Tacitus Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Life== Details about the personal life of Tacitus are scarce. What little is known comes from scattered hints throughout his work, the letters of his friend and admirer [[Pliny the Younger]], and an inscription found at [[Mylasa]] in [[Caria]].<ref>''[[Orientis Graeci Inscriptionis Selectae|OGIS]]'' 487, first brought to light in ''Bulletin de correspondance hellΓ©nique'', 1890, pp. 621β623</ref> Tacitus was born in 56 or 57 to an [[equestrian (Roman)|equestrian]] family.<ref>Since he was appointed to the quaestorship during Titus's short rule (see [[#note-quaestor|note]] below) and twenty-five was the minimum age for the position, the date of his birth can be fixed with some accuracy.</ref> The place and date of his birth, as well as his [[praenomen]] (first name) are not known. In the letters of [[Sidonius Apollinaris]] his name is ''Gaius'', but in the major surviving manuscript of his work his name is given as ''Publius''.<ref>See Oliver, 1951, for an analysis of the manuscript from which the name Publius is taken; see also Oliver, 1977, which examines the evidence for each suggested praenomen (the well-known ''Gaius'' and ''Publius'', the lesser-known suggestions of ''Sextus'' and ''Quintus'') before settling on ''Publius'' as the most likely.</ref> One scholar's suggestion of the name ''Sextus'' has been largely rejected.<ref>Oliver, 1977, cites an article by [[Harold Mattingly]] in ''Rivista storica dell'AntichitΓ '', 2 (1972) 169β85</ref> ===Family and early life=== Most of the older [[Aristocracy (class)|aristocratic]] families failed to survive the [[proscription]]s which took place at the end of the [[Roman Republic|Republic]], and Tacitus makes it clear that he owed his rank to the [[Flavian dynasty|Flavian]] emperors (''Hist.'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Hist.+1.1 1.1]). The claim that he was descended from a [[freedman]] is derived from a speech in his writings which asserts that many senators and knights were descended from freedmen (''Ann.'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ann.+13.27 13.27]), but this is generally disputed.<ref>Syme, 1958, pp. 612β13; Gordon, 1936, pp. 145β46</ref> In his article on Tacitus in [[Pauly-Wissowa]], I. Borzsak had conjectured that the historian was related to [[Thrasea Paetus]] and Etruscan family of [[Caecinia gens|Caecinii]], about whom he spoke very highly. Furthermore, some later Caecinii bore cognomen Tacitus, which also could indicate some sort of relationship. It had been suggested that the historian's mother was a daughter of [[Aulus Caecina Paetus]], suffect consul of 37, and sister of Arria, wife of Thrasea.{{sfn|Birley|2000|p=231β232}}<ref name=Strachan>[http://www.strachan.dk/family/caecina.htm Caecina]. Strachan stemma.</ref> His father may have been the Cornelius Tacitus who served as [[Promagistrate|procurator]] of [[Belgica]] and [[Germania]]; [[Pliny the Elder]] mentions that Cornelius had a son who aged rapidly ([[Pliny's Natural History|NH]] [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Pliny_the_Elder/7*.html 7.76]), which implies an early death. There is no mention of Tacitus's suffering such a condition, but it is possible that this refers to a brotherβif Cornelius was indeed his father.<ref>Syme, 1958, pp. 60, 613; Gordon, 1936, pg. 149; Martin, 1981, pg. 26</ref> The friendship between the younger Pliny and Tacitus leads some scholars to conclude that they were both the offspring of wealthy provincial families.<ref>Syme, 1958, pg. 63</ref> The province of his birth remains unknown, though various conjectures suggest [[Gallia Belgica]], [[Gallia Narbonensis]], or [[Northern Italy]].<ref>Michael Grant in Introduction to Tacitus, ''The Annals of Imperial Rome'', p. xvii; Herbert W. Benario in Introduction to Tacitus, ''Germany'', pg. 1.</ref> His marriage to the daughter of Narbonensian senator [[Gnaeus Julius Agricola]] implies that he came from Gallia Narbonensis. Tacitus's dedication to [[Lucius Fabius Justus]] in the {{Lang|la|Dialogus}} may indicate a connection with Spain, and his friendship with Pliny suggests origins in northern Italy.<ref>Syme, 1958, pp. 614β16</ref> No evidence exists, however, that Pliny's friends from northern Italy knew Tacitus, nor do Pliny's letters hint that the two men had a common background.