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Was Tacitus alive when Jesus was?
Although the majority of scholars consider it to be genuine, some scholars question the value of the passage given that Tacitus was born 25 years after Jesus' death.
Who was Tacitus and what did he write?
Tacitus was a Roman senator, who wrote the Annals in the early second century AD, during the reigns of Trajan (AD 98-117) and Hadrian (AD 117-138).
Who came after Tacitus?
FlorianDuring his brief reign Tacitus was engaged in continual warfare with hostile tribes in the Eastern Empire. It is uncertain whether he was murdered by his soldiers or died of disease. His successor was his half brother, Florian, who ruled for three months before being killed by his soldiers.
Who says the history of Tacitus will be immortal?
Tacitus's contemporaries were well-acquainted with his work; Pliny the Younger, one of his first admirers, congratulated him for his better-than-usual precision and predicted that his Histories would be immortal: only a third of his known work has survived and then through a very tenuous textual tradition; we depend on ...
How do you pronounce Tacitus?
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Was Tacitus real?
Tacitus was a Roman orator and public official. He is widely regarded to have been among the most important Roman historians and to have been one of the greatest prose stylists who wrote in the Latin language.
Who ruled Rome when Jesus died?
TiberiusAccording to the Gospels, Jesus of Nazareth preached and was executed during the reign of Tiberius, by the authority of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judaea province.
What is the meaning of Tacitus?
tacitus (feminine tacita, neuter tacitum); first/second-declension participle. (pass.) that is passed over in silence, not spoken of, kept secret, unmentioned. that is done without words, assumed as a matter of course, silent, implied, tacit.
Who ruled Rome during Jesus time?
Caesar AugustusCaesar Augustus, the first emperor in the ancient Roman Empire, was ruling when Jesus Christ was born.
How trustworthy is Tacitus?
Tacitus' historical writings are generally considered some of the most reliable sources for contemporary Roman history, although the accuracy of some information has been called into question. His lack of sympathy for Jews and Christians should alert us to his Roman biases in general.
How many books did Tacitus write?
AnnalsHistoriesGermaniaAgricolaThe works of Tacitus1658Tacitus: Annals Book XVTacitus/Books
How did Tacitus feel about Nero?
Tacitus was a fierce critic of Nero, and modern scholars have questioned the reliability of his account of this notorious Roman Emperor; but the following passage from his Annals is famous because it is one of the first mentions in a non-Christian source of Christianity.
Why did Tacitus write history?
Instead, he started looking back further. The result was a collection called the Annals, 16-18 books that covered Roman history all the way from 14-68 CE. Tacitus' purpose in writing this was to examine the decline of political freedom in Rome over the last century.
When did Tacitus write the Histories?
Histories (Latin: Historiae) is a Roman historical chronicle by Tacitus. Written c. 100–110, it covers c. 69–96, a period which includes the Year of Four Emperors following the downfall of Nero, as well as the period between the rise of the Flavian dynasty under Vespasian and the death of Domitian.
What did Tacitus write about Augustus?
In his Annals Tacitus devotes himself to censuring Augustus through indirectly revealing the flaws inherent in the principate system which Augustus instituted.
Where did Tacitus get his information from?
Sources of Tacitus. For the period from Augustus to Vespasian, Tacitus was able to draw upon earlier histories that contained material from the public records, official reports, and contemporary comment.
What is Tacitus famous for?
Tacitus was a Roman orator and public official. He is widely regarded to have been among the most important Roman historians and to have been one o...
When was Tacitus born?
Roman historian Tacitus was born circa 56 CE, perhaps in northern Italy (Cisalpine Gaul) or, more probably, in southern Gaul (Gallia Narbonensis, o...
When did Tacitus write Germania?
Germania, describing the Germanic tribes at the Roman frontier on the Rhine, was written by Roman historian Tacitus in 98 CE.
Who was the historian of Rome before Tacitus?
There were historians of imperial Rome before Tacitus, notably Aufidius Bassus, who recorded events from the rise of Augustus to the reign of Claudius, and Pliny the Elder, who continued this work ( a fine Aufidii Bassi) to the time of Vespasian.
What did Tacitus study?
In any event he grew up in comfortable circumstances, enjoyed a good education, and found the way open to a public career. Tacitus studied rhetoric, which provided a general literary education including the practice of prose composition. This training was a systematic preparation for administrative office.
What is the name of the book that Tacitus wrote?
In 98 Tacitus wrote two works: De vita Julii Agricolae and De origine et situ Germanorum (the Germania ), both reflecting his personal interests. The Agricola is a biographical account of his father-in-law’s career, with special reference to the governorship of Britain (78–84) and the later years under Domitian.
What does Tacitus compare to poetry?
