Author Introduction: Tacitus

Hello! My name is Tacitus, I am a Roman historian who was born in 56 CE in Gallia Narbonensis(now known as Southern France) and died in 117 CE. My father was wealthy and apart of the elite class of Romans, so I was a privileged boy. I was sent to Rome to study Rhetorics so that I may be able to join the Roman Senate. The early years of my time in Rome were filled with disaster; Nero, the tyrannical emperor, the aftermath of the fire that destroyed the city and finally a civil war that resulted in the rise of Vespasian. This new emperor was the revitalization of my career, I became the quaestor(Roman magistrate) in the early 80 CE's. Afterwards I joined the Senate, and under the reign of Domitian, I was praetor(similar to a judge), but later between 89 and 93 I was away from Rome, and though the Senate and the emperor were at odds, I kept my position and received continued patronage from the emperor. In 97 CE, I was appointed as consul. In 98 CE, two of my books, Agricola and The Germania were published. Agricola and The Germania both spoke about the corruption and greed of the Empire and how they poisoned the liberty of the native Britons and Germanians. I also wrote the Annals and the Historiae(look them up, they are quite famous). I had never visited the Germanic lands, but don't worry, I knew a guy who used to control that land, he told me everything. The subject matter on which I wrote was definitely cultural, historical and political, my style is described, in a word, concise. Though flowing and eloquent, it is brief. Some may call me a "pessimist" in my history by showing different perspectives in events. I try to separate myself from bias or anger, but the historians of your age seem too idiotic to understand that, ingrates. Thought they consider me to be very careful and accurate with my sources, they still don't seem to trust my neutrality.
Some great quotes by me are: “The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.”
 “All ancient history was written with a moral object; the ethical interest predominates almost to the exclusion of all others.”
 “It is a principle of nature to hate those whom you have injured.” 
“A bad peace is worse than war.” 
“Greater things are believed of those who are absent.”