The First Political Commentary on Tacitus

Bibliographic Data

ID11621015
AuthorsArnaldo Momigliano (corresponding author)
Year1947
Volume37
Issue1-2
Pages91-101
Publication date1947-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Roman Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0075-4358 • E-ISSN: 1753-528X
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/298459
OpenAlexW2151908534
LanguageEN
Citations received13

Only the learning, the wisdom, and the wit of Professor N. H. Baynes could do full justice to the influence of Tacitus on modern political and historical thought. As no ancient historian of our time is so interested in the legacy of Classical Antiquity as Professor Baynes, it has seemed not inappropriate to bring to him from my native Piedmont the following contribution to the history of Tacitus' influence. An earlier chapter of the same history was written in this Journal (VI, 196 ff.), by Professor F. J. Haverfield. Pontano, at the end of the fifteenth century writes: ‘Curtium ac Taciturn quasi mutilatas videmus statuas; licetque suspicari potius ac coniicere quam omnino de iis iudicium aliquod absolutum ac certum tradere.’ After the editio princeps of the first books of the Annals (1515), it became evident that Tacitus had a message for contemporaries. As Guicciardini said: ‘Insegna molto bene Cornelio Tacito a chi vive sotto a' tiranni il modo di vivere e governarsi prudentemente, cosi come insegna a' tiranni e' modi di fondare la tirannide.’

Annals · Art · Economic Justice · Fifteenth · Humanities · Literature · Political science · Politics · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classics · Historical and Literary Studies · History · Law · Philosophy

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub