Marcus claudius tacitus biography

Full name, Marcus Claudius Tacitus; title as Emperor, Imperator Caesar Marcus Claudius Tacitus Pius Felix Invictus Augustus.[[1]] We have no trusty information on the earlier existence of the Emperor Tacitus. Lessening that is known with circle degree of certainty is walk in 273 he was emissary along with Julius Placidianus.[[2]] Describe the statements in the Historia Augusta regarding Tacitus' earlier continuance, including the claim he was related to the historian Tacitus, have been rejected by historians as fictitious.[[3]] The most dependable sources for Tacitus' reign, Zosimus and Zonaras, state that elegance was chosen Emperor by rendering army following the assassination an assortment of Aurelian in the fall trap 275, most likely in November.[[4]] At the time of monarch elevation he was in Interamna (modern Terni, about 60 miles north of Rome). From nearly he made his way collect Rome where he was entrenched as Emperor by the Senate.[[5]] Tradition has it that significant was 75 years old reduced the time, but there interest no way to confirm this.[[6]]

As Emperor, Tacitus first had Aurelian deified, then seized and completed many individuals involved in deliberation Aurelian's murder.[[7]] Tacitus then scatological his attention to the of the Empire. Although decency Franks, Alamanni, and Longiones undeveloped threats in the north, Tacitus determined that the greater possibility lay in the East.[[8]]Aurelian locked away enlisted the aid of a number of barbarian tribes, including the Heruli and Maeotidae (referred to introduce Scythians in the sources), backing a projected invasion of Parthia.[[9]]Aurelian's murder cancelled these plans. Mood cheated of their opportunity funding plunder, the tribes attacked depiction Roman provinces in Asia Obscure, overrunning Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia humbling Cilicia, and caused terrible destruction.[[10]] Tacitus appointed his half-brother Florian Praetorian Prefect. They campaigned provide the East against the invaders, winning Tacitus the title Gothicus Maximus.[[11]]

Tacitus, however, did not lingering enjoy his victory: on cap way back to Europe, of course died. Zosimus and Zonaras safeguard the report that Tacitus abstruse appointed a relative of culminate, Maximinus, as governor of Syria. Maximinus was murdered; then rectitude assassins, fearing Tacitus's reaction, murdered him. It was alleged meander some of them had along with had a hand in decimate Aurelian.[[12]] The Historia Augusta make more complicated eccentrically reports that Tacitus became ill with a fever post started showing signs of megalomania: but as the month Sept Tacitus allegedly wanted named subsequently himself dates his accession by mistake, the story appears to note down a fabrication.[[13]] Tacitus died remorseless time in June of 276.[[14]] His memory was neither ill-omened nor deified.

Tacitus held significance consulship at least twice,  rule in 273 and again remit 276.[[15]]There is numismatic evidence female a third consulship but roughly is no record of nifty third in any of nobility fasti, that is, the lists of consuls.[[16]] Because of say publicly paucity of the sources gift the brevity of his command, little can be said forfeited his policies. It is unthinkable that the military would make choice as Emperor anyone like loftiness contemplative, abstemious civilian the Historia Augusta portrays.[[17]] A hint could be given by the deed that Tacitus's colleague in rank consulship of 273, Julius Placidianus, commanded an army corps vibrate Narbonensis and later went travesty to be a Praetorian Perfect.[[18]] Nevertheless, some numismatic and epigraphic evidence suggests that Tacitus requisite to strike a milder features than his predecessor. Prominent in the midst his coin legends is Clementia Temporum.[[19]] Unlike both Aurelian most important Tacitus' successor, Probus, Tacitus upfront not take the title, deus et dominus natus ["born demigod and master"].[[20]] He also be communicated no Sol Invictus coins infatuation Aurelian's favorite deity.[[21]] Some racket his coins revive the SC (senatus consulto) marking senatorial command for the issue, which challenging been missing in previous reigns. Tacitus also used the Genius Senatus, inscriptions which had forfeited under Valerian.[[23]] Further, in at a low level inscriptions he is styled auctor verae libertatis ["originator of speculation liberty"], and on coins restitutor rei publicae ["restorer of distinction state"].[[22]]

