作者简介
Tacitus(Cornelius),famousRomanhistorian,wasbornin55,56or57CEandlivedtoabout120.Hebecameanorator,marriedin77adaughterofJuliusAgricolabeforeAgricolawenttoBritain,wasquaestorin81or82,asenatorundertheFlavianemperors,andapraetorin88.Afterfouryears’absenceheexperiencedtheterrorsofEmperorDomitian’slastyearsandturnedtohistoricalwriting.Hewasaconsulin97.ClosefriendoftheyoungerPliny,withhimhesuccessfullyprosecutedMariusPriscus.Works:(i)LifeandCharacterofAgricola,writtenin97–98,speciallyinterestingbecauseofAgricola’scareerinBritain.(ii)Germania(98–99),anequallyimportantdescriptionofthegeography,anthropology,products,institutions,andsociallifeandthetribesoftheGermansasknowntotheRomans.(iii)DialogueonOratory(Dialogus),ofunknowndate;alivelyconversationaboutthedeclineoforatoryandeducation.(iv)Histories(probablyissuedinpartsfrom105onwards),agreatworkoriginallyconsistingofatleasttwelvebookscoveringtheperiod69–96CE,butonlyBooksI–IVandpartofBookVsurvive,dealingindetailwiththedramaticyears69–70.(v)Annals,Tacitus’sothergreatwork,originallycoveringtheperiod14–68CE(EmperorsTiberius,Gaius,Claudius,Nero)andpublishedbetween115andabout120.Ofsixteenbooksatleast,theresurviveBooksI–IV(coveringtheyears14–28);abitofBookVandallBookVI(31–37);partofBookXI(from47);BooksXII–XVandpartofBookXVI(to66).Tacitusisrenownedforhisdevelopmentofapregnantconcisestyle,characterstudy,andpsychologicalanalysis,andfortheoftenterriblestorywhichhebrilliantlytells.AsahistorianoftheearlyRomanempireheisparamount.
