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Tacitus: Histories Book I

Tacitus: <I>Histories</I> Book I

Tacitus: <I>Histories</I> Book I

Tacitus
Cynthia Damon, Amherst College, Massachusetts
January 2003
Available
Paperback
9780521578226
$47.00
USD
Paperback

    The first historical work by Rome's greatest historian, Tacitus' Histories hold a crucial place in the history of Latin literature. Book I covers the beginning of the infamous 'Year of the Four Emperors' (69 CE), which brought imperial Rome to the brink of destruction after the demise of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Galba, Otho, and Vitellius ride the currents of senatorial politics and military sedition to power, while the survivor Vespasian waits just off-stage. After a distinguished public career during the principates of Vespasian and his sons, Tacitus, in middle age, embarked on a historical narrative recording the seering events of the Rome of his youth. This edition provides a Latin text of Book I, a commentary accessible to students of intermediate level and above, and an introduction discussing historical, literary, and stylistic issues. The chance survival of three parallel accounts permits detailed analysis of Tacitus' selection and stylization of material.

    • The only edition currently available for students
    • Reports in full the parallel accounts by Plutarch, Suetonius and Dio, thereby allowing students to see Tacitus selecting and stylizing his raw material
    • Encourages detailed analysis of Tacitean style

    Reviews & endorsements

    "[Damon] is consistently sensitive to the needs of her audience. I anticipate that students will appreciate using this commentary, which offers just the right mixture of historical, literary and grammatical support. [Damon's] valuable contribution to the Cambridge series should certainly do much to make Histories I enjoyable for Tacitus' latest generation of readers." Bryn Mawr Classical Review

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    Product details

    January 2003
    Paperback
    9780521578226
    340 pages
    203 × 127 × 20 mm
    0.37kg
    1 b/w illus. 3 maps
    Available

    Table of Contents

    • Introduction
    • CORNELI TACITI HISTORIARVM LIBER PRIMVS
    • Commentary
    • Appendices.
    • Tacitus
    • Editor
    • Cynthia Damon , Amherst College, Massachusetts

      Cynthia Damon is Associate Professor of Classics at Amherst College and author of The Mask of the Parasite: A Pathology of Roman Patronage (1997).