Product Description
Tacitus: The Histories, Volumes I and II is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Cornelius Tacitus is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Cornelius Tacitus then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Does anyone at amazon check categories?
There I was, cruising the "Alternative History" subcategory of Science fiction books when I stumbled upon my old friend Tacitus. How he wound up here I can only guess. I suppose that a computer sort is resonsible. This book is one of the most cited sources for contemporaneous historical comentary on Roman warfare and political history. It was the source of many homework assignments in my youth. If you truly want an alternative to the events of today, this work will take you back to the doings of 2,000 years ago. One can marvel that the more things change, the more they do remain the same. Buy it and stretch your mind. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the most important historical records from classical antiquity, "The Annals of Imperial Rome" chronicles the history of the Roman Empire from the reign of Tiberius beginning in 14 A.D. to the reign of Nero ending in 66 A.D. Written by Cornelius Tacitus, Roman Senator during the second century A.D., "The Annals of Imperial Rome" is a detailed first-hand account of the early Roman Empire. Presented in this volume is the classic translation of Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Decent, but no chapter numbers!
The biggest problem with this translation is that there are no chapter numbers, making it very difficult to figure out where you are in the text.

the armchair historian reads again
While reading this, I was grateful that I'd fairly recently read a contemporary overview of the history of Rome, because that help me put some structure to the book. As a consequence, I was able to read it for the anecdotes and asides rather than worrying overly much about how things fit together.

There are many many actual historians out there who can give you smart reviews about Tacitus as history. There are also many Latin scholars out there who can either laud or criticize Grant's translation. What I can say is that it is an important and enjoyable read for even the more armchair historian reader. I'm just grateful that I'm not back in college trying to read the Latin for myself-- about the translation I will only note that it seems to flow smoothly and the style is good.

Tacitus was fascinated with the character of the people who made history-- a writer after my own heart. His descriptions are vivid, and the moments he painted remain fixed on the inner eye as you progress through the book. It is occasionally frustrating that much of Tacitus seems to be missing. The jumps and starts in the narrative are tough once you start connecting to the people.

Still, a great book. Recommended.

A Vital Primary Source on Imperial Rome
Anyone who has even casually read about Roman imperial history will have encountered Tacitus.He is, according to translator and noted classicist Michael Grant, virtually the only Latin historian we have for the early days of the Roman Empire.This work, generally considered Tacitus' greatest, covers the period from shortly before Augustus' death to AD 69, about three years before Nero's death.Unfortunately, we don't have the entire work.(The Annals only survived into the Middle Ages through two manuscripts, one for each half of the work.)The section on Caligula is totally missing, and we only have parts of Tiberius' and Claudius' reigns.

It's history with a moral purpose:to punish evil and reward virtue through the judgement of posterity.Grant calls Tacitus' Latin "unusual and difficult", possessing a pungent simplicity in the original.Has Grant rendered it accurately?Not knowing Latin, I have no idea.(The problem of translation is further complicated by possible corruption in those two manuscripts.)As it appears here, it's a stylish history, particularly in its many speeches.

Tacitus himself was a noted orator and wrote about the art.The speeches he gives us range from mutinous Roman soldiers and Agrippina (wife of Tiberius' nephew Germanicus) reacting to said troops, German barbarians, and some of Nero's victims before they "opened their veins" after his condemnation.I say Tacitus gives us those speeches because they are all invented.There's no way Tactitus would have a verbatim record of what was said.However, as Grant makes clear, he's operating in a tradition of ancient historical writing as well as trying to tell a compelling story.

Grant claims that Tacitus' account of Tiberius' reign is usually considered the highest example of his art.There is certainly art there.I didn't find the condemnation of Tiberius entirely convincing though, and Grant argues that Tacitus is reacting to his experiences as a senator under the tyrannical reign of Domitian rather than Tiberius' who died before Tacitus was born.There is much on Rome's intervention in Parthian and Armenian politics.I found the reign of Nero the most interesting with Tacitus noting the craven, cowardly flattery of most of Rome's nobility along with a few who would not abase themselves.(The amount of people who pliantly committed suicide after facing Nero's disapproval is explained by their effort to protect surviving family members and to preserve at least a portion of their estate.)

Grant helpfully footnotes some of the allusions to missing parts of the work or earlier episodes of Roman history.Still, I wouldn't attempt this work without first reading a general history of the period.Grant does put in a nice glossary of Roman political and military terms.Frankly, I didn't need to look at it, but I did happen to glance at some of the entries.Grant chooses, here, to make some unconventional translations of some terms, particularly the military ones.I'm not sure why.I haven't seen things like "company-commander" for centurion in his other work including his later _The Army of the Caesars_.

The several included maps show almost all the referenced places, and there are four very necessary pages covering the complicated genealogies surrounding the Julio-Claudian emperors.

Tactius Part of the Whole
An excellent piece of work on it's own. However, because it's by an "ancient historian" we should always remember that it needs supplementation by other writers of the time.

Definitive Primary Source On the History OfImperial Roman
I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history.It is an indispensable primary source for students of Roman history.

On the first page of his Annals of Imperial Rome, Tacitus wrote that Octavian "seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians."Tacitus' description of Augustus' transformation of Rome from a republic into an empire is most illuminating as well."Upper-class survivors found that slavish obedience was the way to succeed, both politically and financially.They had profited from the revolution, and so now they liked the security of the existing arrangement better than the dangerous uncertainties of the old regime."

Sir Ronald Syme relied heavily on the work of Tacitus for his cogent narrative of Octavian's rise to power as Augustus.Syme's in-depth study of Tacitus' life and work was published in 1958.Tacitus' historical accuracy was doubted for centuries and Syme made a project of re-evaluating the accuracy of his historical writings.Syme believed that Tacitus was in a unique position to write about the birth and early political history of the Imperial period in Rome due to his very active political life.Tacitus had served as a senator, consul, and proconsul of Asia.In addition, he was known to be an excellent orator in his day.In his writings, Syme believed that Tacitus provided excellent accounts of Augustus' rise to power and his career as Rome's first Emperor.

Tacitus delved into the machinery of the new government, including Augustus' use of patronage as well as his many thwarted attempts at planning for his own succession.What Syme found was a man that grew very adept politically and whose political maturity rapidly developed at an early age.At eighteen, he was named as heir to Julius Caesar.He grew into the greatest Roman princeps spanning fifty-six years until his death.Augustus knew that to retain power he had to maintain the general consent of the governed.He astutely maintained order not by following the constitution or past precedent, but by using the tremendous resources at his disposal.Augustus kept the plebeians in check making sure they were fed, kept them amused with games, and constantly reminded them that he was protecting them from the oppression of the nobiles.

Augustus became the "leader of a large and well organized political party as the source and fount of patronage and advancement."

Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.
... Read more

Product Description
Translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb, Edited, with an Introduction, Moses Hadas ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Best edition of Tacitus despite design flaws
First, there are some things not to like about this edition (why I'm subtracting a star):

* small format pages
* Narrow margins means it's difficult to hold onto book without blocking text.

Really this book needs to be printed on slightly larger paper and given a little more in the way of margin space.Yes, this would make it a bit more expensive but you get what you pay for.

Otherwise, I think this is a good complete translation of the works of Tacitus.I found the translation accessible and quite readable, and the character of the author came across very well. In this book you will find a wealth of information about Roman history as well as some misc. other writings by Tacitus (The Agricola, The Germania, and a dialog on oratory).The work covers a wide range of topics concerning Rome, and provides a clear sense of what Tacitus thought and was trying to achieve with his writings.While one can never put a writing into the author's context in translation, this comes remarkably close.

I'd recommend this edition.I just wish they'd do better book design....

Preterist Proof
This book is an excellent book by Tacitus who wrote down what he saw during the destruction of the temple.I mostly purchased this book as I was told in this one Tacitus saw the sign of the Son of Man just as Jesus predicted was to take place within their generation (Matthew 24:34) which Tacitus saw.Of course he did not see the bodily return which is still future, but this is just further proof of what Jesus really meant in Matthew 24 when He talked about His coming that resulted in carcasses Matthew 24:28, and mourning Matthew 24:30, and not the resurrection type of coming which is found in 1 Thes. 4, 5 which is not up to us to know when.With the bodily return at the end of our age there is no need for a sign in the sky because everyone will visibly see Him which results in resurrection.Due to the lack of the majority of Christians understanding passages like Isaiah 13:9 people easily misunderstand what is meant by His coming in Matthew 23-24.Josephus Wars also records similar sighting of the sign of the Son of Man in the sky.If you have a difficult time determining whether or not God can tell time based on the new testament verses, this is another book to get to prove God can tell time or keep track of His own invention of time.

