The annals of Tacitus

INTRODUCTION ix
sation. For literary history it is impoi'tant to notice that
in his preparation for this book he was training himself as a
historian.
In 100 A.D. Tacitus (along with the younger Pliny) ])rose-
cuted in a famous case,—that of Marius Priscus, jiovernor of
Africa, who was convicted of extortion and violence. Pliny
speaks of the dignity of Tacitus' eloquence.
Under Vespasian and Titus the position of Tacitus was
easy. During Domitian's reign of terror it was much more
difRcidt. He speaks of 'fifteen years—a large slice carved
out of human life—during which in silence and inaction
young men reached old age, and old men their full term of
life' [Agricola 3). This is an exaggeration ; for the reign of
terror, during which people hid themselves and held their
peace, lasted only four or five years ; but it made such an
impression on Tacitus as to colour his memory of the whole
of the reign of Domitian (81-96).
Tacitus regards the Emperors as enemies of the Senate,
which to him is representative of the virtuesof old Rome. He is
exceedingly jealous of imperial encroachments on the Senate's
functions. So keen is he about the old republican regime
that he represents his favourite Trajan as re-establishing the
old constitution. But, as to his own political conduct, Tacitus
walks circumspectly. He does not court death like the Stoic
martyrs. His own point of view is excellently given by the
words he puts in the mouth of Marcellus {Hist, iv 8) :
meminisse quam eiuitatis formam patres auique instituerint
ulteriora mirari, praesentia sequi ; bonos imperatores nolo
expetere, qualescu77ique tolerare; i.e. he is an opportunist.
It appears from an inscription found in Caria that towards
the end of Trajan's reign Tacitus was proconsul of Asia,
113-116 (about)—one of the most important posts in the
Empire. There is no evidence as to the time of his death.
Since he did not write the life of Augustus, or the history of
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