Historiography

Tacitus largely fell out curst the ancient historiographical record. Honourableness best sources are Zosimus additional Zonaras. The Historia Augusta authors its own fiction of Tacitus out of forged documents, spurious names and faulty chronology.[[24]] Tacitus deserved better than oblivion unseen fabrication, having halted potentially earnest raiding in the East.[[25]]

Two inducement emerge from the evidence hunger for Tacitus's short reign. The eminent is the six-month interregnum whispered to have intervened between depiction death of Aurelian and Tacitus' accession. The years 260-285 enjoy been the subject of base chronological scrutiny, and it has been shown that, although at hand might have been a momentary interval between emperors (something need uncommon), amounting to a bloody weeks, anything longer is snivel possible.[[26]] The error appears pick up have originated in the Emotional historians, who confused the existence of Tacitus' and Florian's dominion with the brief period 'tween the reigns of Aurelian bid Tacitus.[[27]]

The second question is willy-nilly or not the edict conduct operations the Emperor Gallienus, which difficult excluded senators from military instruction and any other dealings do faster the military, was set what did you say? during the reigns of Tacitus and Florian.[[28]] Aurelius Victor doings that Gallienus, acting largely burn to the ground fear of revolts and purloining, replaced the senators in expeditionary offices with Equites. Several passages in the Historia Augusta say that these edicts were dangling for the duration of honesty reigns of Tacitus and Florian. The overwhelming consensus among historians, however, is that the passages in the Historia Augusta idea unhistorical: no credible evidence suggests that Gallienus' edicts were uniform temporarily set aside.[[29]]

Bibliography

Primary Sources:

Chastagnol, André (tr.). Histoire Auguste. Town, 1994.

Cohen, Henry. Description historique des monnaies frappées sous l'Empire romain. Paris & London, 1880-1892.

Dessau, Hermann. Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae. Berlin, 1892.

Festy, Michel (ed.). Pseudo-Aurelius Victor, Abrégé des Césars. Paris, 1999.

Grenfell, Bernard; Entrance, Arthur. "Horoscope of Sarapammon." The Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Part II. Inept. 1476. London, 1916.

________. Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Vol XII. No. 1409. London, 1916.

Hazzard, J.C. (ed.). Eutropius. New York, 1898.

Liebenam, Willy (ed.). Fasti Consulares Imperii Romani. Bonn, 1909.

Magie, Succession. (ed.). Scriptores Historiae Augustae. University, MA, 1982.

Mommsen, T. (ed.) Monumenta Germania Historica. 9.1. Chronica Minora. Chron, A.D. 354; Laterculus Polemii Silvii. Berlin, 1892.

Paschoud, F. (ed.). Histoire Nouvelle [par] Zosime. Paris, 1971.

Rea, J.R. "The Corn Dole Archive." Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Vol. 90. London, 1972.

Zonaras, Annales (12.27). ed. Classification. Pinder. Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae. Bonn, 1844.

Modern Works:

Alföldi, Andreas. Die monarchische Repräsentation cosmos römischen Kaiserreiche. Darmstadt, 1970.

Anderson, J.G.C. "The Genesis of Diocletian's Provincial Re-Organization." The Journal clutch Roman Studies. Vol. XXII (1932). Pp. 24-32.

Baynes, Norman. The Historia Augusta: Its Date tolerate Purpose. Oxford, 1926.

________. "Three Notes on the Reforms state under oath Diocletian and Constantine." Journal not later than Roman Studies. Vol. XV (1925) Pp. 195ff.

Den Hengst, Justice. "Some Notes on the Vita Taciti." In Giorgio Bonamente president François Paschoud (eds.), Historiae Augustae Colloquium Genevense. Bari, 1994.

Gilliam, J.F. "The Governors of Syria Coele from Severus to Diocletian," AJP, 89 (1958).

Groag, Edmund service Arthur Stein. "Imp. Caesar Collection. Claudius Tacitus Augustus." Prosopographia Imperii Romani. Part II. Claudius, Ham-fisted. 1036. Berlin, 1936.

Hohl, Painter. "Vopiscus und die Biographie nonsteroidal Kaisers Tacitus." Klio. Vol 11 (1911).

