Histories IV-V/Annals I-III

By Tacitus

Tacitus (Cornelius), famous Roman historian, was born in 55, 56 or 57 CE and lived to about 120. He became an orator, married in 77 a daughter of Julius Agricola before Agricola went to Britain, was quaestor in 81 or 82, a senator under the Flavian emperors, and a praetor in 88. After four years' absence he experienced the terrors of Emperor Domitian's last years and turned to historical writing. He was a consul in 97. Close friend of the younger Pliny, with him he successfully prosecuted Marius Priscus. Works: (i) Life and Character of Agricola, written in 97-98, specially interesting because of Agricola's career in Britain. (ii) Germania (98-99), an equally important description of the geography, anthropology, products, institutions, and social life and the tribes of the Germans as known to the Romans. (iii) Dialogue on Oratory ( Dialogus ), of unknown date; a lively conversation about the decline of oratory and education. (iv) Histories (probably issued in parts from 105 onwards), a great work originally consisting of at least twelve books covering the period 69-96 CE, but only Books I-IV and part of Book V survive, dealing in detail with the dramatic years 69-70. (v) Annals, Tacitus's other great work, originally covering the period 14-68 CE (Emperors Tiberius, Gaius, Claudius, Nero) and published between 115 and about 120. Of sixteen books at least, there survive Books I-IV (covering the years 14-28); a bit of Book V and all Book VI (31-37); part of Book XI (from 47); Books XII-XV and part of Book XVI (to 66). Tacitus is renowned for his development of a pregnant concise style, character study, and psychological analysis, and for the often terrible story which he brilliantly tells. As a historian of the early Roman empire he is paramount. The Loeb Classical Library edition of Tacitus is in five volumes.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B003A85TXC
• ISBN13: 9780674992740
• Release Date: January 1931
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 656 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 4.6" x 6.1"