SULLA AND THE ‘PROPHECY’ OF CAESAR’S DESTRUCTION OF THE OPTIMATES (SUET. IUL. 1.3)

Abstract

The extant life of Julius Caesar by Suetonius begins with the dictator Sulla predicting that Caesar will destroy the Optimates, i.e., undo all that Sulla himself had achieved. In presenting Sulla’s forecast Suetonius uniquely in examples of divinatory material in the Lives appears to be ambiguous as to its divinatory status. This paper examines how Suetonius secures credibility for this piece of ‘prophecy’ and considers the role of Sulla’s words in the economy of the Life.