Tacitus, Cornelius, << TAS ih tuhs, kawr NEE lee uhs >> (about A.D. 55-about 120), was one of the world’s greatest historians. His most important works were the Annals, which described Roman history from the death of Augustus to the death of Nero, and the Histories, which covered the emperors from Galba to Domitian. Part of the Annals and all but the first few books of Histories have been lost. Tacitus favored the republican form of government, and his Histories and Annals were extremely critical of the Roman emperors. He condemned them in sharp, unforgettable phrases and overlooked any merits of the imperial system. The Histories and Annals cover periods for which other sources are scanty. Another work, Germania, is important because it contains one of the first written accounts of the customs and habits of the Germanic peoples, who later spread over most of western Europe. He also wrote Life of Agricola and Dialogue on Orators.
Tacitus was probably born in northern Italy. He led an active public life and was consul (chief magistrate) in A.D. 97. He served as governor of the Roman province of Asia in 112 and 113.