<ref>Syme, 1958, pp. 616β19</ref> Pliny Book 9, Letter 23, reports that when asked whether he was Italian or provincial, he gave an unclear answer and so was asked whether he was Tacitus or Pliny. Since Pliny was from Italy, some infer that Tacitus was from the provinces, probably Gallia Narbonensis.<ref>Syme, 1958, pg. 619; Gordon, 1936, pg. 145</ref> His ancestry, his skill in oratory, and his sympathetic depiction of barbarians who resisted Roman rule (e.g., ''Ann.'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ann.+2.9 2.9]) have led some to suggest that he was a [[Celts|Celt]]. This belief stems from the fact that the Celts who had occupied Gaul prior to the Roman invasion were famous for their skill in oratory and had been subjugated by Rome.<ref>Gordon, 1936, pp. 150β51; Syme, 1958, pp. 621β24</ref> ===Public life, marriage, and literary career=== As a young man, Tacitus studied [[rhetoric]] in Rome to prepare for a career in law and politics; like Pliny, he may have studied under [[Quintilian]]<ref>The fact that he studied rhetoric and law is known from the ''Dialogus'', ch. 2; see also Martin, 1981, p. 26; Syme, 1958, pp. 114β115</ref> ({{circa|35 AD}} β {{circa| 100}}). <!--. The precedent is established in 1st paragraph, so BC/AD should be retained throughout ---> In 77 or 78, he married Julia Agricola, daughter of the [[Gnaeus Julius Agricola|famous general Agricola]].<ref>''Agricola'', [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ag.+9 9]</ref> Little is known of their domestic life, save that Tacitus loved [[hunting]] and the outdoors.<ref>Pliny, ''Letters'' [http://www.attalus.org/old/pliny1.html#6 1.6], [http://www.attalus.org/old/pliny9.html#10 9.10]; Benario, 1975, pp. 15, 17; Syme, 1958, pp. 541β42</ref> He started his career (probably the ''[[latus clavus]]'', mark of the senator)<ref>Syme, 1958, pg. 63; Martin, 1981, pp. 26β27</ref> under [[Vespasian]]<ref>([https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Hist.+1.1 1.1])</ref> (r. 69β79), but entered political life as a [[quaestor]] in 81 or 82 under [[Titus]].<ref name=quaestor>He states his debt to Titus in his ''Histories'' ([https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Hist.+1.1 1.1]); since Titus ruled only briefly, these are the only years possible.</ref> He advanced steadily through the ''[[cursus honorum]]'', becoming [[praetor]] in 88 and a [[quindecimviri sacris faciundis|quindecimvir]], a member of the priestly college in charge of the ''[[Sibylline Books]]'' and the [[Saecular Games|Secular Games]].<ref>In the ''Annals'' ([https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ann.+11.11 11.11]), he mentions that, as praetor, he assisted in the Secular Games held by Domitian, which can be precisely dated to 88. See Syme, 1958, pg. 65; Martin, 1981, pg. 27; Benario in his Introduction to Tacitus, ''Germany'', p. 1.</ref> He gained acclaim as a lawyer and as an [[orator]]; his skill in public speaking ironically counterpoints his [[cognomen]], ''Tacitus'' ("silent").{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} He served in the provinces from {{circa| 89}} to {{circa| 93}}, either in command of a [[Roman legion|legion]] or in a civilian post.<ref>The ''Agricola'' ([https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ag.+45 45.5]) indicates that Tacitus and his wife were absent at the time of Julius Agricola's death in 93. For his occupation during this time see Syme, 1958, p. 68; Benario, 1975, p. 13; Dudley, 1968, pp. 15β16; Martin, 1981, p. 28; Mellor, 1993, p. 8</ref> He and his property survived [[Domitian]]'s reign of terror (81β96), but the experience left him jaded and perhaps ashamed at his own complicity, installing in him the hatred of [[tyrant|tyranny]] evident in his works.<ref>For the effects on Tacitus of this experience see Dudley, 1968, pg. 14; Mellor, 1993, pp. 8β9</ref> The ''Agricola'', chs. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ag.+44 44]β[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ag.+45 45], is illustrative: <blockquote>Agricola was spared those later years during which Domitian, leaving now no interval or breathing space of time, but, as it were, with one continuous blow, drained the life-blood of the Commonwealth... It was not long before our hands dragged [[Helvidius Priscus|Helvidius]] to prison, before we gazed on the dying looks of [[Junius Mauricus|Mauricus]] and [[Arulenus Rusticus|Rusticus]], before we were steeped in [[Herennius Senecio|Senecio]]'s innocent blood. Even [[Nero]] turned his eyes away, and did not gaze upon the atrocities which he ordered; with Domitian it was the chief part of our miseries to see and to be seen, to know that our sighs were being recorded...