Tacitus

Enough, however, has been said as to Sallust's defects, especially as in the notes, from the nature of the case, it is chiefly to his defects that attention is called.

He may not be the equal of Herodotus, Thucydides, and Tacitus, but by his combination of excellence of style and of matter, he is at least worthy to be ranked in the same class with them.

End of Note on Sallust.

Part Two of Works of Sallust.

Like him, by surprises and petty skirmishes, he wore out the enemy whom he could not meet with success in the field.

Two Roman generals triumphed for bringing the war to a supposed conclusion, but each time, after an interval, Tacfarinus renewed it with as much and as little success as before, and as in the case of Eugertha, it was only brought to a final end by his death, after the contest had been carried on for seven years, A.D. 17-24.

Tacitus gives us the history of this war in some seven chapters, Annals 2.52, 3.21.73-74, 4.23-25.

And it may fairly be said that the knowledge we receive from these is quite as satisfactory as that which Salus Prolux Narration affords us of the conflict with Jugurtha.

This narrative is unsurpassed in originality and mastery of treatment among the writings of Roman literature.

Nor does anyone doubt the identity of its author and the arbiter elegantarium of Nero, whose end Tacitus relates.

In any case, the author of this work, if it be the work of one brain, must have been a profound psychologist, a master of realism, a natural-born storyteller, and a gentleman.

B.

All else is fabulous, as at Ahalusi and Axiones have the faces and expressions of men with the bodies and limbs of wild beasts.

All this is unauthenticated, and I shall leave it open." End of Part 3 End of Germania by Pablis Cornelis Tacitus Translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Broderick

Now, a word about Pilate, Pontius Pilate, before we go further.

The historical record we have of him from sources outside the New Testament, so Tacitus, Josephus, Philo of Alexandria, all of that, it paints a not very flattering picture.

He had brought military standards bearing the image of the emperor into Jerusalem and had only backed down when his Jewish subjects threatened to die in protest.

He had taken money from the temple treasury to build an aqueduct and had crushed the resulting demonstration with violence.

Enough, however, has been said as to Sallust's defects, especially as in the notes, from the nature of the case, it is chiefly to his defects that attention is called.

He may not be the equal of Herodotus, Thucydides, and Tacitus, but by his combination of excellence of style and of matter, he is at least worthy to be ranked in the same class with them.

End of note on Sallust.

Part 2 of Works of Sallust.

Like him, by surprises and petty skirmishes, he wore out the enemy whom he could not meet with success in the field.

Two Roman generals triumphed for bringing the war to a supposed conclusion, but each time, after an interval, Tacfarinus renewed it with as much and as little success as before, and as in the case of Eugertha, it was only brought to a final end by his death, after the contest had been carried on for seven years.

A.D. 17-24 Tacitus gives us the history of this war in some seven chapters, Annals 2.52, 3.21.73-74, 4.23-25, and it may fairly be said that the knowledge we receive from these is quite as satisfactory as that which Salus' prolix narration affords us of the conflict with Eugertha.

The materials indeed for writing a good military history of any war in Africa did not exist, and we therefore cannot blame Salus for his failure.

And you've probably seen this quote or similar from this time period.

This is from Tacitus.

This is what he says about Nero's persecution in the middle of the first century.

He says, no human effort, no princely largesse, nor offerings to the gods could make that infamous rumour disappear that Nero had somehow ordered the fire.

This is the fire of Rome round about this time.

Everyone thought he'd done it.

Therefore, says Tacitus, in order to abolish that rumor, Nero falsely accused and executed with the most exquisite punishments those people called Christians who were infamous for their abominations.

So Nero falsely accused the Christians of starting the fire in Rome to point the finger at them rather than at himself.

"'He has been ill enough, poor lad.

I'll answer for him, for he is dead.' "'When Agrippina was told of her son's death,' Tacitus informs us, "'that, not being able to moderate the violence of her passions, she abruptly broke off her work, My father stuck his compasses into Neve, but so much the faster.

What contrarieties! His, indeed, was matter of calculation.

Agrippinus must have been quite a different affair.

I have enriched it after the manner of Sallust with various characters of ancient worthies, drawn at full length and faithfully colored.

I have seasoned it with profound political speculations like Thucydides, sweetened it with the graces of sentiment like Tacitus, and infused into the whole the dignity, the grandeur, and magnificence of Livy.

I am aware that I shall incur the censure of numerous very learned and judicious critics for indulging too frequently in the bold, excursive manner of my favorite Herodotus.

And to be candid I have found it impossible always to arrest the allurements of those pleasing episodes which like flowery banks and fragrant bowers beset the dusty road of the historian, and entice him to turn aside and refresh himself from his wayfaring.