A great critic ofempire--yet a product of the imperial system
I became interested in Tacitus while reading Robert Graves' I, Claudius.Having familiarized myself with the labyrinthine Julio-Claudian family tree, I thought I would give the Annals a try.I assumed I would find a chronicle of the debauchery and intrigues of Livia, Tiberius, Sejanus et al, which I did, but I was pleasantly surprised to find much more.

Tacitus rose to prominence in an age of empire, but he nevertheless laments the decadence and complacency of his age, and looks back longingly to the stalwart and uncompromising republic.He caustically criticizes those of his own time who have traded freedom for safety under the imperial system. In the Annals, Tacitus focuses much on Germanicus, who he sees as a throwback to the days of the republic, and doomed never to realize his potential because he is born in the wrong era.

Tacitus' most devastating criticism of empire, however, appears in the later small work,Agricola, which Tacitus wrote as an encomium to his father-in-law, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, a renown Roman general who served in Britain.At one point in the story, Tacitus places a speech in the mouth of a Scottish chieftain named Galgacus, whose force is preparing to do battle with the Romans.Galgacus' speech is at once a condemnation of Roman depredations, and a rousing call to arms to Galgacus' followers.It is a very inspirational speech, containing elements similar to Shakespeare's St. Crispin's Day speech in Henry V and Richard II's sceptr'd isle.Galgacus's speech is the source of the quote now popular among critics of U.S. foreign policy: "They make a desert and call it peace." Although in this translation it is rendered, "They make a solitude and call it peace."

Heavy introduction to Roman politicsand warfare
I have just started reading Tacitus, but I want to respond and thereby get rid of your question.
As stated in the introduction, Tacitus is very difficult to translate. This is also obvious from the text. Frequently two interpretations are possible.
However, the content is well worth reading. You get pretty close to the personalities with their often disagreeable traits. The text reminds me of Herodotus in often starting a discussion, implicitly with the reader.
I look forward to reading the full book. Given the rather heavy substance, I have interrupted it temporarily for "Down the Nile".

Old-fashioned value
Praise of Tacitus would be superfluous; but this edition is pure gold, unlike other series (ie. Livy) where one would sell it piecemeal the publishers have graciously bundled everything up in one unit, and deserve 5 stars for the effort, buy this book!...NOW! ... Read more

Product Description
In AD 68, Nero's suicide marked the end of the first dynasty of imperial Rome. The following year was one of drama and danger, with four emperors-Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian- emerging in succession. Based on authoritative sources, The Histories vividly recounts the details of the "long but single year" of revolution that brought the Roman empire to the brink of collapse. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Primary Sources Do Not Get Any Better
This is a book that is nearly two thousand years old.It survived the destruction of the Roman Empire and the Dark Ages."The Histories" survived because it is so well written.While listening to this book, I was often times taken a back by the sheer power of Tacitus' prose.His descriptions of the follies of civil war are as memorable as any of Goya's Caprichos.Tacitus was a master of scorn."The Histories" vividly personifies Roman characteristics like dignitas and gravitas.If all this were not enough, Blackstone Audio uses a classically trained English actor as the narrator.It was almost like listening to Masterpiece Theater.This is a great book and it is beautifully read.It does not get much better.Highly recommended.

A "neutral" reading that misses the point
Broadly speaking, there are three types of spoken-word readings:
(1) expressive readings that emphasize the right words;
(2) expressive readings that emphasize the wrong words;
(3) "neutral" readings that avoid overt expression and emphasis.

At first glance, (3) may seem the best way to go but this is a mistake because good writing is always a matter of form, structure, emphasis, and - most of all - POINT. Each phrase centres around a central word or words (the point of emphasis) and any undermining of this emphasis only dissipates the necessity, inevitability and meaning of this phrase. Good reading therefore entails a highly developed expressiveness. The phrase is charged with meaning, structure, and point and this is conveyed by emphasizing the right words.

Bad reading, by contrast, emphasizes the wrong words and not only fails to convey the point; it actually destroys the meaning. And the so-called"neutral" reading isn't neutral at all. It may not be as frustrating to listen to as bad reading but it likewise fails to capture the meaning of the writing even if it doesn't actively militate against it. Contrast, point, and expression are bypassed as the "neutral" reader blandly sails through the work - oblivious to the beauty and expressive form of the writing.

James Adams' rendition of "The Histories" falls into this category. Adams has a pleasant voice but seems to have little idea of the many eloquent points Tacitus is making. The rhetoric which is the basis of Roman Literature is almost entirely absent; the antiphonal contrasts at its core are passed over again and again without emphasis. As a mere historical narrative, Adams' light and unemotional reading will serve; as a classic of world literature his reading badly lets the material down.

A nicely done translation
Most people don't need a review of Tacitus's work.Most people want to know if a particular translation is any good.With that in mind, I recommend this Penguin edition of Kenneth Wellesley's translation.The translation itself is highly readable, and Wellesley indicates the rare instances where he emends the Latin text in footnotes.Wellesley also uses the footnotes to help the reader keep track of some of the less prominent characters in the work, a feature which is a big help for the non-specialist.Probably the best aspect of this edition is the map section at the end.The book contains 11 maps that include maps of large areas, maps of cities, and diagrams of important battles.Wellesley also refers the reader to the appropriate map through the footnotes.This review makes it sound like the book contains a lot of footnotes, but really there are usually just one or two a page.The one minor defect of the book is that the index only contains personal names.A general index would have made this user friendly book even better.But like I said, this is a great English copy of the Histories.

A Classic!
I liked the book because I am a history major but some parts are hard to get through. It is a classic however and is a great stepping stone to use when reviewing ancient history

There is nothing to be gained by lying
Cornelius Tacitus knows perfectly what the cardinal human characteristic is: `From time immemorial, man has had an instinctive love of power.' And, `the reward for virtue was inevitable death.'
His book is a mighty illustration of the ruthless fight for the top spot: emperor. The ambitious and the wealthy fight one another without mercy. `The truth is that revolution and strife put tremendous power into the hands of evil men.' The vanquished are brutally slain.
For Tacitus, the most important factors in the power struggle are money (`money was the sinews of civil war') and control of the military (`the lesson that an army can create an emperor'). If you could `reward` your soldiers, you could win. However, the legions were not interested in war itself only in looting, plundering, raping and enslaving. `The men wanted campaign and set battles, as the prizes here were more attractive than their normal pay.' The victims were innocent peasants, women and children.
Overall, `Italy found it hard to put up with such hordes of infantry and cavalry, and with violence, financial loss and acts of lawlessness.'

While the `Annals' contain more human touch, the `Histories' are nearly completely centered on military, diplomatic and tactical manoeuvres, followed by terrifying and merciless violence after the battles (`the fury of the soldiers').

This for mankind severe and pessimistic book is a must read for all those interested in the lessons of history and for lovers of great classical literature.
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Product Description
Here is a lively new translation of Cornelius Tacitus' timeless history of three of Rome's most memorable emperors. 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 gripping 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. J. C. Yardley's translation is vivid without sacrificing accuracy, and is based on the recent Latin Heubner text, with variations noted in an appendix. Anthony A. Barrett's introduction and notes provide invaluable historical and cultural context. This superb edition also includes maps, a glossary of Roman terms and place names, and a full index of names and places. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fine translation; book marred by formatting issues with kindle
First, there are no hyperlinks to the end notes, which are essential in a work that can sometimes be obscure. A real pain in this work. Also, the rendering of this text and another Oxford world classics text I bought (Suetonius) is rendered very poorly so that when you search for a term, that term will often not show up because it does not recognize the word.This is also shown when you highlight a passage and go to "my highlights and notes" to find that the text often shows up garbled because it has been rendered poorly. The translation and notes are fine, but the problems I'm having with the text make this a bad purchase.

The Annal
This book is very easy to read and understand with the translation and makes a great foundation for the study of the reigns of Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. Would recommend for anyone beginning a study of the Julio-Claudian emperors.

Interesting read
First of all, I purchased this book for a Classic Civilization class that I'm currently enrolled in that is solely dedicated to the Roman Emperor Nero, his reign, and the ultimate fall of the Julio-Claudian empire.

I have not read the book in its entirety (really I've only read sections pertaining to Nero, Agrippina, Octavia, Poppaea and so on), but it's an interesting bit of ancient Roman history. If you're a history buff, it may or may not be for you, depending on how "factual" you like your history. What I mean is that Tacitus' writing is in some, if not many cases unverifiable and sounds a little ridiculous. On other occasions, his information seems to generally agree with other historians who wrote about the same time periods. Always be suspicious of what he writes and always ask what his motives were. ... Read more

Product Description
A newly revised edition of two seminal works on Imperial Rome

Undeniably one of Rome's most important historians, Tacitus was also one of its most gifted. The Agricola is both a portrait of Julius Agricola-the most famous governor of Roman Britain and Tacitus's respected father-in-law-and the first known detailed portrayal of the British Isles. In the Germania, Tacitus focuses on the warlike German tribes beyond the Rhine, often comparing the behavior of "barbarian" peoples favorably with the decadence and corruption of Imperial Rome.

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Customer Reviews (18)

great!!!!@@
standard dilivery takes 2 day!!
love Amazon. Amazon has the fastest delivery service!!
couldnt be better~
but the price of book is same at the outdoor book store here :p i didnt know they have this book in same price.
but still i got a good deal. (saved gas haah)

The Agricola and the Germania
Tacitus' Agricola and Germania are among the two most-cited sources on Roman Britain and on the ancient Germans, respectively, and anyone with an interest in the Classical World should have a copy of this book.

The Agricola is our primary source on Cnaeus Julius Agricola-governor of Roman Britain in the late 1st Century AD who is known to history primarily for the defeat he inflicted on the Caledonians at Mons Graupius in AD 83, and for his planned conquest of Ireland.Reading Tacitus' account, however, we find that his legacy in his own times was more for bringing justice to southern Britain, where previous Roman governors had abused their authority and driven the tribes to revolt.

I can't imagine that we can take everything in the Agricola word-for-word, as Tacitus' account is naturally biased-Agricola was his father-in-law, and Tacitus does not speak a single negative word-not even the slightest criticism of a minor feature-of him.

The Germania is also biased in that Tacitus is portraying these wild tribes as `noble savages'-claiming they never lied or indulged in improper sexuality, and had no love for money or fine clothing; in all, the Germania is as much an attack on the decadence of the Romans of Tacitus' generation as it is an account of the peoples of Germany in the 1st Century.

After giving an at times rather humorous account of Germanic culture and customs, Tacitus looks at all the major tribes and their unique features-such as the bizarre hairdos of the Suebi, the strange religious rites of the tribes worshipping the Goddess Nerthus, and the customs of the Harii, who painted themselves black and only fought battles at night.

Overall, this is a must read for a student of the Classical, especially Roman world, showing much about the culture and worldview of both the Romans and their Germanic contemporaries, and how these were perceived by a fairly typical upper-class Roman writer.

Two Important Works Together
I enjoyed this translation greatly. The translations are easy to read in Modern English, are not pedestrian, and keep the reader's attention as no doubt the author was hoping to do when he wrote the original in Latin.

The first part, Agricola, is an account of Tacitus's father-in-law's life and political struggles.It shows the timeless tensions between great people and state powers, with a uniquely Roman outlook.I couldn't help thinking that this would make a great movie.

the second part, Germania, is an account of the Germanic realms in the time of Tacitus.While some parts of Tacitus's account have been impeached in modern times, it still represents an extremely important work relating to Germanic studies.Furthermore, when combined with more recent developments in the study of orality, a new dimension to the work opens up.

I would highly recommend this work.

Excellent
Tacitus was truly a master historian, and both of these books breathe colorful, exciting life into a by-gone era. "The Agricola" is an entertaining (often gripping) biography of a great Roman general, one that is in turns powerful, exciting, inspiring (read Calgacus's speech to those troops making a last stand against the Roman army), and finally heartbreaking (the conclusion when Tacitus pays tribute to the father-in-law he so clearly loved). "The Germania", on the other hand, is more of an anthropological survey cum social commentary; even while Tacitus provides contemporary readers with a fascinating look into the cultures of ancient Germanic tribes, he simultaneously levies some of the most poignant criticisms ever penned about a civilization in decline. A truly great book.

A look into an ancient world...
This book includes the writings of the ancient Roman writer, Tacitus, as he follows the campaigns of Agricola into Anglesey and northern Scotland. He also follows closely the campaigns into Germania, a country as untamed as Scotland.

The reader is given a vivid look into an ancient world, but through the eyes of the conqueror and not the conquered. Still, this is a masterpiece of information about a lost time. The translation was done very well by Harold Mattingly and his introduction sheds light on Tacitus' life and literary career, the governorship of Agricola and Rome's political backgroud in an everchanging empire. The two maps of Roman Britain and Germania were an added surprise.

I was a little disappointed that Tacitus did not give more descriptions on the native tribes of Scotland in The Agricola. For this reason, I felt that The Germania stood out much more. His vivid descriptions of the German tribes and their religious beliefs was wonderful to read.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Roman history and/or the native tribes of Scotland and Germania. ... Read more

Product Description
Tacitus on Germany is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Cornelius Tacitus is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Cornelius Tacitus then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Invaluable to the modern historian
In the Germania, one of Tacitus' most valuable works, the author gives a First and Second Century look at the various Germanic tribes that hovered outside the eastern border of Roman Gaul. Beginning with a general geographic introduction, he reviews the culture all the various tribes shared, their religion, their war cries, their marriage and funeral rites, and the German way of war. In the remaining chapters, Tacitus describes the various tribes of the Germans and their location to one another and to major rivers and mountains; this is invaluable to the modern historian and is the most complete study of the Germany of late Rome.

Tacitus' writing is clear and thorough, giving us a consistent and accurate picture of the Germany of his day, a swirling cauldron of tribes filled with young men who fight bravely, though often just for the fun of it. We get a clear glimpse of the German character, his rites and his habits, his strengths and his weaknesses. There is no other book quite like it, and in its four dozen short chapters we come to know not only who waited outside Rome's borders, but why Tacitus thought they were a reason for concern.

While there's not much to not like about Germania, I do think Tacitus overplays the innocent virtue of the Germans, drawing too many parallels between their character that of the old Roman Republic. While his political purpose was important to him, it is less important to us, if only because we can see in hindsight that the Germans were not so different from the Romans in the end. That they didn't have wealth and splendor does not mean they didn't desire it; it only means that they had not yet acquired it. It will turn out, however, that they are as willing to take it from the Romans as the Romans were from everyone else. ... Read more

Product Description
Cornelius Tacitus brilliantly chronicles the moral decline and rampant civil unrest in the Roman Empire in a period when the earliest foundations of modern Europe were being laid. The Annals commence in a.d. 14, at the death of Augustus, recounting the reigns of Tiberius, Gaius (Caligula), Claudius, and Nero, and conclude in a.d. 68, the year of Nero’s suicide. The Histories document the tumultuous year a.d. 69, when Emperors Galba, Otho, and Vitellius all perished in quick succession, ushering in Vespasian’s ten-year reign. According to historian Will Durant, “[We must] rank Tacitus among the greatest. . . . The portraits he draws stand out more clearly, stride the stage more livingly than any others in historical literature.” This Modern Library Paperback Classic includes newly commissioned endnotes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Definitive Primary Source On the History OfImperial Roman
I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history.It is an indispensable primary source for students of Roman history.

On the first page of his Annals of Imperial Rome, Tacitus wrote that Octavian "seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians."Tacitus' description of Augustus' transformation of Rome from a republic into an empire is most illuminating as well."Upper-class survivors found that slavish obedience was the way to succeed, both politically and financially.They had profited from the revolution, and so now they liked the security of the existing arrangement better than the dangerous uncertainties of the old regime."

Sir Ronald Syme relied heavily on the work of Tacitus for his cogent narrative of Octavian's rise to power as Augustus.Syme's in-depth study of Tacitus' life and work was published in 1958.Tacitus' historical accuracy was doubted for centuries and Syme made a project of re-evaluating the accuracy of his historical writings.Syme believed that Tacitus was in a unique position to write about the birth and early political history of the Imperial period in Rome due to his very active political life.Tacitus had served as a senator, consul, and proconsul of Asia.In addition, he was known to be an excellent orator in his day.In his writings, Syme believed that Tacitus provided excellent accounts of Augustus' rise to power and his career as Rome's first Emperor.

