Tacitus (emperor) - Wikipedia Tacitus (emperor) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia   (Redirected from Marcus Claudius Tacitus) Jump to navigation Jump to search Roman emperor from 275 to 276 For the first-century Roman historian, see Tacitus. Roman emperor Tacitus Bust of the Emperor Tacitus Roman emperor Reign 25 September 275 – June 276 Predecessor Aurelian Successor Florianus Born c. 200 Interamna, Italy Died June 276 (aged 76) Antoniana Colonia Tyana, Cappadocia Names Marcus Claudius Tacitus[1] Marcus Claudius Tacitus (/ˈtæsɪtəs/; c. 200 – June 276) was Roman emperor from 275 to 276. During his short reign he campaigned against the Goths and the Heruli, for which he received the title Gothicus Maximus. Contents 1 Early life 2 Emperor 2.1 Fighting barbarians 2.2 Death 3 References 4 Sources 4.1 Primary sources 4.2 Secondary sources 5 Further reading Early life[edit] Antoninianus of Tacitus. Legend: IMPerator Caesar Marcus CLavdius TACITVS AVGustus. Tacitus was born in Interamna (Terni), in Italia.[2] He circulated copies of the historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus' work, which was barely read at the time, perhaps contributing to the partial survival of the historian's work. Modern historiography rejects his claimed descent from the historian as a fabrication.[3] In the course of his long life he discharged the duties of various civil offices, holding the consulship twice, once under Valerian and again in 273, earning universal respect.[4] Emperor[edit] After the assassination of Aurelian, the army, apparently in remorse at the effects of the previous centuries' military license, which had brought about the death of the well-liked emperor, relinquished the right of choosing his successor to the Senate.[5] Initially, the Senate hesitated to accept the responsibility, but when the delay had gone on eight months from Aurelian's death it at last determined to settle the matter and offered the throne to the aged Princeps Senatus, Tacitus.[6] Tacitus, after ascertaining the sincerity of the Senate's regard for him, accepted their nomination on 25 September 275,[7] and the choice was cordially ratified by the army.[1] This was the last time the Senate elected a Roman Emperor. The interregnum between Aurelian and Tacitus had been quite long, and there is substantial evidence that Aurelian's wife, Ulpia Severina, ruled in her own right before the election of Tacitus.[8][9] Tacitus had been living in Campania before his election, and returned only reluctantly to the assembly of the Senate in Rome, where he was elected. He immediately asked the Senators to deify Aurelian, before arresting and executing Aurelian's murderers.[10] Amongst the highest concerns of the new reign was the restoration of the ancient Senatorial powers. He granted substantial prerogatives to the Senate, securing to them by law the appointment of the emperor, of the consuls, and the provincial governors, as well as supreme right of appeal from every court in the empire in its judicial function, and the direction of certain branches of the revenue in its long-abeyant administrative capacity.[11] Probus respected these changes, but after the reforms of Diocletian in the succeeding decades not a vestige would be left of them. Fighting barbarians[edit] Next he moved against the barbarian mercenaries that had been gathered by Aurelian to supplement Roman forces for his Eastern campaign.[citation needed] These mercenaries had plundered several towns in the Eastern Roman provinces after Aurelian had been murdered and the campaign cancelled.[12] His half-brother, the Praetorian Prefect Florianus, and Tacitus himself won a victory against these tribes, among which were the Heruli, gaining the emperor the title Gothicus Maximus.[10] Death[edit] On his way back to the west to deal with a Frankish and Alamannic invasion of Gaul, according to Aurelius Victor, Eutropius and the Historia Augusta, Tacitus died of fever at Tyana in Cappadocia in June 276.[13][14] It was reported that he began acting strangely, declaring that he would alter the names of the months to honor himself, before succumbing to a fever.