Ancient Roman senator and historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus is known throughout Western history as one of the greatest historical writers of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He lived during the first century AD and was the son of a wealthy aristocratic family. Not much is known about his personal life; however, it is clear that both Tacitus and Pliny the Elder were acquaintances and even possibly childhood friends, though there is no substantial evidence to support this. Tacitus studied rhetoric in order to create a career in law and politics. He steadily rose throughout the ranks due to his strong speaking style and oration skills. However, his language skills did not stop with verbal speeches. He was also an accomplished writer who focused on the history of the Roman Empire. He created five works, "The Annals," "The Histories," "The Agricola," "The Germania," and "A Dialogue on Oratory." His works delve deep into the facts as he knew them, rarely ever embellishing history to create a story. He also stayed true to chronological order and laid history out in visible steps. It is also notable that Tacitus knew that his fellow politicians were corrupt; he believed that they gave up their strong voice in order to please a usually corrupt emperor. These five great works are brought together in this collection of "The Complete Works of Tacitus."

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Tacitus' Annals of Imperial Rome recount the major historical events from the years shortly before the death of Augustus up to the death of Nero in AD 68. With clarity and vivid intensity he describes the reign of terror under the corrupt Tiberius, the great fire of Rome during the time of Nero, and the wars, poisonings, scandals, conspiracies and murders that were part of imperial life. Despite his claim that the Annals were written objectively, Tacitus' account is sharply critical of the emperors' excesses and fearful for the future of Imperial Rome, while also filled with a longing for its past glories.

The complete writings of the great 3rd century Roman historian Tacitus.