The Histories

Tacitus, Publius Cornelius (c.56–c.120), translated by Kline, A. S. (contact-email)

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Tacitus’ Histories, chronicle Roman political history from AD 69 to 96, including the chaotic Year of Four Emperors and the subsequent Flavian dynasty. Originally composed around AD 100–110, only parts remain extant and the work terminates at AD 70 with Vespasian’s early rule. Tacitus’ Histories and the earlier Annals collectively encompassed 30 volumes, as noted by Saint Jerome, with surviving texts approximately halving this total. Distinction between the two works varies, but typically 14 volumes are ascribed to Histories and 16 to Annals. Tacitus’s Annals recount the five decades prior, from Tiberius’s accession in AD 14 to Nero’s death in AD 68.

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Kline, A. S.

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