[citation needed] In a contrary account, Zosimus claims he was assassinated, after appointing one of his relatives to an important command in Syria.[15] References[edit] ^ a b Jones, pg. 873 ^ Historia Augusta, Vita Taciti, 15:1 ^ McMahon, Note 3 and accompanying text ^ Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, (The Modern Library, 1932), ch. XII., p. 276 ^ Gibbon, pp. 274-278 ^ Gibbon, p. 277; He was then 75 years old. ^ Hinson, E. Glenn (1995). The Church Triumphant: A History of Christianity Up to 1300. Mercer University Press. p. 95. ISBN 0865544360. ^ Watson, Alaric (1999). Aurelian and the Third Century. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-07248-4. ^ Körner, Christian (December 23, 2008). "Aurelian (A.D. 270–275)". De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families. Retrieved January 6, 2011. ^ a b Southern, pg. 127 ^ Gibbon, p. 279 ^ Gibbon, p. 280 ^ Aurelius Victor, 36:1 ^ Historia Augusta, Vita Taciti, 13:5 ^ Zosimus, I:63:2 Sources[edit] Primary sources[edit] Historia Augusta, Vita Taciti, English version of Historia Augusta Eutropius, Breviarium ab urbe condita, ix. 16, English version of Breviarium ab Urbe Condita Aurelius Victor, "Epitome de Caesaribus", English version of Epitome de Caesaribus Zosimus, "Historia Nova", Historia Nova Joannes Zonaras, Compendium of History extract: Zonaras: Alexander Severus to Diocletian: 222–284 Secondary sources[edit] McMahon, Robin, "Tacitus (275–276 A.D)", De Imperatoribus Romanis Jones, A.H.M.; J.R. Martindale & J. Morris (1971). The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire Volume 1: A.D. 260–395. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-07233-6. Southern, Pat. The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine, Routledge, 2001 Gibbon. Edward Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire (1888) Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Tacitus, Marcus Claudius" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. Further reading[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marcus Claudius Tacitus. Constantine P. Cavafy, The Complete Poems, Harcourt, Brace & World (1961), p. 201 Alan Dugan, Poems 2, Yale University Press (1963), p. 33 Regnal titles Preceded by Aurelian Roman emperor 275–276 Succeeded by Florianus Political offices Preceded by T. Flavius Postumius Quietus Junius Veldumnianus Roman consul 273 with Julius Placidianus Succeeded by Aurelian Capitolinus Preceded by Aurelian Marcellinus Roman consul 276 with Aemilianus Succeeded by Probus Paulinus v t e Roman and Byzantine emperors and ruling empresses Principate 27 BC – AD 235 Augustus Tiberius Caligula Claudius Nero Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasian Titus Domitian Nerva Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius Lucius Verus Commodus Pertinax Didius Julianus (Pescennius Niger) (Clodius Albinus) Septimius Severus Caracalla Geta Macrinus Diadumenian Elagabalus Severus Alexander Crisis 235–285 Maximinus Thrax Gordian I Gordian II Pupienus Balbinus Gordian III Philip the Arab Philip II Decius Herennius Etruscus Hostilian Trebonianus Gallus Volusianus Aemilianus Valerian Gallienus Saloninus Claudius Gothicus Quintillus Aurelian Ulpia Severina Tacitus Florian Probus Carus Carinus Numerian Gallic emperors Postumus (Laelianus) Marius Victorinus (Domitianus II) Tetricus I with Tetricus II as caesar Palmyrene emperors Vaballathus Zenobia Septimius Antiochus Dominate 284–395 Diocletian Maximian Galerius Constantius I Severus Constantine the Great Maxentius Licinius Maximinus Daza (Valerius Valens) (Martinian) Constantine II Constantius II Constans I Magnentius Vetranio Julian Jovian Valentinian I (west) Valens (east) Gratian (west) Valentinian II (west) Theodosius I Magnus Maximus Victor (Eugenius) Western Empire 395–480 Honorius Constantine III with son Constans II Constantius III Joannes Valentinian III Petronius Maximus Avitus Majorian Libius Severus Anthemius Olybrius Glycerius Julius Nepos Romulus Augustulus Eastern/ Byzantine Empire 395–1204 Arcadius Theodosius II Marcian