Showing results by author "Tacitus" in All Categories

Tacitus, who condemns the depravity of these rulers, which he saw as proof of the corrupting force of absolute power, writes caustically of the brutal and lecherous Tiberius, the weak and cuckolded Claudius, and "the artist" Nero. In particular, his account of the bloody reigns of Tiberius and Nero brims with plots, murder, poisoning, suicide, uprisings, death, and destruction. The Annals also provides a vivid account of the violent suppression of the revolt led by Boudicca in Britain, the great fire of Rome under Nero, and the subsequent bloody persecution of the Christians.

In all of Roman history there was never a more turbulent year than A.D. 69, the ill-omened "Year of the Three Emperors". By some miracle, the greatest historian of the age, Tacitus, was able to chronicle those momentous events in a work he called The History. In its pages are some of the most memorable events of Roman history described in some of the most intensely passionate prose ever devised.

The Annals, Part 2 picks up in the year A.D. 32 with the increasingly menacing and tyrannical behavior of Tiberius. With hundreds murdered or driven to suicide and many more in exile, Tiberius descends steadily into growing lust and debauchery on his private estate on the isle of Capri. Overseas, Rome is victorious in her struggle with Parthia, and as Tiberius is being smothered to death in A.D. 37 by Macro, peace at last comes to the eastern frontier.

The Roman historian Tacitus was a successful politician who eventually became governor of the province of Asia. He is thought to have died around AD 120 and benefitted from the patronage of the Flavian emperors. The Histories, of which only just over four out of 14 books survive, covers the years following the assassination of the Emperor Nero: Rome was plunged into further civil war with the Year of the Four Emperors (AD 69), which culminated in the accession of Vespasian, the first of the Flavians.

Beginning at the end of Augustus' reign, Tacitus's Annals examines the rules of the Roman emperors from Tiberius to Nero (though Caligula's books are lost to us). Their dramas and scandals are brought fully under the spotlight, as Tacitus presents a catalog of their murders, atrocities, sexual improprieties, and other vices in no unsparing terms. Debauched, cruel, and paranoid, they are portrayed as being on the verge of madness. Their wars and battles, such as the war with the Parthians, are also described with the same scrutinizing intensity.

In the pantheon of ancient men of letters, none hold a more venerated position than the Roman historian, Tacitus, venerated alike for the accuracy of his chronicles as well as for the superiority of his style. He was a writer of unexcelled genius and consummate skill. But his work fell into oblivion not long after his death, and has come down to us based on the text of a single tattered manuscript from the Middle Ages.

Two works by the Roman historian, Tacitus. Agricola is a portrait of Julius Agricola, a governor of Roman Britain, and the first surviving account of the geography, climate, and peoples of Britain. The German tribes of Northern Europe are discussed in Germania.

These three vibrant texts show different sides of the Roman historian Tacitus. Agricola was a successful general and Governor of Britain (77-83CE), a task which he carried out with firmness and probity. Tacitus' account of Germania shows a very different land with its many tribes, their habits and qualities in a strongly rural and resistant environment. A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, by contrast, is placed decidedly at the heart of Roman culture, a survey of rhetoric and the art of eloquence.

The exemplary life of a noble soldier/statesman, a description of ancient Germany, and a discussion of oratory are the subjects of three short masterpieces by the brilliant Roman historian, Tacitus.

In Germania, Roman historian Tacitus presents an impressive history of Germanic tribes and their societies. He dives deep, discussing everything from their ancestry to their government. The work also explores the similarities and differences between the values and customs of Roman and Germanic societies. Germania is a monumental ethnographic work that provides fascinating insight into early Germanic cultures and Roman attitudes toward them.

The Annals, written by Gaius Cornelius Tacitus (56c-120 CE), is regarded as one of the great literary works of history in the Roman world. Tacitus is considered by many to be the greatest of Roman historians, and The Annals is his’ outstanding achievement. Originally comprising 18 volumes, books 7 to 10 and parts of books 5, 6, 11 and 16 have been lost, but those that remain, read here by Martyn Swain, tell the fascinating tale of the Julio Claudian emperors and their times. 