Tacitus delved into the machinery of the new government, including Augustus' use of patronage as well as his many thwarted attempts at planning for his own succession.What Syme found was a man that grew very adept politically and whose political maturity rapidly developed at an early age.At eighteen, he was named as heir to Julius Caesar.He grew into the greatest Roman princeps spanning fifty-six years until his death.Augustus knew that to retain power he had to maintain the general consent of the governed.He astutely maintained order not by following the constitution or past precedent, but by using the tremendous resources at his disposal.Augustus kept the plebeians in check making sure they were fed, kept them amused with games, and constantly reminded them that he was protecting them from the oppression of the nobiles.

Augustus became the "leader of a large and well organized political party as the source and fount of patronage and advancement."

Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.

Wonderful Tacitus ill-served by this translation
Lest there be some confusion about the 2 stars I've given this book: Tacitus is fantastic and fascinating. So don't reproach me for SEEMING to criticize Tacitus, when my target here is the translation. (On the subject of reproach, Tacitus himself wrote: "To show resentment at a reproach is to acknowledge that one may have had it coming.") In fact, I think very highly of the incomparable Roman historian. Gibbon, among many others, loves him and so do I. However, this superficially handsome volume from The Modern Library (containing both The Histories and The Annals), does not do justice to Tacitus at all. These translations cannot be recommended, in spite of the praise lavished on them by the general editor. The Annals is barely acceptable but no more than that, and The Histories is inferior. No, the interested reader would be better off to consult the scintillating translation by W. H. Fyfe (revised by his editor, D. S. Levene) of The Histories, published by Oxford as a paperback in 1997. Tacitus' renown -- looking at his style rather than his content -- comes from his acerbic wit, pithy remarks and lucid analytical sentences. To get a truer sense of his abilities, look to another translation. ... Read more

Product Description
Tacitus' Annals is the central historical source for first-century C.E. Rome.It is prized by historians since it provides the best narrative material for the reigns of Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero, as well as a probing analysis of the imperial system of government.But the Annals should be seen as far more than an historical source, a mere mine for the reconstruction of the facts of Roman history.While the Annals is a superb work of history, it has also become a central text in the western literary, political, and even philosophical traditions - from the Renaissance to the French and American revolutions, and beyond.This volume attempts to enhance the reader's understanding of how this book of history could have such a profound effect.

Chapters will address the purpose, form, and method of Roman historical writing, the ethnic biases of Tacitus, and his use of sources.Since Tacitus has been regarded as one of the first analysts of the psychopathology of political life, the book will examine the emperors, the women of the court, and the ambitious entourage of freedmen and intellectuals who surround every Roman ruler. The final chapter will examine the impact of Tacitus' Annals since their rediscovery by Boccaccio in the 14th century. ... Read more

Product Description
Tacitus is universally recognized as ancient Rome's greatest writer of history, and his account of the Roman Empire in the first century AD has been fundamental in shaping the modern perception of Rome and its emperors. This Companion provides a new, up-to-date and authoritative assessment of his work and influence which will be invaluable for students and non-specialists as well as of interest to established scholars in the field. First situating Tacitus within the tradition of Roman historical writing and his own contemporary society, it goes on to analyze each of his individual works and then discuss key topics such as his distinctive authorial voice and his views of history and freedom. It ends by tracing Tacitus' reception, beginning with the transition from manuscript to printed editions, describing his influence on political thought in early modern Europe, and concluding with his significance in the twentieth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fresh approach to Tacitus
This new Cambridge Companion not only updates Tacitean scholarship, but adds a freshness and vitality to it as well.So far, I have been inspired by Tony Woodman's Introduction and his call for the continuation not only of research on Tacitus, but also appreciation of this great writer.Anthony Birley's chapter situates the Agricola well in current scholarship, while Rhiannon Ash's chapter on the Histories is truly an excellent and fresh approach which suits the first time reader as well as the seasoned veteran of Tacitus' Histories.All in all, a worthy addition to the Cambridge series and to Tacitus scholarship in general by leading scholars in the field. ... Read more

Product Description

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.

Customer Reviews (3)

Definitive Primary Source On the History OfImperial Roman
I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history.It is an indispensable primary source for students of Roman history.

On the first page of his Annals of Imperial Rome, Tacitus wrote that Octavian "seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians."Tacitus' description of Augustus' transformation of Rome from a republic into an empire is most illuminating as well."Upper-class survivors found that slavish obedience was the way to succeed, both politically and financially.They had profited from the revolution, and so now they liked the security of the existing arrangement better than the dangerous uncertainties of the old regime."

Sir Ronald Syme relied heavily on the work of Tacitus for his cogent narrative of Octavian's rise to power as Augustus.Syme's in-depth study of Tacitus' life and work was published in 1958.Tacitus' historical accuracy was doubted for centuries and Syme made a project of re-evaluating the accuracy of his historical writings.Syme believed that Tacitus was in a unique position to write about the birth and early political history of the Imperial period in Rome due to his very active political life.Tacitus had served as a senator, consul, and proconsul of Asia.In addition, he was known to be an excellent orator in his day.In his writings, Syme believed that Tacitus provided excellent accounts of Augustus' rise to power and his career as Rome's first Emperor.

Tacitus delved into the machinery of the new government, including Augustus' use of patronage as well as his many thwarted attempts at planning for his own succession.What Syme found was a man that grew very adept politically and whose political maturity rapidly developed at an early age.At eighteen, he was named as heir to Julius Caesar.He grew into the greatest Roman princeps spanning fifty-six years until his death.Augustus knew that to retain power he had to maintain the general consent of the governed.He astutely maintained order not by following the constitution or past precedent, but by using the tremendous resources at his disposal.Augustus kept the plebeians in check making sure they were fed, kept them amused with games, and constantly reminded them that he was protecting them from the oppression of the nobiles.

Augustus became the "leader of a large and well organized political party as the source and fount of patronage and advancement."

Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.

The First Modern Historian
Publius/Gaius Cornelius Tacitus was born c. 55 A.D. under Nero's reign and his family seems to have had at least an equestrian rank. The date of his death is uncertain but placed at the close of Trajans reign in c. 117 A.D. Tacitus is considered by many to be the first modern Roman historian due to his avoidance of the praiseful oratory so common with other historiographers such as Livy. Tacitus tended to explain the events and persons as they existed and then delve into empirical speculation as to motives or causes.

This volume covers the close of Nero's reign in 68 A.D. and of the Julio-Claudian dynasty that Caesar had started.The lack of succession created a power vacuum in Rome filled by Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and eventually Vespasian in 69 A.D.The book offers a good insight as to what was really nothing more than a continuation of the power struggles between military commanders that were so pervasive in the Republic: mainly, who will be the new dictator/emperor? In addition to providing information about the aristocracy in Imperial Rome, Tacitus gives valuabe information on the workings of the Principate, the Imperial Roman army, and the notorious Praetorian Guard.

The Loeb library is reknown for its publications of classical texts in English and either Latin or Ancient Greek depending on the author. If you're a student or teacher of classics you can't go without this publication. This translation is a pleasant work to read. All of Tacitus' volumes by Loeb are presently availble. This is a very good investment for anyone who wants to be illuminated as to what humanity achieved over 2000 years before we even existed: it's priceless!

