TIBERIUS AND THE OMINOUS SURMULLET (SUET. <i>TIB</i> . 60)

Abstract It is argued that the Emperor Tiberius reacted as badly as he did to the fisherman who climbed the cliffs at Capri to offer him a gift of a surmullet (Suet. Tib. 60) because he regarded this event as an omen that his death was near at hand. He had the fisherman’s face scrubbed with the surmullet to transfer the force of the omen to him instead.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
The Classical Quarterly
Published
2026-05-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0009838826101359
Primary Topic
Classical Antiquity Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

TIBERIUS AND THE OMINOUS SURMULLET (SUET. TIB . 60)

David Woods
The Classical Quarterly
Classical Antiquity Studies
article

TIBERIUS AND THE OMINOUS SURMULLET (SUET. TIB . 60)

David Woods
article en

Abstract

Abstract It is argued that the Emperor Tiberius reacted as badly as he did to the fisherman who climbed the cliffs at Capri to offer him a gift of a surmullet (Suet. Tib. 60) because he regarded this event as an omen that his death was near at hand. He had the fisherman’s face scrubbed with the surmullet to transfer the force of the omen to him instead.

The Classical Quarterly
University College Cork (IE)
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Classical Antiquity Studies
DOISourceOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.