Tacitus Publius Cornelius
The greatest of Roman historians, Tacitus wrote the Annals and Histories covering the early imperial period with savage irony and psychological penetration. His portraits of Tiberius, Nero, and Domitian are unsurpassed character studies. His style—compressed, epigrammatic—influenced Machiavelli and Montaigne.
Works
- AnnalsNarrative history of Roman emperors from Tiberius through early empire
- HistoriesHistorical accounts of Roman military campaigns and events during the empire
- AgricolaBiography of Roman general and governor praising his military achievements and virtue
- GermaniaEthnographic description of Germanic tribes and their customs and society
- A Dialogue on OratoryDialogue examining the decline of oratory and rhetorical education in Rome
- Dialogus de OratoribusDialogue examining the decline of oratory and rhetorical education in Rome