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The Complete Tacitus Anthology: The Histories, The Annals, Germania, Agricola, A Dialogue on Oratory (Illustrated) (Texts From Ancient Rome Book 6) Kindle Edition

by Publius Cornelius Tacitus (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 103 ratings
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Publius Cornelius Tacitus (AD56 - AD117) was a Roman orator, lawyer and senator. He is considered one of antiquities greatest historians. The surviving portions of his major works - "The Histories" and "The Annals" - examine the reigns of the Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the "Year of the Four Emperors". These two works cover the span of history from the death of Augustus in AD14 to the death of Domitian in 96AD - although much of the later material is lost to history.

The other texts in this Anthology are "Germania", covering the customs and culture of the German people, "Agricola", covering the life of the Tacitus' father-in-law, the general of that name and his campaign in Britannia, and a lesser-known dialogue on the nature of oratory.

This unexpurgated anthology has been compiled and optimised for e-readers. It includes an active table of contents for ease of navigation, and features unique illustrations as frontispieces for the individual books in the anthology.
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  1. Book 4 of 10
    Texts From Ancient Rome
  2. Print length
    806 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    September 24, 2012
  6. File size
    2533 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B009GHWZI8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ www.Bybliotech.org; 1st edition (September 24, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 24, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2533 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 806 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 103 ratings

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
103 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ted d'Afflisio
5.0 out of 5 stars Tacitus
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2013
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Though reading this on a Kindle isn't always the easiest. The only thing missing was a good map so you could locate in your mind the places in which the action takes place, Thankfully the footnotes in the Annals give you modern names for the rivers so you start to haver a better sense of place.

But what is timeless here are his observations on human nature, power, politics that have as much force today as they must have had in his own time. He is a very keen observer, reading between the lines of text that he used to create his own text. Anyone studying international politics today would do well to look back at this "dead" world and find that the same ambitions exist, the same spirit, and how different is Al-Assad from Livia, numbers for certain, he gasses thousands to the few she poisoned but both with the same intent.

One could go on and on but this is particularly useful for the American who can watch as a Republic of laws is slowly subverted into an empire even with the emperors Augustus and Tiberius playing their role as merely instruments of the Republic that had ceased to exist. The Annals should be required reading as it was when I attended university along with Thucydides for anyone studying politics.

I was tempted to reread and copy out his observations amid the historical events and see them as Tacitus on the Human/Political condition.
20 people found this helpful
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Maria Lourdes Barcelon Locsin
5.0 out of 5 stars Great writer, great translation
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2013
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I read Tacitus before in the Brodrib (?) translation, is this the same one? But that one had the Latin expression "arcana imperii", the secret of empire is out: an emperor can be made elsewhere than in Rome.' I invoked that after the army revolted and the people went out in the streets. The army wanted our candidate, Cory Aquino, to be sworn in the rebel army camp. I said No, arcana imperii--she swears her oath in the camp, the camp will feel entitled to depose her. They tried in any case but she took her oath of office in a country club instead, rather fitting for a daughter of sugar planters. Now I am confused. This translation skips the Latin phrase and the rest sounds like the old translation I read which I found very beautiful. Well this translation is if possible even more fluid while still as elegant. Or I am imagining it. We are advised by fine writers like Maugham and others greater to clean our minds, like washing out our palates before new wine, before getting down to our own writing by reading fine prose; my preference Macaulay, Gibbon, Lincoln and a lst person translation of Gallic Wars in an old limited edition. Now I will add this. Such fine writing. Who is the translator?
3 people found this helpful
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W. H. Douglas
4.0 out of 5 stars This Trilogy is a good source on this subject
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2017
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I got this because I wanted to check Agricola's conquest of Britain - especially has threatened invasion of Ulster with a fleet in the Solway Firth. This is very likely if you have ever stood on the North Antrim coast and looked across the Straits of Moyle (North Channel) to Argyle (Ear Gael - Scots Gaelic) , and remembered the ability of the Roman Fleet the sail around Britain and prove it was an Island!
Alas, vindictive Domitian recalled Agricola at the height his fame, to Rome to clip his wings. This Trilogy is a good source on this subject, because Tacitus was Agricola's son-in-law and no doubt had the inside story.
One person found this helpful
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drdon
5.0 out of 5 stars It's like a 2000 year old gossip column
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2013
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The plus is that this edition works very well with both the Kindle Fire and the Kindle Touch that I have. I recommend it as insightful to the thinking of both Tacitus and the Roman public so long ago. This does not, however, sound like we expect a history to sound with research supported by verified quotes. I'm not complaining as Tacitus wrote in a very different time and different culture, but it still comes off a bit more like a gossip column as Tacitus relates tale after tale that comes off like the latest topic being the talk of the town. Some of the speeches he gives are, as he freely admits, a guess on his part as to what was actually said. In fact, Tacitus' recounting of his patchwork version of the history of the Jews makes me wonder about the accuracy of the rest of his work. So, it's insightful into what a Roman author thought would sell, but while it's part of the little original work that we have left from that period, I doubt that Tacitus gives us a very factual account of what happened. I give it five stars because it works well in this electronic edition.
2 people found this helpful
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therover
5.0 out of 5 stars A thorough look into ancient Rome.
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2020
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These writings are very detailed as to who and what happened in the ancient days of an empire where little is known from our schooling. Some names are familiar, but most are not. We read through each chapter and find a reference that clicks to a remembrance from some history class in our past. I would recommend these books to anyone who has an interest in learning more about ancient Roman culture and history.
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JR
2.0 out of 5 stars Crusty, obtuse translation makes for unnecessarily difficult reading.
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2017
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I've been soldiering along with this book and should finish it within a few weeks. The problem for me is the translation. Perhaps it is a genuine reflection of the Latin, but it is difficult to follow the narrative. For example, Tacitus will be discussing three persons in one sentence, then in the next talks about what "he" did. But it is not obvious to me to which "he" Tacitus refers. Sometimes I can puzzle it out in the context to the next few sentences, other times I just give up and keep on reading. I never had this problem with the Penguin or Oxford versions of Livy.

I returned to Amazon to see if perhaps a better translation was available in hard copy, but as best I can tell, the Kindle version fails to name the translator, so I might get stuck all over again.
7 people found this helpful
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Herklaas S
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2013
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It is really surprising how little has changed in human lief and especially in the attitude of the high and mighty rulers, even of today. It is a revealing book written by a very perceptive person. He would have little other comment to be made on current affairs amongst man.
I recommend this book to all who wish to know more about what Roman principles their culture inherited. And why certain democratic principles have been tested and found to be less than perfect.
It illustrates that dictators and other forms of government all wrecked on people's hunger for power and money.
Before and in Tacitus' day up to today.
8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

joseph
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Australia on June 6, 2018
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Excellent history however needs to be read with other research.
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Conrad Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars The Complete works....enthralling stuff!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2013
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Tacitus is the most readable of the Roman classical writers. His works don't read like a history book, they read like stories from a time so packed with familiar names and events, that you feel like you belong there. His works are well published and well read but not in this complete format. The Annals are my favourite works but slotted into the complete works, it's surrounded by enthralling historical events of equal standing. Complete, unabridged as it should be!
One person found this helpful
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C LAURENS
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 19, 2015
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Good book if you want to know all about and understand much of Roman History
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adamsson
3.0 out of 5 stars Taciturn
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2013
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Inclined to silence reserved in speech. Having read some the book I can see where the expression came from the Romans had a very dry writing style that is hard to get into.

But this book is not just for classical scholars it can be dipped in and out of as is informative on Roman history written by someone who was there.
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Alice Ross
2.0 out of 5 stars A non-classics layout
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 1, 2013
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gnored how classics readers expect to read their classics for they do not include the chapter indications that are found in all classical volumes. The one exception is the reproduced Loeb edition of the Rolfe translation with corresponding Latin contained therein, which is buried within this huge volume.

Kindle may be great to read a novel, you just skim along to the end, but not if you are reading classics with a purpose in mind. By the way I am grad student writing a dissertation and I thought this volume on convenient kindle would solve my research problems on a parallel device to my laptop and to holding yet another book in my hands.
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