Marcus Claudius Tacitus

Tacitus wis born in Interamna (Terni), in Italia.^[3] He circulatit copies o the historian Gaius Cornelius Tacitus' wirk, which wis barely read at the time, an sae we aiblins hae him tae thank for the pairtial survival o Tacitus' wirk; housomeivver, modren historiografie^[4] rejects his claimit strynd frae the historian as forgery. In the course o his lang life he dischairgit the duties o various ceevil offices, includin that o consul in 273, wi universal respect.^[5]

Efter the assassination o Aurelian, Tacitus wis chosen bi the Senate tae succeed him, an the choice wis cordially ratifee'd bi the airmy.^[2] This wis the last time the Senate electit a Roman Emperor. Thare wis a interregnum atween Aurelian an Tacitus, an thare is substantial evidence that Aurelian's wife, Ulpia Severina, ruled in her awn richt afore the election o Tacitus.^[6][7] At ony rate, Tacitus wis situatit at Campanie when he heard the news o his election, an he quickly rushed tae Roum.^[8] He decidit tae re-involve the Senate in some consultative manner in the mechanisms o govrenment^[9] an askit the Senate tae deify Aurelian, afore arrestin an executin Aurelian's murtherers.^[8]

Fechtin Barbarians

Next he muivit against the barbarian mercenars that haed been gathered bi Aurelian tae supplement Roman forces for his Eastren campaign.^[10] Thir mercenars haed plundered several touns in the Eastren Roman provinces efter Aurelian haed been murthert an the campaign cancelled.^[9] His hauf-brither, the Praetorian Prefect Florianus, an Tacitus hissel wan a victory against thir tribes, amang which wur the Heruli, gainin the emperor the title Gothicus Maximus.^[8]

Daith

On his wey back tae the wast tae deal wi a Frankish an Alamannic invasion o Gaul, accordin tae Aurelius Victor, Eutropius an the Historia Augusta, Tacitus dee'd o fiver at Tyana in Cappadocia in Juin 276.^[11][12] It wis reportit that he began actig strangely, declarin that he wad alter the names o the months tae honour hissel, afore succumbin tae a fiver.^[10] In a contrar accoont, Zosimus claims he wis assassinatit, efter appointin ane o his relatives tae an important command in Sirie.^[13]

• Cavafy, "The Complete Poems" Harcourt, Brace & Warld (1961) pg. 201
• Dugan, "Poems 2" Yale Varsity Press (1963) pg. 33

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