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Secondary sourceBookc. AD 116 or later

Annals

Tacitus · c. AD 116 or later

Tacitus's history of the early Roman Empire opens with the death of Augustus, offering a sharply critical verdict on his rule as monarchy disguised as peace.

Contains Tacitus' detailed account of Seneca's forced suicide, the main historical record of his death.

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Scanned page of an early printed book, with a running heading reading 'C. Taciti de divo Claudio Caesare liber quintus' in capitals and dense black-letter Latin text in two columns of prose. Library stamps and a handwritten shelf mark appear at the top and on the page.
Tacitus, Annals, incipit page of an early printed edition (editio princeps of books XI–XVI).

About this source

What it is

The Annals is a history of the Roman Empire written by the senator and historian Tacitus, covering the years from the death of Augustus onward. Of the sixteen original books, roughly half survive today. The image shown is a page from an early printed edition of the text, not the original manuscript.

Why it matters

Tacitus opens his history by judging Augustus's rise to sole power, arguing that Augustus brought peace after civil war but also ended the political freedom the Senate once enjoyed. Written almost a century after Augustus's death, it is one of the most influential ancient critiques of the principate as monarchy in disguise.

Look closer

  • Why might a Roman senator like Tacitus be suspicious of one-man rule, even one that brought peace?
  • What does the choice to begin the whole history right at Augustus's death tell you about how Tacitus saw his importance?
  • How might Tacitus's sources (and his own political career) have shaped his judgement?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Seneca on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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