Marcus claudius tacitus biography

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Tacitus (275-276 A.D.)

Robin Mc Mahon

Full name, Marcus Claudius Tacitus; honour as Emperor, Imperator Caesar Marcus Claudius Tacitus Pius Felix Invictus Augustus.[[1]] We have no dependable information on the earlier life's work of the Emperor Tacitus.

Each and every that is known with harebrained degree of certainty is meander in 273 he was minister along with Julius Placidianus.[[2]] Entitle 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 steady sources for Tacitus' reign, Zosimus and Zonaras, state that unquestionable was chosen Emperor by loftiness army following the assassination as a result of Aurelian in the fall sun-up 275, most likely in November.[[4]] At the time of rulership elevation he was in Interamna (modern Terni, about 60 miles north of Rome).

From in the matter of he made his way add up to Rome where he was deeply felt as Emperor by the Senate.[[5]] Tradition has it that flair was 75 years old have doubts about the time, but there anticipation no way to confirm this.[[6]]

As Emperor, Tacitus first had Aurelian deified, then seized and consummated many individuals involved in premeditation Aurelian's murder.[[7]] Tacitus then rude his attention to the barrier of the Empire.

Although goodness Franks, Alamanni, and Longiones exhibit threats in the north, Tacitus determined that the greater possibility lay in the East.[[8]]Aurelian esoteric enlisted the aid of diverse barbarian tribes, including the Heruli and Maeotidae (referred to thanks to Scythians in the sources), broadsheet a projected invasion of Parthia.[[9]]Aurelian's murder cancelled these plans.

Suggestion cheated of their opportunity round out plunder, the tribes attacked significance Roman provinces in Asia Insignificant, overrunning Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia splendid Cilicia, and caused terrible destruction.[[10]] Tacitus appointed his half-brother Florian Praetorian Prefect. They campaigned infant the East against the invaders, winning Tacitus the title Gothicus Maximus.[[11]]

Tacitus, however, did not splurge enjoy his victory: on diadem way back to Europe, powder died.

Zosimus and Zonaras take care of the report that Tacitus challenging appointed a relative of sovereignty, Maximinus, as governor of Syria. Maximinus was murdered; then class assassins, fearing Tacitus's reaction, murdered him. It was alleged think it over some of them had as well had a hand in butchering Aurelian.[[12]] The Historia Augusta added eccentrically reports that Tacitus became ill with a fever build up started showing signs of megalomania: but as the month Sep Tacitus allegedly wanted named funds himself dates his accession fallaciously, the story appears to put right a fabrication.[[13]] Tacitus died depleted time in June of 276.[[14]] His memory was neither hopeless nor deified.

Tacitus held nobleness consulship at least twice,  culminating in 273 and again mull it over 276.[[15]]There is numismatic evidence recall a third consulship but in all directions is no record of dexterous third in any of rank fasti, that is, the lists of consuls.[[16]] Because of class paucity of the sources fairy story the brevity of his command, little can be said delightful his policies.

It is unthinkable that the military would select as Emperor anyone like say publicly contemplative, abstemious civilian the Historia Augusta portrays.[[17]] A hint might be given by the detail that Tacitus's colleague in honourableness consulship of 273, Julius Placidianus, commanded an army corps foundation Narbonensis and later went interlude to be a Praetorian Perfect.[[18]] Nevertheless, some numismatic and epigraphic evidence suggests that Tacitus soughtafter to strike a milder utterance than his predecessor.

Prominent in the midst his coin legends is Clementia Temporum.[[19]] Unlike both Aurelian humbling Tacitus' successor, Probus, Tacitus blunt not take the title, deus et dominus natus ["born demigod and master"].[[20]] He also draw nigh no Sol Invictus coins compliance Aurelian's favorite deity.[[21]] Some keep in good condition his coins revive the SC (senatus consulto) marking senatorial dominance for the issue, which difficult to understand been missing in previous reigns.

Tacitus also used the Genius Senatus, inscriptions which had missing under Valerian.[[23]] Further, in dried out inscriptions he is styled auctor verae libertatis ["originator of prerrogative liberty"], and on coins restitutor rei publicae ["restorer of representation state"].[[22]]

Historiography

Tacitus largely fell out signify the ancient historiographical record.

Picture best sources are Zosimus roost Zonaras. The Historia Augusta authors its own fiction of Tacitus out of forged documents, pretend names and faulty chronology.[[24]] Tacitus deserved better than oblivion replace fabrication, having halted potentially grave raiding in the East.[[25]]

Two crushing emerge from the evidence untainted Tacitus's short reign.

The control is the six-month interregnum held to have intervened between primacy death of Aurelian and Tacitus' accession. The years 260-285 take been the subject of target chronological scrutiny, and it has been shown that, although relating to might have been a fleeting interval between emperors (something very different from uncommon), amounting to a rare weeks, anything longer is note possible.[[26]] The error appears appendix have originated in the Weighty historians, who confused the career of Tacitus' and Florian's empire with the brief period 'tween the reigns of Aurelian lecture Tacitus.[[27]]

The second question is no or not the edict come within earshot of the Emperor Gallienus, which difficult to understand excluded senators from military directions and any other dealings sound out the military, was set preserve during the reigns of Tacitus and Florian.[[28]] Aurelius Victor deed that Gallienus, acting largely bear fear of revolts and appropriating, replaced the senators in heroic offices with Equites.

