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Cornelius Tacitus
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Histories Kindle Edition

by Tacitus (Author), Alfred John Church (Translator), William Jackson Brodribb (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 out of 5 stars 89
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The Histories is a Roman historical chronicle by Tacitus and it covers the Year of Four Emperors following the downfall of Nero in 68 AD, a year in the history of the Roman Empire in which four emperors ruled in succession: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian. The mode of their accession showed that because imperial power was based on the support of the legions, an emperor could now be chosen not only at Rome, but anywhere in the empire where sufficient legions were amassed. The style of narration is rapid, reflecting the speed of the events. The narrative rhythm leaves no space to slow down or digress. To write effectively in this style, Tacitus had to summarize substantial information from his sources. Along with The Annals, The Histories provide a key source for modern understanding of the history of the Roman Empire during the 1st century AD.
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  1. Print length
    241 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Musaicum Books
  5. Publication date
    November 2, 2018
  6. File size
    1147 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

`plenty here to savour ... Tacitus was not just a fine writer, he was also a senior Roman politician.' Max Davidson, The Daily Telegraph

About the Author

Gaius Cornelius Tacitus (c. AD 56-117) was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works--the Annals and the Histories--examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero, and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors (AD 69). His other writings discuss oratory, Germania, and the life of his father-in-law, Agricola, the Roman general responsible for much of the Roman conquest of Britain. Considered one of the greatest Roman historians, Tacitus lived in what has been called the Silver Age of Latin literature, and he is known for his penetrating insights into the psychology of power politics.



James Adams is one of the world's leading authorities on terrorism and intelligence, and for more than twenty-five years he has specialized in national security. He is also the author of fourteen bestselling books on warfare, with a particular emphasis on covert warfare. A former managing editor of the London Sunday Times and CEO of United Press International, he trained as a journalist in England, where he graduated first in the country. Now living in Southern Oregon, he has narrated numerous audiobooks and earned an AudioFile Earphones Award and two coveted Audie Award for best narration.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07K4X2Z7Y
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Musaicum Books (November 2, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 2, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1147 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 241 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 89

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Cornelius Tacitus

Cornelius Tacitus

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
89 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Marco Antonio Abarca
5.0 out of 5 stars Primary Sources Do Not Get Any Better
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2010
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This is a book that is nearly two thousand years old. It survived the destruction of the Roman Empire and the Dark Ages. "The Histories" survived because it is so well written. While listening to this book, I was often times taken a back by the sheer power of Tacitus' prose. His descriptions of the follies of civil war are as memorable as any of Goya's Caprichos. Tacitus was a master of scorn. "The Histories" vividly personifies Roman characteristics like dignitas and gravitas. If all this were not enough, Blackstone Audio uses a classically trained English actor as the narrator. It was almost like listening to Masterpiece Theater. This is a great book and it is beautifully read. It does not get much better. Highly recommended.
5 people found this helpful
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Michael Finley
4.0 out of 5 stars Tacitus: The Histories
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2013
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It is so handy to have, Tacitus, right in my Kindle for spot reading of his viewpoints on a number of watershed events & persons in Roman history.
4 people found this helpful
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Michael F. Sheehan
5.0 out of 5 stars The Histories, though written two thousand years ago exposes ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2016
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The Histories, though written two thousand years ago exposes the reader to all the intrigue, infamy, courage and the intellect of the time's Patrician nobility. I would liken it to another book " Advise and Consent", complete with all the back room dealings typical of politics.
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Lloyd J. Peasley
3.0 out of 5 stars A "neutral" reading that misses the point
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2009
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Broadly speaking, there are three types of spoken-word readings:
(1) expressive readings that emphasize the right words;
(2) expressive readings that emphasize the wrong words;
(3) "neutral" readings that avoid overt expression and emphasis.

At first glance, (3) may seem the best way to go but this is a mistake because good writing is always a matter of form, structure, emphasis, and - most of all - POINT. Each phrase centres around a central word or words (the point of emphasis) and any undermining of this emphasis only dissipates the necessity, inevitability and meaning of this phrase. Good reading therefore entails a highly developed expressiveness. The phrase is charged with meaning, structure, and point and this is conveyed by emphasizing the right words.

Bad reading, by contrast, emphasizes the wrong words and not only fails to convey the point; it actually destroys the meaning. And the so-called "neutral" reading isn't neutral at all. It may not be as frustrating to listen to as bad reading but it likewise fails to capture the meaning of the writing even if it doesn't actively militate against it. Contrast, point, and expression are bypassed as the "neutral" reader blandly sails through the work - oblivious to the beauty and expressive form of the writing.

