Age, agency and disability: Suetonius and the emperors of the first century CE

Mary Harlow; Ray Laurence

Age, agency and disability: Suetonius and the emperors of the first century CE

Mary Harlow, Ray Laurence

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

254 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The emperors of the first century AD appear in our sources as far from perfect,
but some of them seem to have been less than perfect rulers, not due to any
physical disability, but due to the simple fact that they may have been too old or
too young to have performed the role effectively. This observation allows us to
consider how age may have been seen to prevent the effective agency of a Roman
emperor. This study of age and agency is played out with reference to the emperor
Claudius, whose disability affected how he was treated by other members of the
imperial family. We will argue that age caused emperors to become unable to act,
and if too old to be at risk of being deposed. This is a quite different conception
of disability than those previously published in the study of Antiquity.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Infirmity in antiquity and the Middle Ages
Subtitle of host publication	social and cultural approaches to health, weakness and care
Editors	Christian Krötzl, Katariina Mustakallio, Jenni Kuuliala
Place of Publication	Farnham, UK
Publisher	Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group
Pages	15-27
Number of pages	13
ISBN (Electronic)	9781315588469
ISBN (Print)	9781472438348
Publication status	Published - 2015
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

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Cite this

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abstract = "The emperors of the first century AD appear in our sources as far from perfect,but some of them seem to have been less than perfect rulers, not due to anyphysical disability, but due to the simple fact that they may have been too old ortoo young to have performed the role effectively. This observation allows us toconsider how age may have been seen to prevent the effective agency of a Romanemperor. This study of age and agency is played out with reference to the emperorClaudius, whose disability affected how he was treated by other members of theimperial family. We will argue that age caused emperors to become unable to act,and if too old to be at risk of being deposed. This is a quite different conceptionof disability than those previously published in the study of Antiquity.",

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Age, agency and disability: Suetonius and the emperors of the first century CE. / Harlow, Mary; Laurence, Ray.
Infirmity in antiquity and the Middle Ages: social and cultural approaches to health, weakness and care. ed. / Christian Krötzl; Katariina Mustakallio; Jenni Kuuliala. Farnham, UK: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, 2015. p. 15-27.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

TY - CHAP

T1 - Age, agency and disability

T2 - Suetonius and the emperors of the first century CE

AU - Harlow, Mary

AU - Laurence, Ray

N1 - Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

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Age, agency and disability: Suetonius and the emperors of the first century CE

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Bibliographical note

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