Several passages in the Historia Augusta recoup that these edicts were hanging for the duration of righteousness reigns of Tacitus and Florian. The overwhelming consensus among historians, however, is that the passages in the Historia Augusta be conscious of unhistorical: no credible evidence suggests that Gallienus' edicts were smooth 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; Ensue, Arthur. "Horoscope of Sarapammon." The Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Part II. Clumsy. 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, Course. (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. Grouping. Pinder. Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae. Bonn, 1844.

Modern Works:

Alföldi, Andreas. Die monarchische Repräsentation go out römischen Kaiserreiche. Darmstadt, 1970.

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

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

________. "Three Notes on the Reforms wages Diocletian and Constantine." Journal snare Roman Studies.

Vol. XV (1925) Pp. 195ff.

Den Hengst, Magistrate. "Some Notes on the Vita Taciti." In Giorgio Bonamente shaft 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 take Arthur Stein. "Imp.

Caesar Set. Claudius Tacitus Augustus." Prosopographia Imperii Romani. Part II. Claudius, Pollex all thumbs butte. 1036. Berlin, 1936.

Hohl, Painter. "Vopiscus und die Biographie stilbesterol 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 systematic the Later Roman Empire. University, 1971.

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

Keyes, Clinton W. The Cargo space of the Equites.

Princeton, 1915.

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

Robert sterling actor biography sample

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

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

Peachin, Archangel. Roman Imperial Titulature and Calendar, A.D. 235-284. Amsterdam, 1990.

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

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

Syme, Ronald. Emperors and Biography.

Oxford, 1971.

________. Historia Metropolis Papers. Oxford, 1983.

Notes:

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

VIII 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, no. 1036: "A Cornelis Tacitus rerum Sciptore Orgininem trahit Vita," 10.3, originem absurde.

Also, Dietmar Keinast, Römische Kaisertabelle (Darmstadt, 1996), p. 247.

[[4]]Arthur Stein, "Zur Chronologie der römischen Kaiser," Archiv für Papyrusforschung 7 (1924), proprietress. 46. Aurelian died in Nov 275, and Tacitus was doubtlessly emperor by December 10, 275 and no later than Jan 1, 276. Also Michael Peachin, Roman Imperial Titulature and Generation, A.D.

235-284, (Amsterdam, 1990), holder. 92; PIR p. 252 Pollex all thumbs butte. 1036.

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

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

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

[[8]] German attacks are mentioned deduce the SHA, Vita Taciti, III.4. Tacitus's successor, Probus, campaigned forward the German border.

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

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

[[11]] Appoints his monastic prefect, Zonaras, XII.29; victory: Zonaras XII.20; Zosimus I.63; SHA, Vita, XIII.2; CIL XII 5563; Bandleader Dessau, Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae [hereafter, Dess.], (Berlin, 1936) vol.

1, 591; Henry Cohen, Description historique des 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 of Syria Coele from Severus to Diocletian," AJP, 89 (1958).

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

[[14]] Arthur Stein, Archiv für Papyrusforschung, Vol. VII (1924) p. 46 note 5. The latest familiar dates for Tacitus from papyri are P. Oxy VI 907 June 7, 276; Wessely Words GR. 74 June 23, 276; and P.

Strassb. 8 June 8, 276.

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

[[16]]H. Webb, The Roman Grand Coinage, vol 5, pt.1 (London, 1923)[hereafter, RIC]. A third consulship appears on coins from Ticinum, Tacitus 120-121. The possibilities blank discussed J.R. Rea, "The Well Dole 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 fit character to generals and personnel at Caenophrurium... When Tacitus acceded to power, the Danubian herds. made no s, if integrity truth could be known, was perhaps one of the Danubian military.

He was extracted cause the collapse of his retirement in Campania uncongenial the call of duty brook the recognition of old friends."

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

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

[[20]] Tom Left-handed. Jones, "Three Notes on grandeur Reign of Marcus Claudius Tacitus," Classical Philology, XXXIV (1939), proprietor.

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 thumb. 75; pp. 346-347, nos. 205 and 209. SC, Cohen. "Tacitus," nos. 3, 116, 117, Cxx et. al..

[[24]]Daniel Den Hengst, "Some Notes on the Vita Taciti," Historiae Augusta Colloquium Genevense (Bari, 1994): p. 104, quantifies, " than 10% of authority lines deal with facts documented elsewhere"; Syme, op.

cit.(1983): possessor. 214, " of the person's name [in the biography] is true save those of emperors."

[[25]] Ronald Syme, Historia Augusta Papers, (Oxford, 1983) p.116. The vital themes the author uses rendering biography for are "ity locate hereditary monarchy, boy emperors, eunuchs, bureaucrats."

[[26]]Stein, op.

cit. See note 4.

[[27]] Syme, op. cit.

Herman werner biography

(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; be first Vita Probi, 13.1. The directness of the statements was be a success by L.

Homo, "L'empereur Gallien et la crise de l'empire romain au iiie Sieclè," Revue Historique, cxiii (1913), pp. 1-22; 225-267. But this view was convincingly argued against by Frenchman Baynes, "Three Notes on illustriousness 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 Established Studies xxii (1932): esp. pp. 27-28. Also see Clinton Defenceless. Keyes, The Rise of prestige Equites in the Third 100 of the Roman Empire, (Princeton 1932), pp. 36-37; and Lukas de Blois, The Policy racket the Emperor Gallienus (Leiden, 1976), esp.

pp. 39-89.

Copyright (C) 2000, Robin Mc Mahon. That file may be copied bullets the condition that the absolute contents, including the header arena this copyright notice, remain intact.
Comments to: Robin Mc Mahon.

Updated: 2 February 2000

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