Initium mihi operis Servius Galba iterum . . .
The Histories (Books I-III) by Tacitus must be one of the best historical writings of the ancient world.A chronicle of the turbulent events taking place in the years 69 A.D. and 70 A.D., these books capture what it must have been like to be where the action was taking place. It (the account)begins almost immediately with the brutal murder of the emperor Galba.Itcontinues with most brief reign of Otho, an essentially defensive waragainst his most fearsome rival, Vitellius.Vitellius then captures Rome,kills Otho, and then himself is emersed in a war against Vespasian, whoeventually defeats Vitellius. This history is wonderful firstly forits relative lack of biassed opinion.Almost all actions of the historicalfigures in the books are represented with the utmost objectivity.OnlySuetonius, author of The Twelve Caesars surpasses him in this way. The books are filled with the most captivating descriptions of people andplaces.As one reads, one senses the terror of civil war and of battle. The reader is "put into the shoes" of thoses present at thoseawesome events.The descriptions of the second battle at Cremona, thedocumentation of the atrocities, are enough to make one's stomach turn.Tacitus was lucky to have had access to eyewitnesses and the imperialarchives while writing these histories.The only thing to be truly awareof are the speaches quoted on the books.For anyone who is no familiarwith ancient writings: it was not uncommon practice to "fill thegaps" with artificial speaches.You will, however get a good sense ofwhat was on in the supposed orator's mind. Recommendations to anyoneutterly obsessed with the history of imperial Rome seen through the eyes ofpeople who were there.I'm in the process of reading books IV-V of thehistories and they have just the same flavour!I hope you'll enjoy thesehistories as much as I have. ... Read more

Product Description
A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, Or The Causes Of Corrupt Eloquence - The Works Of Cornelius Tacitus, Volume 8 (of 8); With An Essay On - His Life And Genius, Notes, Supplements is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Cornelius Tacitus is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Cornelius Tacitus then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Cornelius Tacitus, Rome's greatest historian and the last great writer of classical Latin prose, produced his first two books in AD 98, after the assination of the Emperor Domitian ended fifteen years of enforced silence. Much of Agricola, which is the biography of Tacitus' late father-in-law Julius Agricola, is devoted to Britain and its people, since Agricola's claim to fame was that as governor for seven years he had completed the conquest of Britain, begun four decades earlier. Germany provides an account of Rome's most dangerous enemies, the Germans, and is the only surviving example of an ethnographic study from the ancient world.Each book in its way has had immense influence on our perception of Rome and the northern barbarians.This edition reflects recent research in Roman-British and Roman-German history and includes newly discovered evidence on Tacitus' early career. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

early info
this particular book is the one to buy. the free one is not as good. tacitus's writing is turning out to be varified by realitively recent archaeological finds. enjoy

Tone and style are Tacitus' unique strengths
When Tacitus speaks you feel his presence. This First Century Roman historian has a distinctive tone and a proud, superior point of view, as though disdainful of lesser mortals. Tacitus lets us know in the beginning of Agricola that he believes things were better and men more virtuous during the older period of Republican Rome:

". . .in former generatons the path to memorable achievements was less uphill and more open. Further, the most distinguished writers were attracted to publish accounts of meritorious achievement, without partiality or self-seeking. . . Of course, excellence can best be appreciated in those ages in which it can most readily develop. But in these times I needed permission when I intended to relate the life of a dead man. I should not have had to request this if I had been planning an invective. So savage and hostile to merit has this age been."

Agricola is a terrific tale about Tacitus' father-in-law completing the Roman conquest of Britain. In the process we learn about the ancient Britons and their ways, particularly how they behave in battle. Like Thucydides and other classical historians, Tacitus presents set piece orations. Before the Battle of the Graupian Mountain (A.D. 83), the Caledonian leader Calgacus makes a stirring oration to his troops about to confront the Romans. Agricola then makes an equally stirring speech to the Roman troops, who begin the battle as soon as he concludes. The bloody battle scenes that ensue are quite graphic.

Tacitus, who is often quoted, includes interesting pithy sayings in his writing:

"This is the unfairest aspect of warfare: all claim for themselves the credit for success, failure is blamed on a single man."

"It is part of human character to hate someone you have hurt."

The Germania, the more famous of the two works, is mostly descriptive of the geography and customs of the large region of Europe to the East of the Danube--a region never conquered by Rome.

Tacitus provides us with a terrific description of the German method of taking auspices prior to important decisions, a common practice among ancient peoples to determine the disponsition of the gods. They cut off branches from a nut bearing tree, slice it into strips and mark it with certain signs before throwing the strips on the ground. After praying to the gods, a priest picks up the strips and interprets the signs. Another method is for the chief or priest to walk behind a sacred white horse and determine the auspices from its whinnying and neighing. These divination horses are pure white and reside in sacred groves where they are kept from having to perform any other kind of work.

The Oxford World's Classics is a very compact edition of these two works with adequate maps both of Britain and the Roman Empire generally. It is somewhat difficult to use the explanatory textual notes in the back, refer to the maps up front and continue to make headway through the narrative. For the price, however, this is a good little edition that can travel easily with its reader--a great way to get to know Tacitus starting with his first two works. The biographical material and chronology are very good.

A review of A. R. Birley�s translation of Tacitus� Agricola
Finally after 91 years of"scholarly" and mediocre translations of The Agricola by self appointed "learned academics"A. R. Birley has produced a work that demonstrates why Tacitus has been regarded as among the best historians and rhetoricians of antiquity.The beauty and the elegance of the original is apparent in this translation, that has been lacking since the translation of W. H. Fyfe in 1908.The love and the sense of loss that Tacitus had for his father in law is still apparent to us, who live two thousand years after them.

To illustrate the superiority of this translation a few examples follow:

The first example is the translation of the term "divus"as in "divus Augustus" or "divus Claudius".Fyfe translated this term as sainted, and Birley as deified.Both of these seem to be adequate renditions of the term. However the Leob Classical Library's translation, by M. Hutton, translates the term as "of happy memory."Thisis curious because in their edition they compare the original Latin on the left with the English on the right. One would think that one of Leob's editors would have just looked at the Latin to see if it at least resembled the English.But this is even preferable to the Penguin translation, by H. Mattingly revised by S. A. Handford, wherein they just dropped the term altogether.Apparently Messrs. Mattingly, Handford, and Hutton felt that we the reading public wouldn't understand roman titles of respect and sought to protect us from this pagan ritualism.

A second example occurs near the end of the third chapter when Tacitus laments the passage of fifteen years due to the tyranny of Domitian.Birley's(and Fyfe's was similar)translation reads; "So many years have been stolen from the middle of our lives, years in which those of us who were youths have become old men and the old men have reached almost the end of their allotted span - in silence." The Penguin translation reads;"since so many of our best years have been taken from us - years in which men in their prime have aged and old men have reached the extreme limit of mortality, without ever uttering a word."The Leob translation has, "for out of our prime have been blotted fifteen years, during which young men reached old age and old men the very bounds almost of decrepitude, and all without opening their lips."Apparently the Leob and Penguin translators wanted us (the reading public) to understand that the young are now old and the old almost dead,but in their haste to "dumb-down" the original they sacrificed the beauty, the brevity and the profound nature of Tacitus.Furthermore the Leob and Penguin translators apparently didn't realize that it was "us" that had aged and not other "young men" who had aged.

The final example is from the last paragraph of the Agricola. Birley's translation reads; "Many of the men of old will be buried in oblivion, inglorious and unknown.Agricola's story has been told for posterity and he will survive." The Penguin translation is close and reads; "With many it will be as with men who had no name or fame: they will be buried in oblivion.But Agricola's story is set on record for posterity, and he will live."But the Leob translation gives us; "Many of the ancients will forgetfulness engulf as though neither fame nor name were theirs. Agricola, whose story here is told, will outlive death, to be our children's heritage."The remarkable thing about the Leob translation is that it doesn't even resemble the Latin original with spurious details about children's heritage and engulfing forgetfulness.That is bad but Penguin is worse because the editors added a note that this last passage is "strange".They didn't realize that Tacitus had lifted a line from Horace.One must wonder why these "scholars" learned Latin in the first place if theyweren't going read and study the classics.Maybe Penguin's editors simply thought we, the public, would be oblivious to other classical writers and would learn to hate the Romans as they so obviously do.

There are many other examples in both the Agricola and the Germania that I could quote however; that would serve no purpose. In conclusion this translation of the Agricola reminds me of why I admire and respect the writers of antiquity.Perhaps the reason that the ancients are no longer esteemed isn't because they are no longer relevant to our age but because of the miserable quality of recent translations.

Agricola and Germania
This book contains a pair of early works by the great Roman historian Tacitus. Agricola is an homage to the historian's father-in-law, a Roman governor in Britain during the 1st century A.D. Germania describes the German people and their culture during the same period.

The author's admiration for his late father-in-law is manifest in Agricola. Sometimes his admiration comes across as tender, sometimes as fawning. Tacitus writes near the crest of Roman world-domination (Americans take note). He frequently adopts the tone of a tourist in a third-world country -- sometimes looking down his nose at local customs, sometimes in fascination at a primitive culture that compares favorably to a Roman empire suffering decay and corruption. He is a loyal Roman and an educated man. As such, he can glorify Rome and, in the same breath, criticize Rome's tyranny and empathize with the empire's victims. Tacitus lends an eloquent voice to Rome's enemies and those facing enslavement. The speech (probably apocryphal) of Caledonian warlord Calgacus before the climactic battle of the Graupian mountain may be the best section of either book. Backed up to the northern tip of modern Scotland, Calgacus tries to rally his men before battle. "Now there is no people beyond us," he says, "nothing but tides and rocks and, more deadly than these, the Romans ... They have pillaged the world ... They plunder, they butcher, they ravage, and call it by the lying name of empire. They make a desert and call it peace."

