. I'm sure if he had been 'too friendly' he would have perhaps faced more than a P45.
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#6
Quote:He removed from office Septicius Clarus, the prefect of the guard, and Suetonius Tranquillus, the imperial secretary, and many others besides, because without his consent they had been conducting themselves toward his wife, Sabina, in a more informal fashion than the etiquette of the court demanded.
= SHA, Hadrian, 11.3. From the context, one gets the impression that it had less to do with Clarus or Suetonius than with Sabina - Hadrian wanted to punish her by sending her personal friends away.
Jona Lendering
Relevance is the enemy of history
My website
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#7
Shows what a memory is good for! :roll:
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
Reply


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