GB 0096 MS 607 - Notes on the Annals of Tacitus

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0096 MS 607

Title

Notes on the Annals of Tacitus

Date(s)

  • 1541, 1721 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

1 volume containing 534 leaves

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Publius Cornelius Tacitus (c AD 56-117) was a Roman orator, public official and historian. He was a friend of Pliny the Younger and married the daughter of Gaius Julius Agricola. In AD 97 he was appointed substitute consul under Nerva, and later he was proconsul of Asia. Tacitus was the author of several works, including Dialogus, a discussion of oratory, and Germania, on the origins and location of the Germans. A sense of moral purpose and severe criticism of contemporary Rome, fallen from the virtuous vigor of the old republic, underlies his two longer works, commonly known as the Histories (of which four books and part of a fifth survive) and the Annals (of which twelve books survive). The extant books of the Histories cover only the reign of Galba (AD 68-69) and the beginning (to AD 70) of the reign of Vespasian, and the surviving books of the Annals tell of the reign of Tiberius, of the last years of Claudius, and of the first years of Nero.

Archival history

GB 0096 MS 607 1541, 1721 Collection (fonds) 1 volume containing 534 leaves Unknown
Publius Cornelius Tacitus (c AD 56-117) was a Roman orator, public official and historian. He was a friend of Pliny the Younger and married the daughter of Gaius Julius Agricola. In AD 97 he was appointed substitute consul under Nerva, and later he was proconsul of Asia. Tacitus was the author of several works, including Dialogus, a discussion of oratory, and Germania, on the origins and location of the Germans. A sense of moral purpose and severe criticism of contemporary Rome, fallen from the virtuous vigor of the old republic, underlies his two longer works, commonly known as the Histories (of which four books and part of a fifth survive) and the Annals (of which twelve books survive). The extant books of the Histories cover only the reign of Galba (AD 68-69) and the beginning (to AD 70) of the reign of Vespasian, and the surviving books of the Annals tell of the reign of Tiberius, of the last years of Claudius, and of the first years of Nero.

Bought from the Shaftesbury Bookshop in 1963.

An incomplete printed edition (Lyons, 1542) of the Annals of Tacitus in Latin, dismembered and laid down on blank sheets of paper, interleaved with many blank pages. Some pages contain manuscript annotations in Latin, and there are a few leaves completely in manuscript, written in the same hand, in French, at the present beginning of the volume (which lacks at least four folios) on political ideas, with particular reference to the works of Nicolo Machiavelli. The printed titlepage is inscribed 'Naples, 1 July, 1721', and the otherwise blank page on which it is mounted is dated 'Sep 1, 1721, Naples'. The suggestion of English ownership (and authorship) is strengthened by the further inscription on the titlepage 'Pret. 5 Carl. (?) Eng. 2s'.

Single item.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.
Latin and French
14½" x 9"

Collection level description.

Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. Oct 2001 Cornelius Tacitus , Publius , c 56-117 , Roman public official and historian x Tacitus , Publius Cornelius European history Historical periods History Machiavelli , Niccolo , 1469-1527 , Italian political theorist National history Political doctrines Roman history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Bought from the Shaftesbury Bookshop in 1963.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

An incomplete printed edition (Lyons, 1542) of the Annals of Tacitus in Latin, dismembered and laid down on blank sheets of paper, interleaved with many blank pages. Some pages contain manuscript annotations in Latin, and there are a few leaves completely in manuscript, written in the same hand, in French, at the present beginning of the volume (which lacks at least four folios) on political ideas, with particular reference to the works of Nicolo Machiavelli. The printed titlepage is inscribed 'Naples, 1 July, 1721', and the otherwise blank page on which it is mounted is dated 'Sep 1, 1721, Naples'. The suggestion of English ownership (and authorship) is strengthened by the further inscription on the titlepage 'Pret. 5 Carl. (?) Eng. 2s'.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Single item.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

Latin and French

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Collection level description.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Senate House Library, University of London

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area