s, the
_Histories_ must have contained fourteen, supposing Jerome's statement
to be correct. Some authorities think the numbers were eighteen and
twelve respectively. The work was written under Trajan (cf. _Hist._ i.
1, 'principatum divi Nervae et imperium Traiani'), and was probably
brought out in instalments. Pliny's letters (vi. 16; 20; vii. 33),
written about A.D. 106-9, contain contributions to it.

5. _Annales_, or rather _Ab excessu divi Augusti_, the title given by
MS. Med. I. Tacitus often calls his work _annales_ (as in _Ann._ iv.
32), but uses the word to signify his plan of recording events by
their years. Cf. _Ann._ iv. 71, 'Ni mihi destinatum foret suum quaeque
in annum referre, avebat animus antire,' etc.

He occasionally apologises (as in xii. 40) for departing from this
order for the sake of clearness. The Books, the division into which
was made by Tacitus himself (cf. vi. 27, 'in prioribus libris'),
usually, however, end with some important event.

The _Annals_ deal with the time from the death of Augustus to that of
Nero, _i.e._ from 14 to 68 A.D. There are extant Books i.-iv. and a
part of v. and vi., and Books xi.-xvi., except the beginning of xi.
and the end of xvi. We have thus lost the whole of the reign of
Caligula and the reign of Claudius from 41-47 (part), and Nero's reign
from the close of 66 to 68. The work was published between A.D. 115
and 117. This is settled by _Ann._ ii. 61, 'Exin ventum Elephantinen
ac Syenen, claustra olim Romani imperii, quod nunc rubrum ad mare
patescit.'

The conquest here spoken of was made by Trajan A.D. 115, and his
successor Hadrian, soon after coming to the throne (August, A.D. 117),
gave up the regions beyond the Euphrates and Tigris (Spartianus,
_Hadri._ 5).[113]

_Tacitus' views on politics, philosophy, and religion._--

(1) The ideal mixed form of government Tacitus considers to be
impracticable.

_Ann._ iv. 33, 'Cunctas nationes et urbes populus aut primores aut
singuli regunt: delecta ex eis et consociata rei publicae forma
laudari facilius quam evenire, vel si evenit, haud diuturna esse
potest.'

Tacitus is essentially a conservative. Thus he always uses _antiquus_
and _priscus_ in a good sense (_H._ ii. 5; 64; _Ann._ vi. 32).

In _Ann._ iii. 60 he speaks with pride of the republic: 'Magna eius
diei species fuit, quo senatus maiorum beneficia, sociorum pacta,
regum etiam, qui ante vim Romanam valuerant, decreta ipsorumque
numinum religione