01-28-2023, 01:09 PM
I agree that Tacitus sometimes departs from a strict annalistic method and presents some topics thematically. I don't have the reference to hand but, on one occasion, he states that he is doing this to make his narrative more intelligible to his audience. He certainly does this in relation to tje Boudican revolt. First, he refers to the relative inaction of Paulinus' predecessors and his desire to emulate Corbulo as a justification for his assault upon Mona. Secondly, he deals with what he regards as inaction by Paulinus' successors which, of course, relates to subsequent years. However, I don't believe that this results in his ascribing core events to the 'wrong' year. What he does do, when he reverts to his annalistic technique, is to introduce the new topic by such words as 'eodem anno' {in the same year), 'eo anno' {in that year} or 'isdem consulibus' {in the same consulship}. If the revolt had broken out in AD60, it would have been easy for him, after dealing with other events of that year, to have written, 'Eodem anno gravis clades in Britannia accepta', if that is what he meant, but he didn't.
Michael King Macdona
And do as adversaries do in law, -
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew: Act 1, Scene 2)
And do as adversaries do in law, -
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew: Act 1, Scene 2)