Tacitus has no personal connection to any person in the second book, Germania. His writing is more sterile here, but he provides a captivating description that seems part based on observation and part on rumor.

Tacitus is a pithy writer, given to understatement and the wry aside. The translator does a tremendous job of carrying these qualities across in English. Important books both, Agricola and Germania provide some of our only glimpses of the early ancestors of the English people, the Anglo-Saxons and the Britons.

Beautiful writing.Fascinating. A very `readable' Classic.
Tacitus' opens up a lost world before the Christians in what was, for many of us, our mother countries - Britian and Germany.The book is divided in two; the first piece `Agricola' (farmer)is named after the father-in-law ofTacitus.Tacitus gives us part biography and part eulogy in order toconfer immortality on Agricola's memory at the edge of Empire among thebarbarians. Agricola was loved and honoured by Tacitus, and Tacitus givesan account of his military and political triumphs before being called toRome. For anyone interested in early British history, warfare or paganthemes observed first hand, this is a must have.

The second part is anamazing series of geograpgical, religious, and general culturalobservations among the Germans. In this age of political correctness,Tacitus' observations are a delicious treat of unfettered notation ofracial difference and character that still ring guiltily true about theGermans (good and bad), especially in the first half of the last century. "Their holy places are the woods and groves, and they call by the nameof god that hidden presence which is seen only by the eye ofreverence." ... "They count, not like us, by days, but bynights." ... "No form of approval can carry more honour thanpraise expressed by arms."

Great stuff.Short, entertaining andinformative of another time and place. ... Read more

Product Description
The Germania of Tacitus is the most extensive account of the ancient Germans written during the Roman period, but has been relatively neglected in the scholarship of the English-speaking world. This new commentary provides a current and comprehensive guide to the relevant textual and archaeological evidence and also examines the methodological issues involved in the interpretation of this important work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A reliable source of ancient history
The treatise Germania was written by the Roman historian Publis (or Gaius, his first name is uncertain) Cornelius Tacitus, who was born around 55 CE and is thought to have died circa 117 CE.A prominent citizen during the rule of the Emperor Trajan, Tacitus published Germania sometime around 98 CE, which was intended to provide crucial information about the warrior-barbarians inhabiting Rome's northern hinterlands.It is our only surviving source of information about the early Germans, thus providing data for which we would have no other resource.

Tacitus is considered one of antiquity's greatest historians, and his most prominent works (the Annals and the Histories) were primarily about the Roman Empire in the first century.He also penned three less ambitious works: the Agricola (a laudatory biography of his father-in-law), the Dialogus (a discussion of oratory in the style of Cicero), and Germania.Beyond his written works, little is known for certain about his life.A born aristocrat, his father was a commander of the Roman army garrisoned in Britain.Tacitus himself rose to prominence as a Roman senator while cultivating a well-deserved reputation as an eloquent orator and an effective lawyer (he successfully prosecuted Marius Priscus - proconsul of Africa - for corruption).Later appointed substitute consul under Nerva in 97 CE, he subsequently became proconsul of Asia (the western part of modern Turkey) around 112-113 CE.It is not known whether he fathered any children.

Germania is an ethnographic account of the cultures comprising the northern European tribes, who thus far had successfully resisted conquest by Rome.The essay - along with an earlier account in 58 BCE by Julius Caesar entitled De Bello Gallico - comprises the only surviving report on the domestic lives, habits, and beliefs of these second century Teutonic barbarians who lived in what today comprises Germany and Eastern Europe.Sprinkled liberally among various facts about the region, Tacitus simultaneously compares the "decadence" of Rome with German virility, strict monogamy, and self-reliance by idealistically portraying the various Germanic tribes as rugged and noble in sharp contrast to his characterization of Rome as corrupt and immoral.In this comparison, Tacitus makes use of facts, myths, and half-truths to idealize many facets of the German society.In addition to his analysis of the history and varied social structures among the German tribes, Tacitus also provides a detailed description of the geography and climate of their territory.

Each of Germania's passages deals with a particular area of German civilization.The first half of the account consists of a generalized description of the inhabitant's origin and the lands, laws and customs of the region.Tacitus then spends the second half presenting a geographical account of the locations of the main German tribes - beginning with those who live closest to Roman territory and ending on the shores of the Baltic with a description of the savage Fenni living a life mired in stone-age poverty.An interesting note: Among the Baltic coast tribes listed by Tacitus were the Anglii who, four hundred years later, invaded Britain and successfully conquered the Romanized Celts while renaming the island Angla-land (England).

Although taking notice of their habitual drunkenness, laziness, and barbarism, his purpose in writing the book appears to be primarily moralistic, extolling the virtues of Germanic simplicity, bravery, honor, and fidelity while simultaneously warning of the havoc that could ensue should these "noble savages" ever cease fighting amongst themselves and turn their attention south toward Italy ("May the Gods continue to perpetuate amongst these nations, if not any love for us, yet by all means this their animosity and hate towards each other, since whilst the destiny of the Empire thus urges it,fortune cannot more signally befriend us, than in sowing strife amongst our foes.").Though replete with sociological opinions, the book serves primarily as a concise, factual treatise on the culture and geography of the German region.

Though displaying a pro-German bias and unapologetic admiration in his observations of their culture, Tacitus wishes to improve - not replace - Roman society with the "nobler" aspects of German society. The work is clearly moralistic in its structure, as Tacitus' descriptions of German habits, customs, and family life are compared favorably with "old fashioned" Roman Republican ideals.Tacitus longs for the Republic's idealized Roman virtues, bemoaning the Roman Empire's degeneration.

He portrays the Germans as a people who have maintained their freedom and their pride, both highly valued universally, while uncompromisingly maintaining their individual cultures in the shadow of the great Roman Empire.They are illiterate and live in huts while farming and hunting for sustenance.But they thrive, and Tacitus seems to believe that freedom, even in poverty, is preferable to wealth and modernity in captivity.The work, however, is not objective; it is a picture of the "simple Germans" glorified by comparison with the corruption and luxurious immorality of the Romans.The moral purpose and severe criticism of contemporary Rome, fallen from the virtuous vigor of the old republic, is a common theme.

Mention is made in several sections of mythological occurrences, with both Hercules and Ulysses prominently featured.The author also occasionally mentions traditional folklore as a source of information.Considering the personal danger a Roman citizen could expect while wandering around these foreign and barbaric surroundings, it is reasonable to assume that Tacitus made liberal use of oral and written second-hand accounts, historical lore and legends in the compilation of his book. It must be remembered, though, that Roman military excursions into this territory had been commonplace for two hundred years, so one can assume that Tacitus had the means of obtaining accurate information on the character and history of the Germans.His account of German customs and institutions can therefore be assumed to be reliable.

The treatise is a concise and instructive document produced by one of the preeminent philosophical historians of the ancient world.The intrinsic credibility of the author makes it a reliable source of ancient historical and geographical information.Furthermore, the political maxims and moral sentiments interwoven for the sake of instruction are merely incidental and in no way detract from the abundant factual and methodically presented documentation.As the only detailed account of German culture in the ancient world, Tacitus' rich and instructive Germania provides us with an invaluable glimpse of life beyond Rome's influence in Eastern Europe

Ausgezeichnet
The book suggests it is for scholars and post-graduate researchers.I admire the thought of being a scholar, but this is book for anyone with an interest in the structure of the ancient Germanic world.Every phrase is dissected.Alternative interpretations of text, possible errors, conflicting theories on every facet of the text of Tacitus's monumental work fill page after page.In the process, onesees beyond Tacitus into minute details of the Germanic past, the very nature of their existence.References to other scholarly works is vast!Critique is refined, balanced, meticulous.Who knows, maybe even a Frenchman would like this book.Now.I said it.

More than another translation
In this Clarendon Ancient History Series edition, James Rives has given usmuch more than another translation. Enough background materials andcommentary are provided to give a reader all that is needed for an informedunderstanding of this important historical text.

Conflicting theories aretreated in an even-handed manner and the author's conclusions are wellreasoned. The actual text is an easy to read, yet pleasingly accurateversion of the original Latin in which the surviving copies of the Germaniawere written.

