Histories
by Tacitus · Historiae
Assigned by 2 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 105-110
- Era
- Roman Empire
- Form
- History
- Language
- Latin
- Length
- Medium · 300 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Histories, translated by Kenneth WellesleyPenguin Classics, 2009Revised by Rhiannon Ash, with maps and notes; the standard paperback.
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Tacitus' account of the Flavian period, originally covering AD 69 to 96 in about fourteen books, of which only the first four and part of the fifth survive. They cover the Year of the Four Emperors, when Galba, Otho and Vitellius were raised and destroyed in turn by the armies before Vespasian's forces took Rome, along with the revolt of Civilis on the Rhine and the opening of the Jewish war. The book opens with Tacitus' statement of his method and his famous remark that an emperor could be made elsewhere than at Rome.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Histories are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
