Reference no: EM133252445

Main question: How do Suetonius's stories of Tiberius's mistreatment of family shed light on the emperor's suitability for leadership?

1.) One of the cruelest Roman emperors, Tiberius famously mistreated members of his own family. His sons, his grandsons, and his mother each incurred the emperor's wrath at one time or another. Which act of familial cruelty caught your eye while reading Suetonius's account of Tiberius's reign?

2.) Why does this instance of family cruelty stick out? What does it reveal about Tiberius's personality or nature?

3.) Then and now, why do you think people are interested in the family dramas of public figures? What do family ties have to do with political ethics?

4.) As you consider such questions, keep in mind the possibility that Suetonius could be making things up. His histories trafficked in gossip, rumor, and hyperbole. If that's the case, then, another question comes to mind. How do Suetonius's stories of family drama and horror serve a strategic function? How does this writing or telling, or fabrication, enable the biographer to illuminate what is required of a good leader?