Annals
“Tacitus writes a warning to the powerful that history will judge them. He himself is critical, even savagely judgmental, in his second-century history of the four Roman emperors who followed Augustus. (Only parts of it survive.) Narrator David Timson captures the author’s frequent scorn and disgust; he reads many quotations in a mocking voice. His pronunciation is flawless…Timson’s energy helps engage the listener and hold their attention. His clarity and skill deliver a commendable program.”
AudioFile
Beginning at the end of Augustus’ reign, Tacitus’ Annals examines the rules of the Roman emperors from Tiberius to Nero, though Caligula’s books are lost to us. Their dramas and scandals are brought fully under the spotlight, as Tacitus presents a catalogue of their murders, atrocities, sexual improprieties, and other vices in no unsparing terms. Debauched, cruel and paranoid, they are portrayed as being on the verge of madness. Their wars and battles, such as the war with the Parthians, are also described with the same scrutinizing intensity.
Tacitus' last major historical work, the Annals is an extraordinary glimpse into the pleasures and perils of a Roman leader and is considered by many to be a masterpiece.
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