The Lives of the Caesars · Question
How does The Lives of the Caesars develop the theme of Omens, Prophecy, and Divine Favor?
Answer
The Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius develops Omens, Prophecy, and Divine Favor across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Recurring accounts of dreams, portents, and astrological predictions (e.g., the omen of the eagle for Vitellius or the prophecy of rule from Judaea for Vespasian) underscore the belief that the gods or fate play a decisive role in the rise and fall of emperors.
The crossing of the Rubicon is accompanied by a divine sign, and Sulla's prophecy about Caesar is recalled.
Omens surrounding Galba's rise include Augustus's prophecy, the eagle carrying intestines to an oak, the foaling of a mule, and a dream of Fortune. These are interpreted as signs of his destined but delayed rule.
Multiple prodigies—from the foaling of a mule to dreams and sacrificial mishaps—foretell Galba's end and reflect his changing fortune.
Evidence in the book
- Book I: The Deified Julius
The crossing of the Rubicon is accompanied by a divine sign, and Sulla's prophecy about Caesar is recalled.
- Book VII: Galba—Otho—Vitellius
Omens surrounding Galba's rise include Augustus's prophecy, the eagle carrying intestines to an oak, the foaling of a mule, and a dream of Fortune. These are interpreted as signs of his destined but delayed rule.
- Galba
Multiple prodigies—from the foaling of a mule to dreams and sacrificial mishaps—foretell Galba's end and reflect his changing fortune.
- Vitellius
Multiple omens are described: an eagle flying before the troops, collapsing statues, a falling laurel crown, and a cock perching on Vitellius's head, all foreshadowing his eventual downfall.
- Book VIII: The Deified Vespasian—The Deified Titus—Domitian
Portents such as the oak tree branches and the prophecy of a ruler from Judaea are used to legitimize Vespasian's rise to power.
- The Deified Titus
A physiognomist predicted Titus would become emperor while he was still a boy, and he consulted the oracle of the Paphian Venus, which encouraged his hope for imperial power.
