The Works of Tacitus, Vol. I

Publius Cornelius Tacitus (56 - 117) and Thomas Gordon (c.1691 - 1750)
Translated by Thomas Gordon (c.1691 - 1750)

The historical works of Tacitus are a history of the period from A.D. 14 to 96 in thirty volumes. Although many of the works were lost (only books 1-5 of the Histories and 1-6 and 11-16 of the Annals survive), enough remains to provide a good sense of Tacitus’s political and moral philosophy.

He recognized the necessity for strong rulers but argued that more should be done to manage the succession of power and allow for the ascension of talent. Tacitus asserted that it was the dynastic ambitions of Rome’s many emperors that caused the decline of moral and political life and precluded the possibility of recruiting leaders of real ability. Moreover, the dynastic temptation caused political instability because military force was now required for political change. His works point to the necessity of systematic institutional restraints on power for the preservation of liberty.

Gordon’s translation and his lengthy Discourses on Tacitus bring Tacitus’ ideas up to date and apply them to the British state of the early 18th century. (Description from Online Library of Liberty)

Genre(s): *Non-fiction, History

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Dedication to Sir Robert Walpole Jim Mowatt
00:05:37
Play 01 Discourse I: Upon Former English Translations of Tacitus Fr. Richard Zeile of Detroit
00:39:41
Play 02 Discourse IIa: Upon Tacitus and His Writings Graham Redman
00:53:29
Play 03 Discourse IIb: Upon Tacitus and His Writings Jc Guan
01:03:10
Play 04 Discourse III: Upon Caesar the Dictator ontheroad
00:28:29
Play 05 Discourse IV: Upon Octavius Caesar, Afterwards Called Augustus ontheroad
00:33:34
Play 06 Discourse Va: Of Governments Free and Arbitrary Justin Brett
00:35:32
Play 07 Discourse Vb: Of Governments Free and Arbitrary Justin Brett
00:23:29
Play 08 Discourse VI: Of the Old Law of Treason Anna Simon
00:21:14
Play 09 Discourse VIIa: Of the Accusations and Accusers Under the Emperors ontheroad
00:38:32
Play 10 Discourse VIIb: Of the Accusations and Accusers Under the Emperors Graham Redman
00:36:27
Play 11 Discourse VIII: Of the general Debasement of Spirit and Adulation which accompany Power unlimited Maire Rhode
00:43:17
Play 12 Discourse IX: Upon Courts Anna Simon
00:38:30
Play 13 Discourse X: Of Armies and Conquest Lizzie Driver
00:36:13
Play 14 The Annals Bk. 1: The Reign of Augustus Laura Koskinen
00:14:31
Play 15 The Annals Bk. 1: Tiberius Takes the Throne Fr. Richard Zeile of Detroit
00:27:45
Play 16 The Annals Bk. 1: The Sedition at Pannonia ontheroad
00:24:00
Play 17 The Annals Bk. 1: The German Insurrection Justin Brett
00:37:31
Play 18 The Annals Bk. 1: The Rise of Germanicus Kalynda
00:41:27
Play 19 The Annals Bk. 2: Conflict in Armenia Nicholas James Bridgewater
00:27:49
Play 20 The Annals Bk. 2: Libo's Rebellion Claude Banta
00:15:57
Play 21 The Annals Bk. 2: Debates in the Senate Graham Redman
00:14:05
Play 22 The Annals Bk. 2: Various Rebellions Claude Banta
00:20:08
Play 23 The Annals Bk. 2: The African Conflicts Lizzie Driver
00:26:02
Play 24 The Annals Bk. 2: The Death of Germanicus Graham Redman
00:37:50
Play 25 The Annals Bk. 3: The Disgrace of Piso Graham Redman
00:31:42
Play 26 The Annals Bk. 3: Conflict with the Upper Classes Claude Banta
00:35:06
Play 27 The Annals Bk. 3: Tiberius Pleads with the Senate Fr. Richard Zeile of Detroit
00:30:01
Play 28 The Annals Bk. 3: International Relations Under Tiberius ontheroad
00:26:59