The Annals of Imperial Rome

The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.

Crime, once exposed, has no refuge but in audacity.

So obscure are the greatest events, as some take for granted any hearsay, whatever its source, others turn truth into falsehood, and both errors find encouragement with posterity.

But the more I reflect on events recent and past, the more I am struck by the element of the absurd in everything humans do.

The practices of the Jews are malevolent and despicable, and have entrenched themselves by their very degeneracy. Deviants of the most depraved kind who had no use for the religion of their predecessors, they took to collecting dues and contributions in order to swell the Jewish treasury; and other reasons for their increasing wealth may be found in their unrelenting loyalty and eager nepotism towards fellow Jews. But all the rest of the world they hold in contempt with the hatred reserved for enemies. They will not feed or intermarry with gentiles. Despite being overtly lustful as a race, the Jews shun carnal dealings with women foreign to their tribe. Among their own kind however, nothing is forbidden. They have adopted the practice of circumcision to show that they are different from others. Those seeking to convert to Judaism adopt the same practices, and the very first lesson they are taught is to despise the gods, shed all feelings of patriotism, and consider parents, children and brothers as readily expendable. However, the Jews make certain that their population increases.

in disturbed times uncivilized communities trust and prefer leaders who take risks.

Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judæa, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular

For he would twist a word or a look into a crime and treasure it up in his memory.

[Asiaticus responds] Ask your sons, Suillius. They will testify to my masculinity.

It seems to me a historian’s foremost duty to ensure that merit is recorded, and to confront evil words and deeds with the fear of posterity’s denunciations.

...Ili da navedemo još jedan primer, koji je utoliko instruktivniji što je tu junakinja obična žena iz naroda, koja kako kaže Tacit, "Dotada nije pokazivala nimalo sklonosti za čast i pravdu (15, 51). Prišavši Pisonovoj zaveri ova je žena, po imenu Epiharida, uhapšena i bačena na muke ne bi li priznala optužbe i odala zaverenike za koje je znala. "Ali ni bičevanje, ni vatra, ni bes dželata, utoliko žešći što su se plašili da će im se podsmehnuti jedna žena, nisu slomili Epiharidu: uporno je poricala sve optužbe. Prvi dan istrage ništa nije priznala. Sutradan, dok su je nosili ponovo na mučenje, u nosiljci, jer smrskani udovi nisu mogli da drže telo, otrgne povez sa grudi, načini omču, okači je o naslon od stolice, protne glavu, obesi se svom težinom i ispusti, već slabašnu dušu. Jedna žena, jedna oslobođenica, pružila je divan primer hrabrosti, na najvećim mukama, ne bi li zaštitila tuđe, gotovo nepoznate ljude, dok su slobodni ljudi i muškarci, vitezovi i senatori rimski, još ne okusivši muka, izdavali svoje najmilije i najdraže." Ovakvih i sličnih primera puni su "Anali". I svuda gde su ljudska hrabrost i dostojanstvo odnosili moralnu pobedu nad tiranijom, nasiljem i izopačenošću, imao je Tacit budna čula da to zapazi i istakne, a njegov pesnički talenat davao je ovim scenama tragičku uzvišenost.