The Complete Works of Tacitus (4 Vol. Set) | Date: 23 June 2011, 01:32
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Volume 1: The Annals, Part 1
In the pantheon of ancient men of letters, none hold a more venerated position than the Roman historian, Tacitus, venerated alike for the accuracy of his chronicles as well as for the superiority of his style. He was a writer of unexcelled genius and consummate skill. But his work fell into oblivion not long after his death, and has come down to us based on the text of a single tattered manuscript from the Middle Ages. Tacitus was born sometime before A.D. 62 during the reign of Nero. He died shortly before or after the accession of the emperor Hadrian, around A.D. 120. Almost nothing is known of him.
The Annals cover that period of Roman history from the reign of Tiberius to that of Nero. Parts of the work are missing, including a few sections from Tiberius, all the sections on Caligula, the early reign of Claudius, and the last two years of Nero's life. But what remains is breathtaking in its scope and velocity. Tacitus takes us on a mad river rafting voyage down a raging torrent of history. The story fluctuates between events at the court in Rome to the battlefields of Germany, between the bravest deeds of selfless courage and the most sordid acts of vengeful hostility. Nothing escapes the jaded eye of Tacitus as we experience the decadence of Rome in all its haughty grandeur.
Part 1 of The Annals begins with the death of Augustus and provides a brief look at his accomplishments and reign before proceeding with the story of Tiberius. Along with events at Rome, we are also taken to the scene of conflict in Parthia and Germany. We witness the rise of the evil Sejanus and learn how he poisoned the mind of Tiberius and turned his rule into a reign of terror.
Volume 2: The Annals, Part 2
The Annals, Part 2 picks up in the year A.D. 32 with the increasingly menacing and tyrannical behavior of Tiberius. With hundreds murdered or driven to suicide and many more in exile, Tiberius descends steadily into growing lust and debauchery on his private estate on the isle of Capri. Overseas, Rome is victorious in her struggle with Parthia, and as Tiberius is being smothered to death in A.D. 37 by Macro, peace at last comes to the eastern frontier.
The events of the year A.D. 47 open with Claudius as emperor. The machinations of his wife, Messalina, are laid bare, along with her debaucheries. When her mischief finally gets her killed, she is succeeded by Agrippina the Younger in A.D. 49. Her wiles are no less mischievous and she angles to get her son, Nero, in line to be emperor. The reign of Claudius finally comes to a close when he is poisoned by Agrippina amid uprisings in Britain and Germany, and renewed hostility in the east.
Tacitus is most famous for his amazing descriptions of the reign of Nero, one of the most ruthless and sadistic monarchs of all time. It is all superbly described in some of the most beautiful and exciting prose ever written. You will hear how Nero corrupted everyone in his reach...and murdered those he could not corrupt. Learn how he had his own mother killed, how he reacted to the great fire that destroyed Rome, and how he pitilessly built his enormous new palace on the charred ruins of the city while everyone around him lived in squalor. Meanwhile, tumultuous events in the provinces are reported in great detail and with penetrating insight. All in all, The Annals are one of the great miracles of historical writing, and place Tacitus on a footing with the greatest historians of his or any other day.
Volume 3: The History
In all of Roman history there was never a more turbulent year than A.D. 69, the ill-omened "Year of the Three Emperors". By some miracle, the greatest historian of the age, Tacitus, was able to chronicle those momentous events in a work he called The History. In its pages are some of the most memorable events of Roman history described in some of the most intensely passionate prose ever devised. Tacitus was a genius of the highest rank and his searing epigrammatic style has never been equaled, nor put to greater use.
The History opens with the events following the assassination of Nero. Galba, an elderly senator of noble lineage, is the first to claim the crown. But his reign is short...only one month. Civil war immediately breaks out. Defying him is the rakish Otho, an aristocrat of singularly corrupt morals, both in his public and private life. Since the troops favor him over Galba, they murder the old emperor and elevate Otho. But Otho, in the mistaken belief that his troops have deserted him, cannot keep the throne in the face of Vitellius' emerging challenge and he commits suicide rather than face war. Vitellius, as corrupt and weak as his predecessor, is challenged in his turn by a successful general who has been proclaimed emperor by his own troops in Egypt, Vespasian. As civil unrest spirals out of control in Italy, renewed war breaks out in Germany, Illyria, and Judaea. As it turns out, Vespasian is the only man who can command the kind of respect and loyalty to keep the tottering empire on its feet.
Volume 4 with three short works: "The Life of Agricola", "Germany and its Tribes", and "The Dialogue on Oratory"
The Life of Cnaeus Julius Agricola is an almost perfect example of what the Romans called the panegyric, a type of salutary obituary which was invariably produced at the death of renowned persons. Agricola was certainly no ordinary man. For one thing, he was the father-in-law of Tacitus. And for another, he was a genuinely gifted soldier of the highest character, the kind of unsung hero who made possible the success of Roman civilization.
Germany and Its Tribes is one of the most interesting pieces to come down to us. It is a very insightful and informed commentary on the feared tribes who lived beyond the Rhine. Although some of the information is incorrect or nonsensical, most of it is quite cogent and represents an accurate picture of the German people in those days. Many will recognize traits that have survived into modern times.
The Dialogue on Oratory is a spirited discussion among four men about the merits or demerits of the state of oratory in their time versus its practice in the past. By turns amusing and dazzling, the conversation keeps the listener entertained.
This production uses the famous translation by Church and Brodribb, considered the finest in the English language.
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