Tacitus compares oratory with poetry as a way of literary life, marking the decline of oratory in public affairs: the Roman Republic had given scope for true eloquence; the empire limited its inspiration. The work reflects his mood at the time he turned from oratory to history.
What does Tacitus emphasize in his writing?
Tacitus emphasizes the simple virtue as well as the primitive vices of the Germanic tribes, in contrast to the moral laxity of contemporary Rome, and the threat that these tribes, if they acted together, could present to Roman Gaul. Here his writing goes beyond geography to political ethnography.
Who was the Roman orator?
Tacitus was a Roman orator and public official. He is widely regarded to have been among the most important Roman historians and to have been one of the greatest prose stylists who wrote in the Latin language .
Who was the governor of Britain in 77?
Agricola had risen in the imperial service to the consulship, in 77 or 78, and he would later enhance his reputation as governor of Britain. Tacitus appears to have made his own mark socially and was making much progress toward public distinction; he would obviously benefit from Agricola ’s political connections.
How long after Jesus' death was Tacitus born?
Although the majority of scholars consider it to be genuine, some scholars question the value of the passage given that Tacitus was born 25 years after Jesus' death.
What is the significance of the passage of Tacitus?
James D. G. Dunn considers the passage as useful in establishing facts about early Christians, e.g. that there was a sizable number of Christians in Rome around AD 60. Dunn states that Tacitus seems to be under the impression that Christians were some form of Judaism, although distinguished from them.
Why did Tacitus use the term "procurator"?
Various theories have been put forward to explain why Tacitus should use the term "procurator" when the archaeological evidence indicates that Pilate was a prefect. Jerry Vardaman theorizes that Pilate's title was changed during his stay in Judea and that the Pilate Stone dates from the early years of his administration. Baruch Lifshitz postulates that the inscription would originally have mentioned the title of "procurator" along with "prefect". L.A. Yelnitsky argues that the use of "procurator" in Annals 15.44.3 is a Christian interpolation. S.G.F. Brandon suggests that there is no real difference between the two ranks. John Dominic Crossan states that Tacitus "retrojected" the title procurator which was in use at the time of Claudius back onto Pilate who was called prefect in his own time. Bruce Chilton and Craig Evans as well as Van Voorst state that Tacitus apparently used the title procurator because it was more common at the time of his writing and that this variation in the use of the title should not be taken as evidence to doubt the correctness of the information Tacitus provides. Warren Carter states that, as the term "prefect" has a military connotation, while "procurator" is civilian, the use of either term may be appropriate for governors who have a range of military, administrative and fiscal responsibilities.
Why did Tacitus use Christus after the word "Christ"?
Adolf von Harnack argued that Chrestians was the original wording, and that Tacitus deliberately used Christus immediately after it to show his own superior knowledge compared to the population at large. Robert Renehan has stated that it was natural for a Roman to mix the two words that sounded the same, that Chrestianos was the original word in the Annals and not an error by a scribe. Van Voorst has stated that it was unlikely for Tacitus himself to refer to Christians as Chrestianos i.e. "useful ones" given that he also referred to them as "hated for their shameful acts". Eddy and Boyd see no major impact on the authenticity of the passage or its meaning regardless of the use of either term by Tacitus.
How old was Tacitus when he wrote the account of the Great Fire of Rome?
Tacitus was about seven years old at the time of the Great Fire of Rome, and like other Romans as he grew up he would have most likely heard about the fire that destroyed most of the city, and Nero's accusations against Christians. When Tacitus wrote his account, he was the governor of the province of Asia, and as a member of the inner circle in Rome he would have known of the official position with respect to the fire and the Christians.
What was Pilate's rank?
Pilate's rank while he was governor of Judaea appeared in a Latin inscription on the Pilate Stone which called him a prefect, while this Tacitean passage calls him a procurator. Josephus refers to Pilate with the generic Greek term ἡγεμών ( hēgemṓn ), or governor. Tacitus records that Claudius was the ruler who gave procurators governing power. After Herod Agrippa 's death in AD 44, when Judea reverted to direct Roman rule, Claudius gave procurators control over Judea.
Where are the Annals of Tacitus?
No original manuscripts of the Annals exist and the surviving copies of Tacitus' works derive from two principal manuscripts, known as the Medicean manuscripts, written in Latin, which are held in the Laurentian Library in Florence, Italy.
How many instances does Tacitus use?
In the Histories there are sixty-eight instances in which Tacitus indicates either a recorded statement or a belief on someone’s part with regard to something which he himself is unwilling to assert as a fact; in other words, he cites divergent authority for some fact or motive ….
How did Tacitus get his information about Christus?