James Adams' rendition of "The Histories" falls into this category. Adams has a pleasant voice but seems to have little idea of the many eloquent points Tacitus is making. The rhetoric which is the basis of Roman Literature is almost entirely absent; the antiphonal contrasts at its core are passed over again and again without emphasis. As a mere historical narrative, Adams' light and unemotional reading will serve; as a classic of world literature his reading badly lets the material down.
8 people found this helpful
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feltent
4.0 out of 5 stars Roman History
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2017
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interesting to read the translation.
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postelof
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2017
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Lots of names but otherwise easy to read.
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Jeremiah Pedro
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2016
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Enjoyable read (listen), the Romans were a fascinating people.
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Cerulean
4.0 out of 5 stars Exciting and important history
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2013
Tacitus' The Histories is a narrative account of the history of the Roman Empire in 69-70 AD, the year following the suicide of Nero and the collapse of the first dynasty of post-republic Rome. When I first saw that it was a 300 page history of a one year period, I thought it was going to be boring, and get bogged down in details which I don't particularly care about, but I was completely wrong. In this one year period there were four different emperors, civil wars, intrigues, barbarian rebellions, and general calamity. All of this is recounted in the extremely eloquent prose of Tacitus, who had mastered the latin language and is a treat to read. His speeches, especially, are superb.

What makes the work especially enjoyable is not the flurry of events, but the general flavor of the writing. Instead of the pandering, propaganda-laced accounts seen by many lesser ancient historians, Tacitus takes a rather pessimistic view of both Rome and human nature, pointing out underlying motives and pointing out the follies of both the masses and of the great men of the period. He is extremely astute and fun to read. I only wish so much of his Histories had not been lost to history.

As for the edition, the translation by Kenneth Wellesley that Penguin uses is pretty good. It's definitely an improvement over the older Church translation, though that one isn't necessarily bad.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend giving it a read if you haven't already. If you're interested in understanding the history of the Roman Empire, it's obviously an important read, but even if you're just looking for a good history book to road, it's worth checking out just based on it's enjoyability.
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Chris Robb
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for students of the period
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2020
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If you want to understand the year of the four emperors, then this book is for you. It gives I sights into some of the events and personalities that led to the Flavian dynasty.
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Mr. Brian S. Bramwell
4.0 out of 5 stars ... study of the doings of a few so called great men out of the millions that lived then and ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2014
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Oh yes its slow and steady but remember literary styles of 2000 years ago are not as they are today but always remember history is the study of the doings of a few so called great men out of the millions that lived then and is often only from one persons point of view but none the less interesting as to what actually happened. Its like the histories of such events as world war two its always from the victors point of view.....I have only just made first inroads into this book but as I have said slow & steady does it....thinking about it it must be reasonably good else why would it still be regularly read and used by scholars far more informed than I am.
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DEBBIE CURTIS
5.0 out of 5 stars BUT BETTER ONCEYOU HAVE REED IT AGAIN
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2014
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COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN, BUT BETTER ONCEYOU HAVE REED IT AGAIN, WE ALL KNOW THIS STORY, BUT THE BOOK YOU WILL READ TIME AND TIME AGAIN, AND NOT ENJOY THE FILM ANYMORE
One person found this helpful
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Alex Buck
3.0 out of 5 stars What I have to say here is pretty much identical to what I said of Tacitus's Annals ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2016
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What I have to say here is pretty much identical to what I said of Tacitus's Annals by the same publisher.

Fine for anyone who is looking to just read the Histories, but as a student I found it rather unhelpful, since there is no index and there doesn't seem to be any credit given to a translator that can be referenced in a bibliography. After googling passages of the text it appears to use the same translation as the one that is available for free on perseus.com, but this is a rather old translation and the somewhat archaic English it uses can be a little hard to follow at times. In addition there is no introduction to the text by a modern scholar that is seen seen other versions of the text. All in all this is a very bare bones copy of the text and I would recommend spending a little more for a different version.
One person found this helpful
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nigel
4.0 out of 5 stars the histories tasitus
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2012
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very interested in the roman world so i thought this would enlighten me, quite hard to read with lots of references that you have to look up which is a pain with a kindle but I did enjoy the content.
One person found this helpful
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