His last work, regarded by many as the greatest work of contemporary
scholarship, Tacitus' The Annals of Imperial Rome recount with depth and
insight the history of the Roman Empire during the first century A.D.
This Penguin Classics edition is translated with an introduction by
Michael Grant. Tacitus' Annals of Imperial Rome recount the major
historical events from the years shortly before the death of Augustus up
to the death of Nero in AD 68. With clarity and vivid intensity he
describes the reign of terror under the corrupt Tiberius, the great fire
of Rome during the time of Nero, and the wars, poisonings, scandals,
conspiracies and murders that were part of imperial life. Despite his
claim that the Annals were written objectively, Tacitus' account is
sharply critical of the emperors' excesses and fearful for the future of
Imperial Rome, while also filled with a longing for its past glories.
Michael Grant's translation vividly captures the emotional patriotism of
Tacitus' moral tone, offset by a lucid understanding that Rome is
doomed, and conveys with cinematic vigour the lives of the great
Emperors who laid the foundations of modern Europe.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of
classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700
titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works
throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the
series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and
notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as
up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