Several Mythicists who accept the authenticity of all or at least part of the passage claim that Tacitus probably got his information about “Christus” and/or the Christians from his friend Pliny the Younger. It is not clear exactly when the Annals was written, but it is likely to have been either around the time Tacitus was proconsul of Asia (c. 112-13) or a few years after his return to Rome. Pliny was governor of nearby Bithynia-Pontus at around the same time and we know from his surviving letter to the emperor Trajan from this period (see below) that he tried and executed some Christians there. So, it is argued, who better for Tacitus to consult about Christians and their origins. This is a strange argument, since it is hard to see why the governor of one eastern province would need to consult the governor of another on the subject of Christians when it is very likely there were as many if not more Christians in Tacitus’ province as there were in Pliny’s. Both Pliny and Tacitus refer to Christianity as a “superstition” (Tacitus: exitiabilis superstitio – “the destructive superstition”; Pliny: superstitionem pravam and superstitionis istius contagio – “a depraved superstition” and “a contagious superstition”), but that is precisely the term we would expect pious Roman aristocrats to use about a novel cult. Neither Pliny nor Tacitus uses the name “Jesus” and both refer to the focus and founder of the sect as “Christus”, but this seems to have been the most common way he was referred to by both believers and unbelievers. So the idea that Tacitus consulted Pliny is, like the idea he used documentary sources, at least possible, but also too conjectural to be judged likely.
Why is the manuscript record of Tacitus so fragmentary?
And contrary to Carrier’s claim, most Tacitus scholars agree that we have such a paltry and fragmentary manuscript record for Tacitus precisely because Tacitus was not popular in the Middle Ages, probably because of the scornful and disparaging way the Annals XV.44 passage speaks of Jesus and Christianity.
When did Pilatus rule Judea?
Since Pilatus governed Judea from 26-37 AD, the Tacitus reference gives us a clear window on when Jesus existed. So the naive attempt at dismissing this as merely a reference to Christians simply does not work: it is a reference to Jesus as a historical person and it gives some details about him.
Did Tacitus consult many sources?
As noted above, we do know that Tacitus consulted many sources and was, by ancient standards, a rigorous and sceptical analyst of them. C.W Mendell highlights the way Tacitus handles his sources with due care:
Did Tacitus footnote his sources?
Unlike modern historians, ancient ones did not footnote their sources or even consistently or regularly note where they received their information. Tacitus is of a type in this respect, though when he does refer to his sources it is clear, first of all, that he researched his work carefully and, secondly, he was a judicious and often sceptical analyst. To begin with, he made his distaste for merely accepting hearsay very clear:
Who followed the Chrestus?
The first obvious problem with this is that it rests on the supposition that there was such a sect as the “Chrestians” who followed the “Chrestus” mentioned in Suetonius. Given that there is no mention of any such sect elsewhere, this is a highly speculative basis for this reading of the Tacitus passage.
What happened to Rome in 64?
On 19-27 July 64, Rome was destroyed by a great fire : only four of its fourteen quarters remained intact. The emperor Nero was blamed by the Roman populace, and in turn blamed the Christians. The Roman historian Tacitus explains what happened. The translator of Annals, 15.44 is not known.
When was Rome destroyed?
Rome was destroyed by fire in July 64; Tacitus' story suggests that the Christians were killed in the same summer. An early Christian tradition adds some details, such as the decapitation of Paul and the crucifixion of Peter.
What did Nero do to get rid of the report?
Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called "Chrestians" by the populace.
Where were the first Christians in Rome?
(The ways of Judaism and Christianity parted later.) One of the Jewish quarters in Rome was just east of the Circus, near the Capena Gate. It is described by the Roman author Juvenal as a slum area:
Who said they were covered with the skins of beasts and torn by dogs?
Tacitus' remark that "they were covered with the skins of beasts and torn by dogs" suggests that several Christians were the unwilling actors in a mythological tableau vivant: the death of Actaeon, a legendary hunter who was devoured by his own dogs.
Where did Tacitus get his information of Jesus?
Where did Tacitus get his information of Jesus? There is really no way to tell. Ancient historians generally felt no obligation to reveal their sources. (Dudley [Dud.Tac, 28] writes in this regard: "...an ancient historian was under no obligation to give his sources in detail, nor even to mention them at all," and Grant [Gran.Tac, 20] adds that "systematic, careful references are a modern invention.")
How many instances does Tacitus use in the Annals?
