Tacitus wrote the Annals as a history of the Roman Empire after the death of Augustus, covering the reigns of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero up to the year 66. He describes the intrigues of the court, the roles of figures like Sejanus, Agrippina, and Seneca, the trials for treason, and military campaigns on the frontiers. His prose is condensed and often bitter about the loss of republican liberty.
Readers of ancient history will find a main source for early imperial Rome, and readers of political writing will find a study of tyranny and flattery. It is best read in sections, with a map and a list of names at hand.
Deep and outward-looking; a demanding read.
Best for readers like The Systems Thinker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1995
- Publisher
- Humanitas
- Language
- RO