A hefty price for a paperback, but in this instance it isone justified by the wealth of information the book contains. ... Read more

Product Description
The fourth book of Tacitus'Annals has been described as "the best that Tacitus ever wrote."It covers the years AD 23-28, starting when Tacitus noted a significant deterioration in the principate of the emperor Tiberius, and the increasingly malign influence of his "evil genius" Sejanus.R.H. Martin and A.J. Woodman present an improved text of Annals IV, explain in detail the difficulties and unusual features of Tacitus' Latin, and discuss the dramatic, structural and literary qualities of the narrative.They also discuss the political, moral and stylistic dimensions of the Roman historiographical tradition.Though intended primarily as a textbook for undergraduates and high school students, this edition will interest scholars of Latin literature and Roman history as well. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Finally an affordable Woodman and Martin commentary
The editors of this volume are two of the greatest Tacitean scholars of the late 20th/early 21st century, and Woodman; here they tackle the pivotal 4th book of the Annals, and, unlike their Cambridge commentary on the third book, this edition is actually affordable.

It is true that this text, like other 'Green and Yellow' editions, is not for a beginner: vocabulary is not provided, and the ability to work out Latin prose, and even tricky Tacitean prose, is assumed.Nevertheless, there are good introductory essays on Tacitus' career, style, and general methods.The commentary focuses on literary technique and structure, not just within Book IV, but within the entire Annals, provides some grammatical aid, and points out many references and allusions to other authors and events, touching as well on major interpretive issues in Tacitean studies.This is the most valuable part of any commentary, I think, and it is particularly well done here.It is so hard and requires so much experience to be able to identify what makes a passage seem familiar, or where that familiarity might come from, or to understand exactly the force of a particular word in the particular way it is used.In that respect, Woodman and Martin are excellent guides, although most readers will probably not agree with all of their comments.

Good text, horrible idea
First, I'm not sure if the other reviewer knows what he/she is talking about.It should be mentioned straight off this is only one book of the "Annals", and is not meant as a history book.This is the latin text meant for latin students.Reading this book will not give you a great understanding of history, as you will likely be trying to disseminate the latin as your primary task. Yes, the Annals are a good read for history courses/fun, but that person would not be reading this version.

Second, the reviewer talks about the history of Augustus.Had he/she read this product the author might make note that this is book 4 of the Annals, the one in which Tacitus discusses the flawed character of Tiberius.A completely different person.

Anyway, on to the review:

Up front, know this is a Latin text that does not include beginner helping aids such as macrons.Furthermore, the text does not distinguish between "u" and "v", which afterall were the same letter to the Romans anyways.Therefore, you have to be on top of your Latin a little bit to distinguish such things as the difference between "summa" and "summa" - one being the accusative plural and the other being the ablative singular.This is done by context, which is not usually a tool employed by many beginning (or even some intermediate) Latin learners.Some students, like myself, may have used other Cambridge texts in class.

Ok, the text.The text is standard Latin.There's about 60 pages or so of solid Latin.A big, intimidating wall of Latin.While there are no macrons, I did find the punctuation to be rather well done and blocks off chunks of the text you can look at in parts.However, this wall of text starts my quibble with this edition.

This book is not user-friendly for students or intermediate level readers.I use "user-friendly" relative to my ability.I have a minor in Latin from a decent program and some amount of independent reading under my belt.I recently read Bolchazy-Carducci's edition of Selections From the Satyricon and found the amount of help to be a bit much.(As a quick overview: lots of vocab help, listing almost every ablative absolute in the first half of the text etc.) I consider myself still learning the language, but by no means do I consider myself inadequate at being able to translate authentic latin with help.

On the other hand you have this book.There is absolutely no vocab listing, grammar aids or explanations are extremely rare, and translation help for more difficult passages/word combinations (idioms etc.) is hardly to be seen.The approximately 200 pages of notes is mostly a

Definitive Primary Source On the History OfImperial Roman
I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history.It is an indispensable primary source for students of Roman history.

On the first page of his Annals of Imperial Rome, Tacitus wrote that Octavian "seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians."Tacitus' description of Augustus' transformation of Rome from a republic into an empire is most illuminating as well."Upper-class survivors found that slavish obedience was the way to succeed, both politically and financially.They had profited from the revolution, and so now they liked the security of the existing arrangement better than the dangerous uncertainties of the old regime."

Sir Ronald Syme relied heavily on the work of Tacitus for his cogent narrative of Octavian's rise to power as Augustus.Syme's in-depth study of Tacitus' life and work was published in 1958.Tacitus' historical accuracy was doubted for centuries and Syme made a project of re-evaluating the accuracy of his historical writings.Syme believed that Tacitus was in a unique position to write about the birth and early political history of the Imperial period in Rome due to his very active political life.Tacitus had served as a senator, consul, and proconsul of Asia.In addition, he was known to be an excellent orator in his day.In his writings, Syme believed that Tacitus provided excellent accounts of Augustus' rise to power and his career as Rome's first Emperor.

Tacitus delved into the machinery of the new government, including Augustus' use of patronage as well as his many thwarted attempts at planning for his own succession.What Syme found was a man that grew very adept politically and whose political maturity rapidly developed at an early age.At eighteen, he was named as heir to Julius Caesar.He grew into the greatest Roman princeps spanning fifty-six years until his death.Augustus knew that to retain power he had to maintain the general consent of the governed.He astutely maintained order not by following the constitution or past precedent, but by using the tremendous resources at his disposal.Augustus kept the plebeians in check making sure they were fed, kept them amused with games, and constantly reminded them that he was protecting them from the oppression of the nobiles.

Augustus became the "leader of a large and well organized political party as the source and fount of patronage and advancement."

Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Definitive Primary Source On the History OfImperial Roman
I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history.It is an indispensable primary source for students of Roman history.

On the first page of his Annals of Imperial Rome, Tacitus wrote that Octavian "seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians."Tacitus' description of Augustus' transformation of Rome from a republic into an empire is most illuminating as well."Upper-class survivors found that slavish obedience was the way to succeed, both politically and financially.They had profited from the revolution, and so now they liked the security of the existing arrangement better than the dangerous uncertainties of the old regime."

Sir Ronald Syme relied heavily on the work of Tacitus for his cogent narrative of Octavian's rise to power as Augustus.Syme's in-depth study of Tacitus' life and work was published in 1958.Tacitus' historical accuracy was doubted for centuries and Syme made a project of re-evaluating the accuracy of his historical writings.Syme believed that Tacitus was in a unique position to write about the birth and early political history of the Imperial period in Rome due to his very active political life.Tacitus had served as a senator, consul, and proconsul of Asia.In addition, he was known to be an excellent orator in his day.In his writings, Syme believed that Tacitus provided excellent accounts of Augustus' rise to power and his career as Rome's first Emperor.

Tacitus delved into the machinery of the new government, including Augustus' use of patronage as well as his many thwarted attempts at planning for his own succession.What Syme found was a man that grew very adept politically and whose political maturity rapidly developed at an early age.At eighteen, he was named as heir to Julius Caesar.He grew into the greatest Roman princeps spanning fifty-six years until his death.Augustus knew that to retain power he had to maintain the general consent of the governed.He astutely maintained order not by following the constitution or past precedent, but by using the tremendous resources at his disposal.Augustus kept the plebeians in check making sure they were fed, kept them amused with games, and constantly reminded them that he was protecting them from the oppression of the nobiles.

Augustus became the "leader of a large and well organized political party as the source and fount of patronage and advancement."

Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.
... Read more

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A study of the writings of Tacitus, the greatest of Latin historians. The author shows why the dichotomy between Tacitus the stylist and Tacitus the historian is fallacious and analyzes his main works. ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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And now bills were passed, not only for national objects but for individual cases, and laws were most numerous when the commonwealth was most corrupt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Definitive Primary Source On the History OfImperial Roman
I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history.It is an indispensable primary source for students of Roman history.

On the first page of his Annals of Imperial Rome, Tacitus wrote that Octavian "seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians."Tacitus' description of Augustus' transformation of Rome from a republic into an empire is most illuminating as well."Upper-class survivors found that slavish obedience was the way to succeed, both politically and financially.They had profited from the revolution, and so now they liked the security of the existing arrangement better than the dangerous uncertainties of the old regime."

