a in
iuventa studium philosophiae acrius, ultra quam concessum Romano ac
senatori, hausisse, ni prudentia matris incensum ac flagrantem animum
coercuisset.'

He cannot make up his mind as to freewill and predestination, but in
spite of this doubt expressly states his desire to find out the causes
of events.

_Ann._ vi. 22, 'Sed mihi haec ac talia audienti in incerto iudicium
est, fatone res mortalium et necessitate immutabili an forte
volvantur' (and the rest of the chapter, where the Stoic and Epicurean
views are mentioned). On the other hand, _H._ i. 4, 'Ut non modo casus
eventusque rerum, qui plerumque fortuiti sunt, sed ratio etiam
causaeque noscantur.'

He expresses his belief in divine agency, particularly in the
_Annals_, but sometimes adopts the pessimistic view that the gods take
little interest in mankind.

_Ann._ xiv. 5, 'Noctem sideribus inlustrem et placido mari quietam,
quasi convincendum ad scelus, di praebuere.'

_H._ v. 5, 'Pessimus quisque spretis religionibus patriis.'

_H._ i. 3, 'Nec enim umquam atrocioribus populi Romani cladibus
magisve iustis indiciis adprobatum est non esse curae deis securitatem
nostram, esse ultionem.'

_Ann._ xvi. 33, 'Aequitate deum erga bona malaque documenta.'

He believes in the science of divination (see especially _Ann._ iv.
58), but speaks contemptuously of the impostors found among
soothsayers and astrologers.

_H._ i. 22, 'Mathematicis ... genus hominum potentibus infidum,
sperantibus fallax, quod in civitate nostra et vetabitur semper et
retinebitur.'

Prodigies are recognized, but mentioned only in the _Histories_ and
the last books of the _Annals_ (from A.D. 51 onwards). See especially
_H._ ii. 50.

_Tacitus as a historian._--As regards his sources, Tacitus makes more
use of his predecessors than he does of original documents. Among the
latter he mentions _acta diurna_ (_Ann._ iii. 3) and _commentarii_ or
_acta senatus_ (_Ann._ xv. 74); but these he did not make much use of,
as they were apt to be falsified. He also refers to _publica acta_,
probably inscriptions (_Ann._ xii. 24); Tiberius' speeches (_Ann._ i.
81); memoirs of Agrippina, Nero's mother (_Ann._ iv. 53); and of
Domitius Corbulo on his campaigns in Parthia (_Ann._ xv. 16). He also
refers by name to several historians, especially in dealing with the
times after Nero, as C. Plinius (_Ann._ i. 69, quoted p. 284),
Vipstanus Messalla (_H._ iii. 25), Fabius Rusticus,[114] and Cluvius
Rufus[1