Annals - Tacitus

The paramount historian of the early Roman empire.Tacitus (Cornelius), famous Roman historian, was born in AD 55, 56 or 57
and lived to about 120. He became an orator, married in 77 a daughter
of Julius Agricola before Agricola went to Britain, was quaestor in 81
or 82, a senator under the Flavian emperors, and a praetor in 88. After
four years' absence he experienced the terrors of Emperor Domitian's
last years and turned to historical writing. He was a consul in 97.
Close friend of the younger Pliny, with him he successfully prosecuted
Marius Priscus.
Works: (i) Life and Character of Agricola, written in 97-98, specially interesting because of Agricola's career in Britain. (ii) Germania
(98-99), an equally important description of the geography,
anthropology, products, institutions, and social life and the tribes of
the Germans as known to the Romans. (iii) Dialogue on Oratory (Dialogus), of unknown date; a lively conversation about the decline of oratory and education. (iv) Histories
(probably issued in parts from 105 onwards), a great work originally
consisting of at least twelve books covering the period AD 69-96, but
only Books 1-4 and part of Book 5 survive, dealing in detail with the
dramatic years 69-70. (v) Annals, Tacitus's other great work,
originally covering the period AD 14-68 (Emperors Tiberius, Gaius,
Claudius, Nero) and published between 115 and about 120. Of sixteen
books at least, there survive Books 1-4 (covering the years 14-28); a
bit of Book 5 and all Book 6 (31-37); part of Book 11 (from 47); Books
12-15 and part of Book 16 (to 66).
Tacitus is renowned for his
development of a pregnant concise style, character study, and
psychological analysis, and for the often terrible story which he
brilliantly tells. As a historian of the early Roman empire he is
paramount.
The Loeb Classical Library edition of Tacitus is in five volumes.