Pliny,Letters5.10 and the Literary Career of Suetonius

Abstract

This paper establishes a new date for the publication of Suetonius’Illustrious Menthrough allusions to Suetonius’Virgilin Pliny,Letters5.10. These allusions are part of a much wider network of allusions, both within this particular letter and more generally in Pliny's Book 5, that revolves around the theme of unpublished writings. It is a partial or full publication of theIllustrious Menthat probably led to Suetonius’ award of theius trium liberorumina.d.110, and he may now have published all of theCaesarsbefore his dismissal by Hadrian ina.d.122.

Suetonius' Tacitus

“…6.16.22), which, although a generalization, may have referred to Tacitus, the letter's addressee. For Pliny's rivalry with Tacitus in that letter, see Ash 2003; Berry 2008: 301, 308; Power 2010: 147; and more generally, Griffin 1999: 142–4.…”

“…Hurley 2011: xix–xx. For a better explanation of Suetonius’ biographical form, see Power, 2014c: 4–14; and of the biographer's concentration on this period, including his naming of sources, Power 2010: 160–1; cf. Fantham 2013b: 189.…”

“…Macé 1900: 244, 411; Wright 2001: 444–5, n. 30. Although Plutarch's Cicero could have been written as late as a.d. 115 (Jones 1966: 69), and Suetonius’ Illustrious Men probably appeared by a.d. 110 (Power 2010: 156–9), the more likely source is M. Tullius Tiro's lost biography of Cicero, which is not only cited by Tacitus ( Dial . 17.2) but also by Plutarch himself ( Cic .…”