Marcus Claudius Tacitus
| Claudius Tacitus | |
|---|---|
| Emperor of the Roman Empire | |
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| Reign | September 25 275 – June 276 |
| Full name | Marcus Claudius Tacitus (from birth to accession); Caesar Marcus Claudius Tacitus Augustus (as emperor) |
| Born | ca. 200 |
| Birthplace | Interamna |
| Died | June 276 (aged 76) |
| Place of death | Tyana |
| Predecessor | Aurelian |
| Successor | Florianus |
Marcus Claudius Tacitus (ca. 200 – June 276) was a Roman Emperor from September 25 275, to June 276.
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Biography
He was born in Interamna (Terni), in Italia. He circulated copies of the historian Gaius Cornelius Tacitus' work, which was barely read at the time, and so we perhaps have him to thank for the partial survival of Tacitus' work; however, modern historiography [1] rejects his claimed descent from the historian as forgery. In the course of his long life he discharged the duties of various civil offices, including that of consul in 273, with universal respect.
After the assassination of Aurelian, he was chosen by the Senate to succeed him, and the choice was cordially ratified by the army. His first action was to move against the barbarian mercenaries that had been gathered by Aurelian to supplement Roman forces for his Eastern campaign. These mercenaries had plundered several towns in the Eastern Roman provinces after Aurelian had been murdered and the campaign cancelled. His half-brother, the Praetorian Prefect Florianus, and Tacitus himself won a victory against these tribes, among which Heruli, which granted the emperor the title Gothicus Maximus.
Tacitus probably died of fever (according to Aurelius Victor, Eutropius and the Historia Augusta) – though Zosimus claims he was assassinated – at Tyana in Cappadocia in June 276.
References
Primary sources
- Historia Augusta, Vita Taciti
- Eutropius, Breviarium ab urbe condita, ix. 16
- "…After him TACITUS succeeded to the throne; a man of excellent morals, and well qualified to govern the empire. He was unable, however, to show the world anything remarkable, being cut off by death in the sixth month of his reign..…"
- English version of Breviarium ab Urbe Condita
- Aurelius Victor, "Epitome de Caesaribus"
- English version of Epitome de Caesaribus
- "After him, Tacitus took power, a man of singular character, who died at Tarsus from a fever in the two hundredth day of his reign."
- Zosimus, "Historia Nova"
- Joannes Zonaras, "Compendium of History"
Secondary sources
Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Tacitus, Marcus Claudius". Encyclopædia Britannica (Eleventh ed.). Cambridge University Press.- Tacitus in De Imperatoribus Romanis, giving the modern view
External links
Media related to Marcus Claudius Tacitus at Wikimedia Commons
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Aurelian |
Roman Emperor 275–276 |
Succeeded by Florianus |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Titus Flavius Postumius Quietus , Junius Veldumnianus, Tetricus I |
Consul of the Roman Empire 273 with Placidianus, Tetricus I |
Succeeded by Aurelian, Capitolinus |
| Preceded by Aurelian , Marcellinus |
Consul of the Roman Empire 276 with Aemilianus |
Succeeded by Probus, Paulinus |
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