Tacitus held the consulship under Nerva in the year 97. At this point he closed his public career. He had reached the goal of a politician's ambition and had become known as one of the best speakers of his time, but he seems to have realized that under the Principate politics was a dull farce, and that oratory was of little value in a time of peace and strong government. The rest of his life was to be spent in writing history. In the year of his consulship or immediately after it, he published the Agricola and Germania, short monographs in which he practised the transition from the style of the speaker to that of the writer. In the preface to the Agricola he foreshadows the larger work on which he is engaged. 'I shall find it a pleasant task to put together, though in rough and unfinished style, a memorial of our former slavery and a record of our present happiness.' His intention was to write a history of the Principate from Augustus to Trajan. He began with his own times, and wrote in twelve or fourteen books a full account of the period from Nero's death in 68 a.d. to the death of Domitian in 96 a.d. These were published, probably in successive books, between 106 and 109 a.d. Only the first four and a half books survive to us. They deal with the years 69 and 70, and are known as The Histories. The Annals, which soon followed, dealt with the Julian dynasty after the death of Augustus. Of Augustus' constitution of the principate and of Rome's 'present happiness' under Trajan, Tacitus did not live to write.
![An Essay on the situation, customs, and manners of the ancient Germans. Translated from Tacitus [by G. Shee]. MS. corrections.](https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Publication/35/bc/09/mzi.hiarjgrh.jpg/270x0w.webp)
Explore Tacitus: The Histories, Volumes I and II by Cornelius Tacitus on eBooksStore by Arnlweb. Discover book details, reader ratings, reviews, release information, genres, and related digital books available through the iTunes Store.
This book is part of our growing collection of bestselling eBooks, popular digital reading materials, and trending author releases. Readers can explore similar books, discover new authors, and browse related genres including fiction, romance, mystery, fantasy, business, self-help, educational books, and more.
Our platform helps readers discover highly rated digital books optimized for smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop devices. Browse fast-loading book pages, reader reviews, and popular recommendations from bestselling authors worldwide.