For the emperor, see Tacitus (emperor). For other uses, see Tacitus (disambiguation).
Cornelius Tacitus
Statue of Tacitus outside the Austrian Parliament Building
Born
c. 56 AD
Died
c. 120 AD (aged approx. 64)
Occupation(s)
Historian, politician
Years active
Silver Age of Latin
Academic background
Influences
Thucydides
Fabius Rusticus
Sallust
Livy
Marcus Cluvius Rufus
Pliny the Elder
Quintilian
Academic work
Discipline
History
Main interests
History, biography, oratory
Notable works
Agricola Annals Dialogus de oratoribus Germania Histories
Influenced
Virtually all of subsequent historical inquiry in the Western World
Publius Cornelius Tacitus,[note 1] known simply as Tacitus (/ˈtæsɪtəs/TAS-it-əs,[2][3]Latin:[ˈtakɪtʊs]; c. AD 56 – c. 120), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars.[4][5]
The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals (Latin: Annales) and the Histories (Latin: Historiae)—examine the reigns of the emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero, and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors (69 AD).[6] These two works span the history of the Roman Empire from the death of Augustus (14 AD) to the death of Domitian (96 AD), although there are substantial lacunae in the surviving texts.
Tacitus's other writings discuss oratory (in dialogue format, see Dialogus de oratoribus), Germania (in De origine et situ Germanorum), and the life of his father-in-law, Agricola (the general responsible for much of the Roman conquest of Britain), mainly focusing on his campaign in Britannia (De vita et moribus Iulii Agricolae). Tacitus's Annals are of interest for providing an early account of the persecution of Christians and one of the earliest extra-Biblical references to the crucifixion of Jesus.
^
Van Voorst, Robert; Evans, Craig A.; Chilton, Bruce (2000). "Tacitus: The Executed Christ". In Evans, Craig A.; Chilton, Bruce (eds.). Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence Studying the Historical Jesus. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 39. ISBN 9780802843685. Retrieved 7 June 2020. Cornelius Tacitus is generally considered the greatest Roman historian [...].
^
Compare:
Ferguson, Everett (1987). "Literature and language". Backgrounds of Early Christianity (3 ed.). Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing (published 2003). p. 116. ISBN 9780802822215. Retrieved 7 June 2020. The Silver Age produced two outstanding historians. Cornelius Tacitus (c. A.D. 55-120), through his Histories and the Annals, is the major source for the history of the empire in the first century.
^Brodribb, William Jackson; Godley, Alfred Denis (1911). "Tacitus, Cornelius" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 345–46.
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).
Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus (/ˈtæsɪtəs/ TAS-it-əs, Latin: [ˈtakɪtʊs]; c. AD 56 – c. 120), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely...
However, Tacitus does not reveal the source of his information. There are several hypotheses as to what sources he may have used. Tacitus provides non-Christian...
Suetonius. "Life of Nero". Lives of Twelve Caesars. Tacitus, Annal XV. 38–44 Tacitus, Annals XV. 44 Tacitus, Annals XV. 38–39 Cassius Dio, Roman History Books...
source by other prominent Roman historians, including Plutarch, Tacitus, and Suetonius. Tacitus may have used Bella Germaniae as the primary source for his...
provides greater and more lurid detail than Tacitus, but in general his details are often fictitious. Both Tacitus and Dio give an account of battle-speeches...
differ on when Poppaea divorced Otho: Tacitus dates the divorce to 58 AD, Suetonius dates it to after 59 AD. Tacitus depicts Poppaea as inducing Nero to...
Tacitus, Annals, I.56 Tacitus, Annals, I.57 Smith 1867, p. 259 Wells 2003, pp. 204–205 Tacitus, I.63 Wells 2003, p. 206; Smith 1867, p. 259 Tacitus,...
possibility that Tacitus also noted, but for example the Varini are named as Vandilic by Pliny, and specifically Suebic by Tacitus. At one time, classical...
year after his Censorship, 48, is detailed in book 11 of Tacitus' Annals. This section of Tacitus' history narrates the alleged conspiracy of Claudius's...
55, Tacitus, Annals XIII.19; Silana is recalled from exile after Agrippina's power waned, Tacitus, Annals XIV.12; Plautus is exiled in 60, Tacitus, Annals...
book Germania (98 AD) by Tacitus. Tacitus writes that the name Germania was "modern and newly introduced". According to Tacitus, the name Germani had once...
Delamarre 2003, p. 108. Delamarre 2003, p. 215. Arch of Claudius Tacitus, Annals 12.32 Tacitus, Histories 3.45 Pennington, Reina (2003). Amazons and Fighter...
Tacitus Trap is a political theory named after Roman historian Tacitus, which describes a situation where an unpopular government is hated no matter what...
friend of Domitian, and that Tacitus merely sought to distance his family from the fallen dynasty once Nerva was in power. Tacitus' major historical works...
long questioned some details of Tacitus's account of the fight, suggesting that he exaggerated Roman success. Tacitus states that Gnaeus Julius Agricola...
half-brother, Emperor Tacitus, in July 276 until his own murder in September of that year. Florianus was the maternal half-brother of Tacitus, who was proclaimed...
Graptopetalum bellum (syn. Tacitus bellus) is a species of flowering plant in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, native to northern Mexico. It was discovered...
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