This is the endorsed publication from OCR and Bloomsbury for the Latin AS and A-Level (Group 1) prescription of Histories Book I sections 4 (finis Neronis ...) to 7, 12–14, 17–23 and 26, and the A-Level (Group 2) prescription of Histories Book I sections 27–36, 39–44 and 49, giving full Latin text, commentary and vocabulary, with a detailed introduction that also covers the prescribed text to be read in English for A Level. Histories I starts in AD 69, during the civil war after the death of Nero. Tacitus describes the unstable conditions in the Roman Empire, as different generals are elevated by their soldiers to the position of emperor. In the prescribed selection, rebellion and violence break out in the city of Rome, as the Praetorian Guard of the emperor Galba transfer their support to a controversial younger man, Otho. Tacitus vividly portrays the elderly Galba's attempts to maintain order and discipline as power slips from his grasp, while Otho inspires the disorderly soldiers, keeping control only with difficulty over this volatile group of men. Resources are available on the Companion Website www.bloomsbury.com/ocr-editions-2019-2021

This book considers the Roman historian Tacitus’ (c. 55 – c. 120 C.E.) use of the language and narrative techniques of the epic poets, in particular Virgil and Lucan, for his presentation of the Roman civil wars of 68–70 C.E. in the Histories.

Ancient Roman senator and historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus is known throughout Western history as one of the greatest historical writers of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He lived during the first century AD and was the son of a wealthy aristocratic family. Not much is known about his personal life; however, it is clear that both Tacitus and Pliny the Elder were acquaintances and even possibly childhood friends, though there is no substantial evidence to support this. Tacitus studied rhetoric in order to create a career in law and politics. He steadily rose throughout the ranks due to his strong speaking style and oration skills. However, his language skills did not stop with verbal speeches. He was also an accomplished writer who focused on the history of the Roman Empire. He created five works, "The Annals," "The Histories," "The Agricola," "The Germania," and "A Dialogue on Oratory." His works delve deep into the facts as he knew them, rarely ever embellishing history to create a story. He also stayed true to chronological order and laid history out in visible steps. It is also notable that Tacitus knew that his fellow politicians were corrupt; he believed that they gave up their strong voice in order to please a usually corrupt emperor. These five great works are brought together in this collection of "The Complete Works of Tacitus."

The first historical work by Rome's greatest historian, Tacitus' Histories hold a crucial place in the history of Latin literature. Book I covers the beginning of the infamous 'Year of the Four Emperors' (69 CE), which brought imperial Rome to the brink of destruction after the demise of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Galba, Otho, and Vitellius ride the currents of senatorial politics and military sedition to power, while the survivor Vespasian waits just off-stage. After a distinguished public career during the principates of Vespasian and his sons, Tacitus, in middle age, embarked on a historical narrative recording the seering events of the Rome of his youth. This edition provides a Latin text of Book I, a commentary accessible to students of intermediate level and above, and an introduction discussing historical, literary, and stylistic issues. The chance survival of three parallel accounts permits detailed analysis of Tacitus' selection and stylization of material.

This collection is designed to reflect the main trends in scholarship on the Roman historian of the early empire, Tacitus, particularly as they have developed over the last century. Covering the whole of Tacitus' works, it begins with a comprehensive introduction which sets the selected scholarship and Roman author in context.

e emperor Nero is etched into the Western imagination as one of ancient Rome's most infamous villains, and Tacitus' Annals have played a central role in shaping the mainstream historiographical understanding of this flamboyant autocrat. This section of the text plunges us straight into the moral cesspool that Rome had apparently become in the later years of Nero's reign, chronicling the emperor's fledgling stage career including his plans for a grand tour of Greece; his participation in a city-wide orgy climaxing in his publicly consummated 'marriage' to his toy boy Pythagoras; the great fire of AD 64, during which large parts of central Rome went up in flames; and the rising of Nero's 'grotesque' new palace, the so-called 'Golden House', from the ashes of the city. This building project stoked the rumours that the emperor himself was behind the conflagration, and Tacitus goes on to present us with Nero's gruesome efforts to quell these mutterings by scapegoating and executing members of an unpopular new cult then starting to spread through the Roman empire: Christianity. All this contrasts starkly with four chapters focusing on one of Nero's most principled opponents, the Stoic senator Thrasea Paetus, an audacious figure of moral fibre, who courageously refuses to bend to the forces of imperial corruption and hypocrisy. This course book offers a portion of the original Latin text, study aids with vocabulary, and a commentary. Designed to stretch and stimulate readers, Owen's and Gildenhard's incisive commentary will be of particular interest to students of Latin at both A2 and undergraduate level. It extends beyond detailed linguistic analysis and historical background to encourage critical engagement with Tacitus' prose and discussion of the most recent scholarly thought.

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