Obtaining information on Tacitus has presented a challenge to historians. All that isknown of his life has either been obtained directly from his works or fromcorrespondence written to him by Pliny the Younger. Distinguished as an orator and public figure, Tacitus held the office of quaestor in AD 79, praetor in AD 88, and consul in AD 97. Many historians believe that he also served as proconsul, or governor, of the Roman provinces in Asia during the years AD 112-113. His later years were largely devoted to composing historical works.
The first of his two major works is Historiae- a history of the lives of the RomanEmpire from AD 69 to 96. Within this work, Tacitus described the lives of Emperors Galba, Otho, and Vitellius. The original work consisted of fourteen books, however only the first four books and part of the fifth remain. Annales (possibly originally titled Ab Excessu Diui Augusti), the second major work, is generally considered the most characteristic of his writings. It is a history of the Julian emperors from Tiberius to Nero which covers the years AD 14 to 68. His description of Tiberius Caesar’s actions after the death of Augustus is quite graphic:
"On the first day of the Senate he allowed nothing to be discussed but the funeral of Augustus, whose will, which was brought in by the Vestal Virgins, named as his heirs Tiberius and Livia. The latter was to be admitted into the Julian family with the name of Augusta; next in expectation were the grand and great-grandchildren."
Tacitus was noted for his epigrammatic style of writing, concise, intense, and full of meaning and emotion. Tacitus was very interested in human motivation and he had a very penetrating insight into character. Although considered one of the most prominent Roman historians, little is actually known of Cornelius Tacitus’s life. Still, the richness of his writing has provided us a view of ancient times. He died in AD 117 of high moral tone and severe criticism in Rome.