In the Annals, the work with the paragraph on Jesus, Mendell cites 30 instances where Tacitus uses specific phrases "to substantiate a statement or to present a statement for which he does not care to vouch" [ibid., 205]. Mendell also notes that "In Books 11-16 of the Annals (the Jesus cite is in 15) Tacitus "concerns himself with the evidence and source references to a greater extent than in the earlier books." He relies on other historians, a bronze inscription (11.14), reports or memoirs (15.16), personal testimonies (15.73), and physical evidence (15.42). There are indications of searches for first-hand (15.41) and written (12.67, 13.17) evidence [Mende.Tac, 207]. Thus, the cite on Jesus comes in the middle of one of Tacitus' most carefully-documented works.
What is the Tacitean literature?
The Tacitean literature is full of praise for the accuracy, care, critical capability, and trustworthiness of the work of Tacitus, and it is singularly unfortunate that many writers in this subject area have failed to appreciate this! Let's look at a number of quotes from scholars in the Tacitean camp:
Why did Spinoza like Tacitus?
Indeed, the Tacitean polemic against Christianity is so strong that it was one of two things Tacitus was condemned for in the sixteenth century - the other being that he wrote in bad Latin [Dor.Tac, 149], and it is even said that Spinoza liked Tacitus because of his anti-Jewish and anti-Christian bias [Momig.CFou, 126].
Why does Tacitus not use Pliny's quotes as positive evidence?
In reporting a conspiracy of Piso to assassinate Nero, Tacitus acknowledges the difficulty of accurate knowledge of such conspiracies, indicates where his knowledge is uncertain, and does not use even one of Pliny's quotes as positive evidence because he considers it to be "wholly absurd" (15.53) [ibid., 209].
Why did Tacitus send his works to Pliny?
Tacitius sent his works to Pliny for criticism, and "he himself begged for the product of Pliny's pen" [Mende.Tac, 15]. Tacitus also "turned to Pliny for first-hand material for his Histories" [ibid., 21], so he was not hesitant to use Pliny as a source.
What was the cause of the investigation in Rome?
95 A.D. Emperor Domitian's niece Domitilla, and her husband Flavius Clemens, were accused of "atheism," related to "being carried away into Jewish customs." Judaism of course was a recognized religion, so it is quite likely that the "Jewish custom" referred to is Christianity [Benk.PagRo, 15-16]. Here, then, was a perfect motive for Tacitus to investigate the movement historically. Some of Rome's highest-placed people seem to have joined the movement.
Who edited the Annals of Tacitus?
Tacitus. The Annals. InThe Great Books of the Western World, edited by Mortimer Adler, translated by A.J. Church and W. J. Brodribb, 14:168. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1990.
Who was the Roman historian who published his Annalsin?
Tacitus was a famous Roman historian and senator who published his Annalsin 109 A.D. This reference comes in a section in which he is describing the great fire that burned Rome in 64 A.D., which Emperor Nero blamed on the Christians to deflect the blame from himself:
What does it mean to separate the original and earliest manuscript?
Now, there is this idea out there, perpetuated by some, that lengthy separation between the original writing and earliest surviving manuscript means that a text is somehow automatically untrustworthy and corrupt. First, if we make this assumption, we must throw out most of what we know about ancient history and declare it unknowable — because this lengthy separation exists for the vast majority of sources. Second, this belief also assumes that those that copied ancient texts were involved in some vast and mischievous conspiracy to intentionally alter texts. This is ridiculous. Of course, copiers did make errors, and at times some did intentionally alter texts. But the logical assumption has to be that most texts were copied because the copier wanted an accurate copy of that text — not that these copiers wanted to deceive future readers. Lastly, the field of textual criticism exists to sort through any textual issues that may exist. Scholars do this by meticulously comparing manuscripts so that we can have high levels of confidence in our ancient sources.
Is Tacitus a Roman?
This quotation establishes much. First, Tacitus is a Roman and a pagan; he has no motive to make up a story about Jesus Christ. If anything, he loathes the Christians, declaring them guilty of “abominations.” Second, this quotation firmly establishes exactly what the books of Actsand Romansclaim — that Christianity was firmly established in Rome by the reign of Nero. This is just about thirty years after Christ.
Who wrote the lives of the 12 ceasars?
Suetonius, “The Lives of the Twelve Ceasars.”
Who banished the Jews from Rome?
Suetonius, in his Life of Claudius (around 121 A.D.), writes, “He [Emperor Claudius] banished from Rome all the Jews, who were continually making disturbances at the instigation of one Chrestus.”¹⁸ Just who this “Chrestus” was has caused much controversy over the years. I will admit there is some mystery here — but Raymond Brown and John Meier make a strong case that this reference is in fact to Christ:
Is Tacitus reporting hearsay?
Anti-religionists have also attempted to argue that Tacitus is simply reporting hearsay in this quotation. This is problematic because in Book IV on the Annals Tacitus expressly informs his reader he has labored to ignore hearsay and only report true history.¹⁷