Sir Ronald Syme relied heavily on the work of Tacitus for his cogent narrative of Octavian's rise to power as Augustus.Syme's in-depth study of Tacitus' life and work was published in 1958.Tacitus' historical accuracy was doubted for centuries and Syme made a project of re-evaluating the accuracy of his historical writings.Syme believed that Tacitus was in a unique position to write about the birth and early political history of the Imperial period in Rome due to his very active political life.Tacitus had served as a senator, consul, and proconsul of Asia.In addition, he was known to be an excellent orator in his day.In his writings, Syme believed that Tacitus provided excellent accounts of Augustus' rise to power and his career as Rome's first Emperor.

Tacitus delved into the machinery of the new government, including Augustus' use of patronage as well as his many thwarted attempts at planning for his own succession.What Syme found was a man that grew very adept politically and whose political maturity rapidly developed at an early age.At eighteen, he was named as heir to Julius Caesar.He grew into the greatest Roman princeps spanning fifty-six years until his death.Augustus knew that to retain power he had to maintain the general consent of the governed.He astutely maintained order not by following the constitution or past precedent, but by using the tremendous resources at his disposal.Augustus kept the plebeians in check making sure they were fed, kept them amused with games, and constantly reminded them that he was protecting them from the oppression of the nobiles.

Augustus became the "leader of a large and well organized political party as the source and fount of patronage and advancement."

Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.

Definitive Primary Source On the History OfImperial Roman
I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history.It is an indispensable primary source for students of Roman history.

On the first page of his Annals of Imperial Rome, Tacitus wrote that Octavian "seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians."Tacitus' description of Augustus' transformation of Rome from a republic into an empire is most illuminating as well."Upper-class survivors found that slavish obedience was the way to succeed, both politically and financially.They had profited from the revolution, and so now they liked the security of the existing arrangement better than the dangerous uncertainties of the old regime."

Sir Ronald Syme relied heavily on the work of Tacitus for his cogent narrative of Octavian's rise to power as Augustus.Syme's in-depth study of Tacitus' life and work was published in 1958.Tacitus' historical accuracy was doubted for centuries and Syme made a project of re-evaluating the accuracy of his historical writings.Syme believed that Tacitus was in a unique position to write about the birth and early political history of the Imperial period in Rome due to his very active political life.Tacitus had served as a senator, consul, and proconsul of Asia.In addition, he was known to be an excellent orator in his day.In his writings, Syme believed that Tacitus provided excellent accounts of Augustus' rise to power and his career as Rome's first Emperor.

Tacitus delved into the machinery of the new government, including Augustus' use of patronage as well as his many thwarted attempts at planning for his own succession.What Syme found was a man that grew very adept politically and whose political maturity rapidly developed at an early age.At eighteen, he was named as heir to Julius Caesar.He grew into the greatest Roman princeps spanning fifty-six years until his death.Augustus knew that to retain power he had to maintain the general consent of the governed.He astutely maintained order not by following the constitution or past precedent, but by using the tremendous resources at his disposal.Augustus kept the plebeians in check making sure they were fed, kept them amused with games, and constantly reminded them that he was protecting them from the oppression of the nobiles.

Augustus became the "leader of a large and well organized political party as the source and fount of patronage and advancement."

Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.

Definitive Primary Source On the History OfImperial Roman
I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history.It is an indispensable primary source for students of Roman history.

On the first page of his Annals of Imperial Rome, Tacitus wrote that Octavian "seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians."Tacitus' description of Augustus' transformation of Rome from a republic into an empire is most illuminating as well."Upper-class survivors found that slavish obedience was the way to succeed, both politically and financially.They had profited from the revolution, and so now they liked the security of the existing arrangement better than the dangerous uncertainties of the old regime."

Sir Ronald Syme relied heavily on the work of Tacitus for his cogent narrative of Octavian's rise to power as Augustus.Syme's in-depth study of Tacitus' life and work was published in 1958.Tacitus' historical accuracy was doubted for centuries and Syme made a project of re-evaluating the accuracy of his historical writings.Syme believed that Tacitus was in a unique position to write about the birth and early political history of the Imperial period in Rome due to his very active political life.Tacitus had served as a senator, consul, and proconsul of Asia.In addition, he was known to be an excellent orator in his day.In his writings, Syme believed that Tacitus provided excellent accounts of Augustus' rise to power and his career as Rome's first Emperor.

Tacitus delved into the machinery of the new government, including Augustus' use of patronage as well as his many thwarted attempts at planning for his own succession.What Syme found was a man that grew very adept politically and whose political maturity rapidly developed at an early age.At eighteen, he was named as heir to Julius Caesar.He grew into the greatest Roman princeps spanning fifty-six years until his death.Augustus knew that to retain power he had to maintain the general consent of the governed.He astutely maintained order not by following the constitution or past precedent, but by using the tremendous resources at his disposal.Augustus kept the plebeians in check making sure they were fed, kept them amused with games, and constantly reminded them that he was protecting them from the oppression of the nobiles.

Augustus became the "leader of a large and well organized political party as the source and fount of patronage and advancement."

Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.

Definitive Primary Source On the History OfImperial Roman
I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history.It is an indispensable primary source for students of Roman history.

On the first page of his Annals of Imperial Rome, Tacitus wrote that Octavian "seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians."Tacitus' description of Augustus' transformation of Rome from a republic into an empire is most illuminating as well."Upper-class survivors found that slavish obedience was the way to succeed, both politically and financially.They had profited from the revolution, and so now they liked the security of the existing arrangement better than the dangerous uncertainties of the old regime."

Sir Ronald Syme relied heavily on the work of Tacitus for his cogent narrative of Octavian's rise to power as Augustus.Syme's in-depth study of Tacitus' life and work was published in 1958.Tacitus' historical accuracy was doubted for centuries and Syme made a project of re-evaluating the accuracy of his historical writings.Syme believed that Tacitus was in a unique position to write about the birth and early political history of the Imperial period in Rome due to his very active political life.Tacitus had served as a senator, consul, and proconsul of Asia.In addition, he was known to be an excellent orator in his day.In his writings, Syme believed that Tacitus provided excellent accounts of Augustus' rise to power and his career as Rome's first Emperor.

Tacitus delved into the machinery of the new government, including Augustus' use of patronage as well as his many thwarted attempts at planning for his own succession.What Syme found was a man that grew very adept politically and whose political maturity rapidly developed at an early age.At eighteen, he was named as heir to Julius Caesar.He grew into the greatest Roman princeps spanning fifty-six years until his death.Augustus knew that to retain power he had to maintain the general consent of the governed.He astutely maintained order not by following the constitution or past precedent, but by using the tremendous resources at his disposal.Augustus kept the plebeians in check making sure they were fed, kept them amused with games, and constantly reminded them that he was protecting them from the oppression of the nobiles.

Augustus became the "leader of a large and well organized political party as the source and fount of patronage and advancement."

Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.

Definitive Primary Source On the History OfImperial Roman
I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history.It is an indispensable primary source for students of Roman history.

On the first page of his Annals of Imperial Rome, Tacitus wrote that Octavian "seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians."Tacitus' description of Augustus' transformation of Rome from a republic into an empire is most illuminating as well."Upper-class survivors found that slavish obedience was the way to succeed, both politically and financially.They had profited from the revolution, and so now they liked the security of the existing arrangement better than the dangerous uncertainties of the old regime."

Sir Ronald Syme relied heavily on the work of Tacitus for his cogent narrative of Octavian's rise to power as Augustus.Syme's in-depth study of Tacitus' life and work was published in 1958.Tacitus' historical accuracy was doubted for centuries and Syme made a project of re-evaluating the accuracy of his historical writings.Syme believed that Tacitus was in a unique position to write about the birth and early political history of the Imperial period in Rome due to his very active political life.Tacitus had served as a senator, consul, and proconsul of Asia.In addition, he was known to be an excellent orator in his day.In his writings, Syme believed that Tacitus provided excellent accounts of Augustus' rise to power and his career as Rome's first Emperor.

Tacitus delved into the machinery of the new government, including Augustus' use of patronage as well as his many thwarted attempts at planning for his own succession.What Syme found was a man that grew very adept politically and whose political maturity rapidly developed at an early age.At eighteen, he was named as heir to Julius Caesar.He grew into the greatest Roman princeps spanning fifty-six years until his death.Augustus knew that to retain power he had to maintain the general consent of the governed.He astutely maintained order not by following the constitution or past precedent, but by using the tremendous resources at his disposal.Augustus kept the plebeians in check making sure they were fed, kept them amused with games, and constantly reminded them that he was protecting them from the oppression of the nobiles.

Augustus became the "leader of a large and well organized political party as the source and fount of patronage and advancement."

Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.
... Read more