Leo I Leo II Zeno Basiliscus Marcus Anastasius I Dicorus Justin I Justinian I Justin II Tiberius II Constantine Maurice with son Theodosius as co-emperor Phocas Heraclius Constantine III Heraklonas Constans II Constantine IV with brothers Heraclius and Tiberius and then Justinian II as co-emperors Justinian II (first reign) Leontios Tiberius III Justinian II (second reign) with son Tiberius as co-emperor Philippikos Anastasios II Theodosius III Leo III the Isaurian Constantine V Artabasdos Leo IV the Khazar Constantine VI Irene Nikephoros I Staurakios Michael I Rangabe with son Theophylact as co-emperor Leo V the Armenian with Symbatios-Constantine as junior emperor Michael II the Amorian Theophilos Michael III Basil I the Macedonian Leo VI the Wise Alexander Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos Romanos I Lekapenos with sons Christopher, Stephen and Constantine as junior co-emperors Romanos II Nikephoros II Phokas John I Tzimiskes Basil II Constantine VIII Zoë (first reign) and Romanos III Argyros Zoë (first reign) and Michael IV the Paphlagonian Michael V Kalaphates Zoë (second reign) with Theodora Zoë (second reign) and Constantine IX Monomachos Constantine IX Monomachos (sole emperor) Theodora Michael VI Bringas Isaac I Komnenos Constantine X Doukas Romanos IV Diogenes Michael VII Doukas with brothers Andronikos and Konstantios and son Constantine Nikephoros III Botaneiates Alexios I Komnenos John II Komnenos with Alexios Komnenos as co-emperor Manuel I Komnenos Alexios II Komnenos Andronikos I Komnenos with John Komnenos as co-emperor Isaac II Angelos Alexios III Angelos Alexios IV Angelos Nicholas Kanabos (chosen by the Senate) Alexios V Doukas Empire of Nicaea 1204–1261 Constantine Laskaris Theodore I Laskaris John III Doukas Vatatzes Theodore II Laskaris John IV Laskaris Byzantine Empire 1261–1453 Michael VIII Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos with Michael IX Palaiologos as co-emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos John V Palaiologos John VI Kantakouzenos with John V Palaiologos and Matthew Kantakouzenos as co-emperors John V Palaiologos Andronikos IV Palaiologos John VII Palaiologos Andronikos V Palaiologos Manuel II Palaiologos John VIII Palaiologos Constantine XI Palaiologos Italics indicates a junior co-emperor, while underlining indicates a usurper. Authority control General Integrated Authority File ISNI 1 VIAF 1 WorldCat National libraries Netherlands Other SUDOC (France) 1 Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tacitus_(emperor)&oldid=1026086339" Categories: 200 births 276 deaths 3rd-century Roman emperors 3rd-century murdered monarchs Imperial Roman consuls Crisis of the Third Century Claudii People from Terni Murdered Roman emperors Gothicus Maximus Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2018 Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference Commons link is on Wikidata Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with NTA identifiers Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers Year of birth uncertain Navigation menu Personal tools Not logged in Talk Contributions Create account Log in Namespaces Article Talk Variants Views Read Edit View history More Search Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Donate Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Tools What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Cite this page Wikidata item Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikimedia Commons Languages العربية تۆرکجه Bân-lâm-gú Беларуская Български Brezhoneg Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Euskara فارسی Français Frysk Galego 客家語/Hak-kâ-ngî 한국어 Hrvatski Italiano עברית ქართული Kiswahili Latina Lombard Magyar Македонски മലയാളം مصرى Nederlands 日本語 Norsk bokmål Occitan Polski Português Română Русский Scots Sicilianu Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Yorùbá 粵語 Zazaki 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 31 May 2021, at 08:56 (UTC). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Contact Wikipedia Mobile view Developers Statistics Cookie statement