TacitusBlackwood, 1873 - 194 pages |
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A. C. vol Agricola Agrippina ancient Annals Antonius Aper army assailants Augustus Batavian battle better blood Britain Britons Cæcina Cæsar Caligula camp capital Capitol character Cicero civil Claudian Claudius command consuls Dean Merivale death discipline Domitian Drusus Egypt eloquence emperor empire enemy English readers evil fame father favour fear flattered Flavian foes Forum freedmen friends Galba Gaul German Germanicus gods hand hatred historian History honour imperial island Italy Jews Judæa Juvenal kings knights least legions lived Livia Maternus Messala Mucianus murder narrative Nero Nero's Nerva noble once orator Otho Pannonia peace perhaps person Piso Pliny populace prætor prætorians proconsul provinces purple Quintilian race reign revolt Rhine Roman Rome Sabinus Saleius Bassus says Tacitus Sejanus senate slaves soldiers speeches spirit Suetonius Syria Tacitus Tacitus's temple Teutonic throne Tiberius tion Trajan tribes tribunes Veleda Vespasian victory Vitellians Vitellius wars words writes young
Popular passages
Page 190 - Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods ! When went there by an age, since the great flood, But it was...
Page 194 - He reads much ; He is a great observer and he looks Quite through the deeds of men ; he loves no plays, As thou dost, Antony ; he hears no music ; Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort As if he mock'd himself and scorn'd his spirit That could be moved to smile at any thing.
Page 51 - To pass an entire day and night in drinking disgraces no one. Their quarrels, as might be expected with intoxicated people, are seldom fought out with mere abuse, but commonly with wounds and bloodshed. Yet it is at their feasts that they generally consult on the reconciliation of enemies, on the forming of matrimonial alliances, on the choice of chiefs, finally even on peace and war, for they think that at no time is the mind more open to simplicity of purpose or more warmed to noble aspirations....
Page 145 - Such notes as, warbled to the string, Drew iron tears down Pluto's cheek, And made hell grant what love did seek. Or call up him that left half told The story of Cambuscan bold...
Page 163 - Judaea, were to acquire universal empire. These mysterious prophecies had pointed to Vespasian and Titus, but the common people, with the usual blindness of ambition, had interpreted these mighty destinies of themselves, and could not be brought even by disasters to believe the truth. I have heard that the total number of the besieged, of every age and both sexes, amounted to six hundred thousand.
Page 172 - Deign on the passing world to turn thine eyes, And pause awhile from letters, to be wise; There mark what ills the scholar's life assail, Toil, envy, want, the patron, and the jail.
Page 107 - I am entering on the history of a period rich in disasters, frightful in its wars, torn by civil strife, and even in peace full of horrors. Four emperors perished by the sword. There were three civil wars; there were more with foreign enemies; there were often wars that had both characters at once. There was success in the East, and disaster in the West. There were disturbances in Illyricum; Gaul wavered in its allegiance; Britain was thoroughly subdued and immediately abandoned...
Page 150 - And so Vespasian, supposing that all things were possible to his good fortune, and that nothing was any longer past belief, with a joyful countenance, amid the intense expectation of the multitude of bystanders, accomplished what was required. The hand was instantly restored to its use, and the light of day again shone upon the blind. Persons actually present attest both facts, even now when nothing is to be gained by falsehood. 82. Vespasian thus came to conceive a deeper desire to visit the sanctuary...
Page 48 - It is peculiar to this people to seek omens and monitions from horses. Kept at the public expense, in these same woods and groves, are white horses, pure from the taint of earthly labour ; these are yoked to a sacred car, and accompanied by the priest and the king, or chief of the tribe, who note their neighings and snortings.
Page 157 - ... sought in the name. There is a famous mountain in Crete called Ida; the neighbouring tribe, the Idaei, came to be called Judaei by a barbarous lengthening of the national name. Others assert that in the reign of Isis the overflowing population of Egypt, led by Hierosolymus and Judas, discharged itself into the neighbouring countries. Many, again, say that they were a race of Ethiopian origin, who in the time of king Cepheus were driven by fear and hatred of their neighbours to seek a new dwelling-place....