The Annals of Imperial Rome (Penguin Classics)

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Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 937.07 EAN: 9780140440607 ISBN: 0140440607 Label: Penguin Classics Manufacturer: Penguin Classics Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 464 Publication Date: 1956-06-30 Publisher: Penguin Classics Studio: Penguin Classics
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Editorial Reviews: Tacitus' "Annals of Imperial Rome" recount the major historical events from the years shortly before the death of Augustus up to the death of Nero in AD 68. With clarity and vivid intensity he describes the reign of terror under the corrupt Tiberius, the great fire of Rome during the time of Nero, and the wars, poisonings, scandals, conspiracies and murders that were part of imperial life. Despite his claim that the Annals were written objectively, Tacitus' account is sharply critical of the emperors' excesses and fearful for the future of Imperial Rome, while also filled with a longing for its past glories.
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: Tactius Part of the Whole Comment: An excellent piece of work on it's own. However, because it's by an "ancient historian" we should always remember that it needs supplementation by other writers of the time. Customer Rating: Summary: Definitive Primary Source On the History Of Imperial Roman Comment: I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history. It is an indispensable primary source for students of Roman history. On the first page of his Annals of Imperial Rome, Tacitus wrote that Octavian "seduced the army with bonuses, and his cheap food policy was successful bait for civilians." Tacitus' description of Augustus' transformation of Rome from a republic into an empire is most illuminating as well. "Upper-class survivors found that slavish obedience was the way to succeed, both politically and financially. They had profited from the revolution, and so now they liked the security of the existing arrangement better than the dangerous uncertainties of the old regime." Sir Ronald Syme relied heavily on the work of Tacitus for his cogent narrative of Octavian's rise to power as Augustus. Syme's in-depth study of Tacitus' life and work was published in 1958. Tacitus' historical accuracy was doubted for centuries and Syme made a project of re-evaluating the accuracy of his historical writings. Syme believed that Tacitus was in a unique position to write about the birth and early political history of the Imperial period in Rome due to his very active political life. Tacitus had served as a senator, consul, and proconsul of Asia. In addition, he was known to be an excellent orator in his day. In his writings, Syme believed that Tacitus provided excellent accounts of Augustus' rise to power and his career as Rome's first Emperor. Tacitus delved into the machinery of the new government, including Augustus' use of patronage as well as his many thwarted attempts at planning for his own succession. What Syme found was a man that grew very adept politically and whose political maturity rapidly developed at an early age. At eighteen, he was named as heir to Julius Caesar. He grew into the greatest Roman princeps spanning fifty-six years until his death. Augustus knew that to retain power he had to maintain the general consent of the governed. He astutely maintained order not by following the constitution or past precedent, but by using the tremendous resources at his disposal. Augustus kept the plebeians in check making sure they were fed, kept them amused with games, and constantly reminded them that he was protecting them from the oppression of the nobiles. Augustus became the "leader of a large and well organized political party as the source and fount of patronage and advancement." Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history. Customer Rating: Summary: Not the best Roman history Comment: In his introduction, Michael Grant tells us Tacitus ranks among Livy and Caesar as one of the best stylists of Roman histories. Either his translation loses this style or Grant is mistaken. I found the 'Annals' to lack many of the features I have come to love about Roman histories. There is little moral instruction. Reading Livy or Plutarch, you can't help but to marvel at the lives of great men and learn either from their virtues or vices. Tacitus does not dwell on such issues. Instead, his history reads more as a catalog of events. First this conspirator died, then this one, then this one, etc. Tacitus defends himself by saying each person deserves to have his name mentioned -- "let each receive his separate, permanent record." But reading the long list of people killed is like visiting a graveyard, the endless gravestones emitting a feeble sense of transience. Part of the problem may be Tacitus's choice of time period. The bloody and mismanaged era begins with Augustus's death in A.D. 14 and concludes with Nero's 54 years later. This is a time marked by indecency and blood. The emperors, including Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius, are as wasteful as they are licentious. The most complete figure to emerge is Tiberius, who though he avoids Rome because of his debauchery with Roman children comes across as well-spoken and involved in state affairs. Subsequent emperors go no further than stick-figures, their reins filled with internal divisiveness and forced suicides. I would recommend this book to readers who already have some knowledge of Roman history. There are some parts, such as the only mention in pagan Latin of Christ's killer, Pontius Pilate, that will interest readers. But for new readers I would recommend Livy and Plutarch. They are the true stylists of ancient Rome. Customer Rating: Summary: The Beautiful Sarcasm Comment: I read Tacitus for a college humanities course, and although I had to read the entirety of the Annales over two days, it was quite an enjoyable, if daunting, task. The other reviews discuss his historical importance, so I'll limit myself to commenting that his sarcasm and turns of phrase (particularly in this translation) are biting and funny (at least for those of us for whom Nero and the corrupt emperors are not a reality). Plenty of interesting happenings for someone who is not a classics scholar. Customer Rating: Summary: Find a Different Publication of this Book! Comment: This is a monumentally bad translation and Penguin should be ashamed of themselves for having kept publishing it for forty odd years. While Grant's style is quite good, his awful, clashing, illogical translations of familiar Roman terms renders it unreadable. Everyone who has any interest in Roman History (and let's face it, who else would be reading this book?) knows what a legion is. But how many people know what a division is, or a brigade? The same goes for company commanders instead of centurions. This is not only confusing and anachronistic, its simply innaccurate. As far as i'm aware a modern company numbers about 120 men (please let me know if i'm wrong!) whereas a century had only 80. Also to call a Roman legion either a division or a brigade is also innaccurate. A division is made up of several brigades but a full legion is not made up of two or three smaller legions. Grant is just being difficult. Also the index infuriatingly insists on listing people by their correct family names instead of the names by which they are commonly called. Hence, you look up references to Corbulo and find "See Domitius" so you look up Domitius, go to one of the pages mentioned and there you find "Corbulo", repeatedly called Corbulo on every page by Tacitus. Finally, the maps. Penguin Classics maps are generaly bad and these are no different. A one page map of all of Northern Europe with all the various placenames and features squeezed awkwardly in through lack of space, and with no outstanding line to dilineate the roman frontier, then on another page a whole page map of africa with a grand total of SEVEN places mentioned on it. This may all seem picky, but it spoils the whole reading experience. I'm afraid it's symptomatic of Penguin Classics who have been resting on their laurels for far too long. They've been very good at constantly changing the covers and folio size of their books but seem to have no real interest in the CONTENT. ( I have binned my copy and bought a very nice secondhand Dent and Sons edition, with "legions" in it! ) More Reviews