The Annals Of Tacitus: Volume 1, Annals 1.1-54 (cambridge Classical Texts And Commentaries) (v. 1)

The first in a four-volume edition of Tacitus Annals 1-6. The Annals are Tacitus' brilliant account of Roman imperial history from the death of Augustus to the death of Nero. Books 1-6 describe the reign of Tiberius. Professor Goodyear's introduction to the series deals concisely with the background to the Annals. He outlines the history of Tacitean scholarship to the present day and shows how Tacitus' historical judgements were sometimes distorted by his preoccupations with style and with the moral function of historical writing. The commentary attends equally to literary, historical and textual questions. There are several appendixes on topics of more specialized interest. The Annals of Tacitus, which chronicle the years AD 14–68, are arguably the greatest work of the greatest Roman historian. Book 3 covers the years AD 20–22, a period including the trial of Calpurnius Piso for treason and the alleged murder of Germanicus. Throughout the volume attention is paid to literary matters, and textual, linguistic and historical issues are treated fully. v. 1. Annals 1. 1-54. v. 2. Annals 1. 55-81 and Annals 2.