Tacitus (0056–0117)

The Histories and the Annals, together cover the history of the empire from the time of the Julio-Claudians to the reign of Domitian in a total of 30 books. But only one-third of them are extant. The Histories covers the political unrest that followed the death of Nero, the year of the four emperors, Galba (r. 68-69 CE), Otho (r. 69 CE), Vitellius (r. 69 CE), and Vespasian (r. 69-79 CE), ending with the rise of Domitian. While he had little respect for the first three of the four emperors, Tacitus believed that the rise of Vespasian presented a sign of a good future.

The Annals begins with the death of Augustus and ends prior to the death of Nero; lost, however, are two years of Tiberius (r. 14-37 CE), all of Caligula (r. 37-41 CE), one-half of Claudius (r. 43-54 CE), and the final two years of Nero.

He wrote during an important time as the Empire was establishing itself as the dominant power on the Mediterranean Sea, but he repeated his warning that Germania and Asia could present future problems. Although he seemed to admire the first emperor, Augustus, Tacitus believed that beginning with him, the Roman Senate became a diminished body.

Throughout his works, Tacitus regrets the loss of the Republic and speaks of the decline of the empire which he attributes to the decay of the city's ever-growing decency - something his beloved Cicero saw in his own time.… (more)