A 21st century anthology of the most ancient texts concerning the History of Britain, edited and narrated by author, historian and comedian J F Roberts – official Blackadder chronicler and folklorist, the creator of Tales of Britain. Besides an entertaining deep-dive investigation into the nature of recording historical fact versus creative storytelling, the book features full extracts from the work of Roman authors including Julius Caesar and Tacitus, the full text of Gildas' On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain, and the core content of works by those historians who came after him.

This superbly written, highly listenable account of the tumult of A.D. 69 focuses on the four men who sought imperial power in the void left by Nero: an old man, a soldier, a playboy, and an extravagant debaucher. The empire-wide, year-long civil war that resulted is brought to life in this sustained narrative, which is rich in detail, intrigue, and insight, as well as the aristocratic biases of the author.

"You would not so easily persuade them to till the soil and await the harvest as to challenge the enemy and earn wounds. Slow and, truly, how dull it seems to earn by sweat what you can take with blood." Here, in this stunning new text, Dr Charles Cornish-Dale (a.k.a. the Raw Egg Nationalist) provides a new translation and detailed commentary on perhaps the most consequential work of anthropology in history. The Germania, by Publius Cornelius Tacitus, describes the peoples of Germania Magna, beyond the Roman frontier of the Rhine and Danube rivers, peoples of savage but simple virtue—...

Join us as we delve into Tacitus final masterpiece, The Annals, which vividly recounts the chaotic era following Augustus Caesars death in 14 AD. Although Tacitus intended to write at least 16 books, several sections are tragically lost, including books 7-10. The story begins with Tiberius demise and transitions through the reigns of Caligula and Claudius, ultimately capturing the dramatic events of Neros rule, possibly extending to mid-68 AD. Regrettably, the latter half of book 16 is missing, leaving us at a crucial juncture in history. Tacitus’ untimely death cut short his ambitious works...

In his final masterpiece, The Annals, Tacitus masterfully chronicles the tumultuous years following Augustus Caesars death in 14 AD. Although he aimed to write at least 16 books, several sections have been lost to history, including books 7-10 and parts of books 5, 6, 11, and 16. The narrative culminates with Tiberiuss death, leaving us to ponder how Tacitus would have depicted the reigns of Caligula and Claudius, leading into the dramatic events of Nero’s rule and his death in June 68 AD. Tacituss ambition for a comprehensive history of the early Empire remains unfulfilled, as he passed ...

The Annals, the last and greatest achievement of Tacitus, records the history of the Julio-Claudian emperors from the death of Augustus (A.D. 14) to the reign of Nero (54–68). These are stories of mutiny and murder, of whole armies disappearing beyond the Rhine, of an unstable and gloomy frontier. Tacitus brings us Nero himself, whose reign saw the burning of Rome and the mass slaughter of Christians, and whose vices still captivate and startle us with their imagination and cruelty.

Publius Cornelius Tacitus (c. 56 to c. 120 AD) was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire, and considered to be one of the greatest Roman historians. Five works ascribed to Tacitus have survived. The surviving portions of his two major works, the Annals and the Histories span the history of the Roman Empire from the death of Augustus, in 14 AD, to the years of the First Jewish-Roman War, in 70 AD.

Dive into The Annals, the final literary masterpiece of Tacitus, as it vividly chronicles the tumultuous era that began with Augustus Caesars death in 14 AD. Though Tacitus envisioned a sweeping narrative spanning at least 16 books, much remains lost to time, including entire sections and parts of key volumes. The story reaches its climax with Tiberiuss death in book 6, while the subsequent books hint at the chaotic reigns of Caligula and Claudius. As the narrative progresses into Neros reign, we are left with tantalizing glimpses that may have concluded with his demise in June 68. ...

In the rich tapestry of 75 A.D., during the sixth year of Vespasians reign, the Dialogus de Oratoribus presents a captivating exploration of the decline of oratory through an engaging dialogue. While its authorship remains a topic of debate—often linked to Tacitus, with some attributing it to Quintilian—the brilliance of this work is undeniable. It artfully investigates the reasons behind the erosion of eloquence, highlighting failures in education both at home and in academic institutions. This text serves as a concise yet profound guide to the art of rhetoric, masterfully blending ...