Publius Cornelius Tacitus

Dialogues on Oratory (Illustrated) Publius Cornelius Tacitus

Publius Cornelius Tacitus (56 AD - 117 AD) was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving fragments of his two major works-the Annals and the Histories-chronicle the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. Besides being a historian, Tacitus had a successful political career, becoming senator, consul, and even governor of the Roman province of Asia. From his writings we can discern that he was unhappy with the status quo, lamenting the previous century's diminution of aristocracy's role since the power had been usurped by the prince- 'emperor.' Tacitus followed the Greco-Roman historians whose purpose -besides the recording of historical facts- was to teach rhetoric, and with it morals and ethics for the generations to come.