</blockquote> From his seat in the [[Roman Senate|Senate]], he became [[suffect consul]] in 97 during the reign of [[Nerva]], being the [[novus homo|first of his family]] to do so. During his tenure, he reached the height of his fame as an orator when he delivered the funeral oration for the famous veteran soldier [[Lucius Verginius Rufus]].<ref>Pliny, ''Letters'', [http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/Pliny/Pliny02-01-L.html 2.1] [http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/Pliny/Pliny02-01-E.html (English)]; Benario in his Introduction to Tacitus, ''Germany'', pp. 1β2.</ref> In the following year, he wrote and published the ''Agricola'' and ''Germania'', foreshadowing the literary endeavors that would occupy him until his death.<ref>In the ''Agricola'' ([https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ag.+3 3]), he announces what was probably his first major project: the ''Histories''. See Dudley, 1968, pg. 16</ref> Afterward, he absented himself from public life, but returned during [[Trajan]]'s reign (98β117). In 100, he and his friend Pliny the Younger prosecuted {{ill|Marius Priscus|la}} ([[proconsul]] of Africa) for corruption. Priscus was found guilty and sent into exile; Pliny wrote a few days later that Tacitus had spoken "with all the majesty which characterizes his usual style of oratory".<ref>Pliny, ''Letters'' [http://www.attalus.org/old/pliny2.html#11 2.11]</ref> A lengthy absence from politics and law followed while he wrote the ''Histories'' and the ''Annals''. In 112 to 113, he held the highest civilian governorship, that of the Roman province of [[Asia (Roman province)|Asia]] in western [[Anatolia]],<ref name="Hazel 2002 p. 297">{{cite book |last=Hazel |first=J. |title=Who's who in the Roman World |publisher=Routledge |series=Routledge who's who series |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-415-29162-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bfkd6fy_zb8C&pg=PA297 |access-date=28 August 2018 |page=297 |quote=Seniority brought him the governorship of the province of Asia as proconsul in 112β113.}}</ref> recorded in the inscription found at Mylasa mentioned above. A passage in the ''Annals'' fixes 116 as the ''[[terminus post quem]]'' of his death, which may have been as late as 125 or even 130. It seems that he survived both Pliny (died {{circa|113}}) and Trajan (died 117).<ref>Grant in his Introduction to Tacitus, ''Annals'', pg. xvii; Benario in his Introduction to Tacitus, ''Germania'', pg. 2. ''Annals'', [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ann.+2.61 2.61], says that the Roman Empire "now extends to the [[Red Sea]]". If by ''mare rubrum'' he means the [[Persian Gulf]], the passage must have been written after Trajan's eastern conquests in 116, but before [[Hadrian]] abandoned the new territories in 117. But this may only indicate the date of publication for the first books of the ''Annals''; Tacitus could have lived well into Hadrian's reign, and there is no reason to suppose that he did not. See Dudley, 1968, pg. 17; Mellor, 1993, pg. 9; Mendell, 1957, pg. 7; Syme, 1958, pg. 473; against this traditional interpretation, e.g., Goodyear, 1981, pp. 387β93.</ref> It remains unknown whether Tacitus had any children. The ''[[Historia Augusta|Augustan History]]'' reports that Emperor [[Marcus Claudius Tacitus]] (r. 275β276) claimed him for an ancestor and provided for the preservation of his works, but this story may be fraudulent, like much of the ''Augustan History''.<ref>''Augustan History'', [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Tacitus*.html ''Tacitus'' X]. Scholarly opinion on this story is that it is either "a confused and worthless rumor" (Mendell, 1957, pg. 4) or "pure fiction" (Syme, 1958, p. 796). [[Sidonius Apollinaris]] reports (''Letters'', 4.14; cited in Syme, 1958, pg. 796) that [[Polemius]], a 5th-century [[Gallo-Roman]] aristocrat, is descended from Tacitus β but this claim, says Syme (ibid.), is of little value.</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page