Publius (or
Gaius)
Cornelius Tacitus (ca. 56 – ca. 117) was a
senator and a
historian of the
Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the
Annals and the
Histories—examine the reigns of the
Roman Emperors Tiberius,
Claudius,
Nero and those who reigned in the
Year of the Four Emperors. These two works span the history of the
Roman Empire from the death of
Augustus in AD 14 to (presumably) the death of emperor
Domitian in AD 96. There are enormous
lacunae in the surviving texts, including one four books long in the
Annals.
Other works by Tacitus discuss oratory (in dialogue format, see Dialogus de oratoribus), Germania (in De origine et situ Germanorum), and biographical notes about his father-in-law Agricola, primarily during his campaign in Britannia (see De vita et moribus Iulii Agricolae).
An author writing in the latter part of the Silver Age of Latin literature, his work is distinguished by a boldness and sharpness of wit, and a compact and sometimes unconventional use of Latin.
While Tacitus' works contain much information about his world, details regarding his personal life are scarce. What little is known comes from scattered hints throughout his work, the letters of his friend and admirer Pliny the Younger, an inscription found at Mylasa in Caria,[1] and educated guesswork.
