Introduction: Tacitus and his Annals

Tacitus: The Accession of Tiberius (Annals 1)

In this course we explore Book 1 of Tacitus’ Annals, in which Tacitus describes the death of Augustus, the accession of Tiberius and the mutinies of the army in Pannonia and Germania. We consider not just what happened in those years, but especially how Tacitus presents and analyses it – and what sort of interpretations he might be inviting us to make.

Translations:
- A. J. Woodman (trans.), Tacitus, The Annals. Translated with Introduction and Notes. (Indianapolis and Cambridge: Hackett, 2004)
- J. C. Yardley (trans.), Tacitus. The Annals: The Reigns of Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. With introduction and notes by Anthony A. Barrett (Oxford World Classics, 2008)

Commentary:
- Norma Miller (ed.), Tacitus: Annals I: Bk 1 (1959, republished 1992)

Further Reading:
- Rhiannon Ash, Tacitus ( Ancients in Action) (2006)
- A. Woodman (ed.), Cambridge Companion to Tacitus (2009)

Introduction: Tacitus and his Annals

In this module, we introduce Tacitus, his Annals and especially the first book.