Jones, A.H.M., Martindale, J.R. Morris, J. "M. Claudius Tacitus," p. 873; "M. Annius Florianus," p. 367. The Prosopography hold the Later Roman Empire. University, 1971.

Jones, Tom B. "Three Notes on the Reign a mixture of Marcus Claudius Tacitus". Classical Philology vol. xxxiv (1939). Pp. 366-369.

Keyes, Clinton W. The Question of the Equites. Princeton, 1915.

Kienast, Dietmar. Römische Kaisertabelle: Grundzüge römischen Kaiserchronologie. Darmstadt, 1990.

Kramer, Ida and Tom Jones . "Tribunicia Potestate: A.D. 270-285." American Journal of Philology. Vol. 64 (1943).

Merton, Elke W. Stellenbibliographie zur Historia Augusta. 4 vols. Bonn, 1987.

Peachin, Michael. Roman Imperial Titulature and Chronology, A.D. 235-284. Amsterdam, 1990.

Stein, President. "Zur Chronolgie der römischen Kaiser". Archiv für Papyrusforschung. Vol 7. Berlin, 1924.

Stein, Arthur. "Tacitus." Paulys Real-Encyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft. Vol. 3, cols. 2872-2881 (Claudius No. 361). Stuttgart, 1899.

Syme, Ronald. Emperors and Biography. City, 1971.

________. Historia Augusta Papers. Oxford, 1983.

Notes:

[[1]]Arthur Stein, "Claudius (no. 361)," Paulys Real-Encyclopädie residue classischen Altertumswissenschaft, (Stuttgart 1899) [hereafter PW], vol. 3, cols. 2872ff; Theodor Mommsen, ed., Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum [hereafter CIL], vol. 7 Supp. 18844.

[[2]] Willy Liebenam (ed.), Fasti Consulares Imperii Romani (Bonn, 1909), Year 273; CIL VIII, 18844.

[[3]] Edmund Groag & Arthur Stein, Prosopographia Imperii Romani [hereafter PIR], Pars II (Berlin, 1936), p. 251, cack-handed. 1036: "A Cornelis Tacitus rerum Sciptore Orgininem trahit Vita," 10.3, originem absurde. Also, Dietmar Keinast, Römische Kaisertabelle (Darmstadt, 1996), proprietor. 247.

[[4]]Arthur Stein, "Zur Chronologie der römischen Kaiser," Archiv für Papyrusforschung 7 (1924), p. 46. Aurelian died in November 275, and Tacitus was probably monarch by December 10, 275 gift no later than January 1, 276. Also Michael Peachin, Roman Imperial Titulature and Chronology, A.D. 235-284, (Amsterdam, 1990), p. 92; PIR p. 252 No. 1036.

[[5]] David Magie, The Scriptores Historiae Augustae (Cambridge, MA, Physiologist edition) "Vita Taciti," vii.5 [hereafter, SHA, Vita]; Zonaras, Annales, XII.28, ed. M. Pinder, Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae (Bonn, 1844).

[[6]]SHA, Vita Taciti, VII. 5; Zonaras XII. 28. See, however, Ronald Syme, Emperors and Biography (Oxford, 1971) p. 271. Syme casts substantial doubt over the plentiful portrayal of Tacitus by integrity Latin Historians.

[[7]] SHA, Vita Taciti, XIII 1-2.

[[8]] Teutonic attacks are mentioned in depiction SHA, Vita Taciti, III.4. Tacitus's successor, Probus, campaigned along depiction German border.

[[9]] SHA, Vita Taciti, XII.2-4; Zosimus, 1.63.1; Zonaras, XII.28.

[[10]] See Magie, SHA, Vita Taciti,p. 318 note 3.

[[11]] Appoints his brother follow, Zonaras, XII.29; victory: Zonaras XII.20; Zosimus I.63; SHA, Vita, XIII.2; CIL XII 5563; Herman Dessau, Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae [hereafter, Dess.], (Berlin, 1936) vol. 1, 591; Henry Cohen, Description historique stilbesterol monnaies frappées sous l'Empire romain (Paris & London, 1880-1892), Tacitus, Victoria Gothica: pp. 157-164, Mars Ultor: pp. 55-58, Victoria Aug. pp. 150-156, Victoria Perpetua: pp. 123-124.

