The Place of Book 4 in the Annals

Tacitus: The Rise and Fall of Sejanus (Annals 4)

In this course, Dr Ed Bispham (University of Oxford) explores Book 4 of Tacitus’ Annals. As we move through the course, we think about the position of Book 4 in the Annals as a whole, the structure of the book itself, the character of Sejanus, and the idea of Tacitus as a historian. Does he really write, as he himself claims, ‘sine ira et studio’ (without anger or prejudice’)? What, in his mind, is the purpose of his Annals? And what is the purpose of history as a whole?

The Place of Book 4 in the Annals

In this module, we think about the place of Book 4 within the Annals as a whole, focusing in particular on the book’s role as the central hinge around which the first hexad of books turn. As we move through the module, we talk about the hexadic structure of the Annals, the opening of the fourth book, the presentation of the character of Sejanus, and Tacitus’ reminiscences of his predecessors Thucydides and Sallust.