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Some Neglected Evidence on the Early Career of Tacitus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

Nicholas Reed
Affiliation:
London

Extract

The first passage quoted above is the only certain evidence we have about Tacitus' early career, until we come to his tenure of the praetorship in A.D. 88. His career before that date has been the subject of much speculation, so it is surprising that no notice has been taken of the second passage. Syme does not even mention it, and C.W. Mendell merely describes it as ‘curious’. The reason for its dismissal is presumably that the post of a bibliothecis was equestrian, while Tacitus was a senator. Yet in view of our lack of other evidence about his early career, it seems at least worth considering how Pastrengo came to make his statement, even if we conclude he was wrong.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1976

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References

1 Ann. 11.11

2 For a recent summary, see RE Suppl. XI (1968), 385 ff.Google Scholar

3 Tacitus (1958).

4 Tacitus (1957), p. 237.

5 Cf. Sabbadini, R., Le scoperte dei codici latini e greci etc. (Florence 1905, 1967), I. 4 ff.Google Scholar

6 In Corpus Christianorum (1970), 76A, p. 878.Google Scholar

7 Life 418.

8 Cf. Syme, op. cit., p. 778.

9 For this incorrect form of the name of the elder Suetonius, cf. OCD s.v. Suetonius.

10 At a much earlier period we even find ‘Cornelius Tacitus in libro facetiarum’.

11 Sabbadini, op. cit., pp. 5 f.

12 Boccaccio was in fact preceded in his discovery of Medicean II by Paulinus Venetus, who died in 1344, but the latter did not write round excitedly to his friends (cf. Heilig, , Wiener Studien 53 (1935),Google Scholar 95 ff.). Billanovich, G., I primi umanisti e le tradizioni dei classici latini (Friburgo, 1953), pp. 30–3, attributes to Zanobi da Strada the removal of the manuscript from Monte Cassino.Google Scholar

13 Sabbadini 1,8 and II, 254.

14 For a history of the library and it: manuscripts, see Thompson, J.W., The Medieval Libraries (Chicago, 1939), pp. 146 ff.Google Scholar

15 i.7.29–36.

16 Cf. Sabbadini, i. 16 and ii, 256.

17 Cf. Ullman, , CPh 23 (1928), 172.Google Scholar

18 Sabbadini, i. 12, n.59.

19 With other authors, he is most punctilious in listing any minor works he came across, as well as the major ones.

20 Cf. Mendell, p. 239.

21 He is unlikely to have actually seen it, as it was only brought from Corwey to Italy in 1509.

22 Cf. Hirschfeld, O., Die kaiserlichen Verwaltungsbeamten 2 (1905), pp. 299 ff.Google Scholar and Pflaum, H.G., Les Carrières procuratoriennes équestres i (1960), 267–8.Google Scholar

23 Cf. Mommsen, , Gesammelte Schriften vi (1910), 651–2 and RE, s.v. 'Bibliotheken' 422–3.Google Scholar

24 Mendell, p. 4; Syme, p. 63.

25 Birley, E., proc. Brit. Acad. 39 (1953), 199 f.Google Scholar

26 Pliny, Epp. 7. 20. 4.

27 Ibid.

28 Suet. Titus 4.2; cf. Pliny N.H. praelll

29 Suet. Titus 6. Numquam did have one exception: Tac. Hist. 4.68, but only in highly exceptional circumstances.

30 Suet. Nero 21.

31 I quote the words of Syme, concerning another matter: op. cit., p. 188.

32 Röm, . Gesch. v (1885), 165.Google Scholar

33 Op. cit., pp. 170 f.

34 'Tacitus as a military historian', in Tacitus (Studies in Latin Literature and its Influence) ed. Dorey, T.A. (London 1969), pp. 63 ff.Google Scholar

35 One may also note that Tacitus' post of quindecimvir sacris faciundis (Ann. 11.11) was normally held by people of considerable scholarship and learning: cf. Matthews, J., JRS 63 (1973), 179, n.35.Google Scholar