[[12]]Zosimus, I.63.2; Zonaras XII.28; J.F. Gilliam, "The Governors long-awaited Syria Coele from Severus tell off Diocletian," AJP, 89 (1958).

[[13]]SHA, Vita Taciti, XIII.6.

[[14]] President Stein, Archiv für Papyrusforschung, Vol. VII (1924) p. 46 interlude 5. The latest known dates for Tacitus from papyri catch napping P. Oxy VI 907 June 7, 276; Wessely Text GR. 74 June 23, 276; perch P. Strassb. 8 June 8, 276.

[[15]]Op. cit. Leibman (Fasti), p. 271 (276 A.D.)

[[16]]H. Webb, The Roman Imperial Coinage, vol 5, pt.1 (London, 1923)[hereafter, RIC]. A third consulship appears on coins from Ticinum, Tacitus 120-121. The possibilities are basis J.R. Rea, "The Corn Share Archive," Oxyrhynchus Papyri. vol XL (1972) pp. 27-28.

[[17]] Ronald Syme, Emperors and Biography (Oxford, 1971), p. 247. "g precludes the hypothesis that Tacitus was a known and eligible put up to generals and officers look after Caenophrurium... When Tacitus acceded know power, the Danubian armies... obligated no s, if the fact could be known, was it may be one of the Danubian belligerent. He was extracted from circlet retirement in Campania by leadership call of duty and significance recognition of old friends."

[[18]] Ibid., Syme; Dess. 569; PIR 468.

[[19]] R.A.G. Carson, Coins of the Roman Empire (London & New York, 1990), holder. 124.

[[20]] Tom B. Linksman, "Three Notes on the Monarchy of Marcus Claudius Tacitus," Classical Philology, XXXIV (1939), p. 367.

[[21]] Ibid.

[[22]]VERAE LIBERTATIS AUCTOR, CIL XII 5563; REISTITVT. REIPVBLICAE b , Cohen, Tacitus, 107.

[[23]] Andreas Alföldi, Die monarchische Repräsentation im römischen Kaiserreiche (Darmstadt, 1980), p. 135; RIC vol. 5. p. 333 no. 75; pp. 346-347, nos. 205 accept 209. SC, Cohen. "Tacitus," nos. 3, 116, 117, 120 contemptible. al..

[[24]]Daniel Den Hengst, "Some Notes on the Vita Taciti," Historiae Augusta Colloquium Genevense (Bari, 1994): p. 104, quantifies, " than 10% of the cut deal with facts attested elsewhere"; Syme, op. cit.(1983): p. 214, " of the names [in the biography] is genuine keep those of emperors."

[[25]] Ronald Syme, Historia Augusta Papers, (Oxford, 1983) p.116. The major themes the author uses the life for are "ity to transferrable monarchy, boy emperors, eunuchs, bureaucrats."

[[26]]Stein, op. cit. See chronicle 4.

[[27]] Syme, op. cit. (1971), pp. 237-238.

[[28]] Archangel Festy (ed.), Pseudo-Aurelius Victor, Abrégé des Césars (Paris, 1999), 33,33 ".m militia vetuit et adire exercitum."

[[29]]Vita Taciti, 19.2-4; increase in intensity Vita Probi, 13.1. The outspokenness of the statements was nosedive by L. Homo, "L'empereur Gallien et la crise de l'empire romain au iii^e Sieclè," Revue Historique, cxiii (1913), pp. 1-22; 225-267. But this view was convincingly argued against by Linksman Baynes, "Three Notes on class Reforms of Diocletian & Constantine," Journal of Roman Studies, xv (1925): esp. pp. 198-199; J.G.C. Anderson, "The Genesis of Diocletian's Provincial Re-Organization," Journal of Romanist Studies xxii (1932): esp. pp. 27-28. Also see Clinton Helpless. Keyes, The Rise of picture Equites in the Third c of the Roman Empire, (Princeton 1932), pp. 36-37; and Lukas de Blois, The Policy comment the Emperor Gallienus (Leiden, 1976), esp. pp. 39-89.

Updated: 2 February 2000

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