this apparent excess I believe that some justification can be offered.

It should be borne in mind that the whole time. covered is somewhat longer; the narrative having been supplemented by summaries1 so as to extend over the thirty-one years from the death of Tiberius to that of Nero. Also this period is far more fruitful in important events and has attracted considerably more notice from recent writers than that preceding it. The full investigation of the life and rule of Claudius by Lehmann 2, and the still more learned and elaborate treatise of H. Schiller on the Neronian period 3, have no counterpart on a similar scale relating to the time of Tiberius. Special attention has also been bestowed by recent scholars on the narrative of Eastern affairs during this period; and the chapters relating to the conquest of Britain, though but a small portion of the narrative of Tacitus, have deeply interested all antiquaries in this country, and form a subject on which more is naturally expected from an English than from a German editor of the Annals. Even the single chapter, or portion of a chapter, on the persecution of the Christians, has received special attention from the chief recent ecclesiastical historians, and has raised many questions which could not be here passed over o.

Under these circumstances it has seemed desirable to place before general students such a statement and criticism of the chief results of special investigation in these subjects as could be fairly based on the narrative of

1 See Introd. ch. ii. and Appendix iii. 2 See note on p. 5.

3 See note on p. 49. The importance of this work and that above mentioned will be seen from the constant references made to them.

* See note on p. 96.

5 See note on p. 126. It may be also noted that, both in this chapter of the Introduction and in that on Parthia and Armenia, the whole period is reviewed from the death of Julius Caesar to that of Nero.

• See Appendix ii. after Book 15.

Tacitus, and should help them to estimate the general value of his work as a historical authority. I may add that it has also been my wish to make as complete as I fairly could the commentary on a part of the author which is not generally so much studied in England as to be likely often to encourage the undertaking of fresh editions by future scholars.

In conclusion, I have to return my best thanks to the Delegates of the University Press for accepting this work, and to their staff for the care and accuracy shown in the printing and revision.

97, line 2, for Atrabanus read Artabanus.

line 15, for to any other part of the empire, read on any other frontier of

the empire.

,, 377, note on 1. 10, for c. 48, 7, read c. 42, 7.

INTRODUCTION.

CHAPTER I. On the Text of these Books, and the second Medicean manuscript.

CHAPTER II. Summary of the principal events between the end of the Sixth and beginning of the Eleventh Book.

CHAPTER III. On the view given by Tacitus of the character and government of Gaius, Claudius, and Nero.

CHAPTER IV. The Roman relations with Parthia and Armenia from the time of Augustus to the death of Nero.

CHAPTER V. The conquest of Britain under Claudius and Nero.

CHAPTER I.

ON THE TEXT OF THESE BOOKS AND THE SECOND
MEDICEAN MANUSCRIPT1.

THAT which is now known as the second Medicean MS. of Tacitus is a manuscript in Lombard characters, generally assigned to the latter half of the eleventh century, and thought by Ritter to have been one of the many transcripts of works of ancient authors made at that date in the great monastery of Monte Casino,

The latter part of the MS. consists of the works of Apuleius, and contains the following subscription, 'Ego Sallustius legi et emendavi Romae felix Olybrio et Probino cons. . . . Rursus Constantinopoli recognovi Caesario et Attico conss.' These dates are respectively A.D. 395 and 397, and are taken to be those of the transcription and revision of the archetypal MS.; but whether the same archetype or another of the same date contained the Tacitus, as well as the Apuleius here copied, is in no way evident.

Nothing appears to be known of the history of this MS. until the time of Poggio Bracciolini, who received it at Rome in 1427 from Nicola

1 The matter of this chapter is chiefly derived from the Preface of Baiter to the

second edition of Orelli, and from that of Ritter to his edition of 1864.

VOL. II.

B