Tacitus (emperor)

Marcus Claudius Tacitus Augustus, (Latin, Marcus Claudius Tacitus Augustus), (c. 200 - June 276) better known in Roman historiography as Tacitus was a Roman emperor between 275 and 276.

Descendant of a senatorial family of Umbrian origin, Tacitus served as consul ordinary before his accession to the throne. After a brief interregnum due to the assassination of Aureliano, he was elected emperor. In the provinces of Asia Minor, Tacitus defeated the Goths, who conquered and plundered vast stretches of land from the Black Sea to Cilicia. Six months after his elevation to the imperial purple, he died in the city of Tyana in Cappadocia.

Tacitus bore the honorary name "Gothic Maximus" (Latin: Gothicus Maximus).

Biography

Life before power

Information about Tacitus's life before he ascended to the imperial purple is very vague and scant. According to the reports of the Byzantine historian Juan Zonaras and the Historia Augusta, at the time he was proclaimed emperor he was seventy-five —or seventy-six— years old, so we can intuit that he was born around the 200. But it is also quite likely that the accounts of ancient historians are based solely on the desire to show a respectful age to the senator, and therefore, theoretically, he could have been much younger. The History Augusta relates that Tacitus was born in September and that, during his tenure, he ordered the name of that month to be changed to "tacitus ".

Most sources attribute the Umbrian city of Interamna Nahars (present-day Terni), located forty kilometers from Rome, as his homeland, although there is also the opinion that he was actually, like most emperors of at that time, a native of the Danube provinces. The Historia Augusta claims that he shared a relationship with the historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus, but modern historians recognize this claim as unfounded and false. Tacitus is known to have He was a man of great wealth, he had lands in Interamna Nahars, as well as in the African provinces of Numidia and Mauritania. Flavio Vopisco estimated the value of his property at about two hundred and eighty million sesterces, although the exact value could vary due to to the inflation of the time. Marco Claudio Tácito had several children, whose names are unknown, as well as a brother named Floriano, whose relationship is disputed.

Little is known about Tacitus's career. It is only known with certainty that he held the position of ordinary consul along with the official Julius Placidian. However, historian Alaric Watson suggests that he was not consul but another person bearing the same name (probably Aulus Cecina Tacitus), giving on the basis of the fact that it was unlikely that a person of such a respectable age would have been appointed to this position. Prior to consulship, it is believed that he held other civil offices during his lifetime. Although it is not recorded whether Tacitus held some military career, some sources suggest that he served in the legions of the Danube and that by the time he became emperor he was already in retirement. However, all the evidence for supporters of this hypothesis boils down to the fact that none of Ancient writers point to Tacitus' marital status, which alone is not sufficient to make claims about his military career. In September–November 275—when Tacitus was proclaimed emperor—he was serving as princeps senatus.

Ascension to the throne

After the assassination of Aureliano there was a relatively long interregnum of 6 months. During this time the legions and the senate consulted on the possible new emperor since Aureliano had not left any successor. Finally they decided to proclaim Tacitus, one of the former generals who had later gone on to the senatorial career.

At the time of his proclamation, Tacitus had already reached the age of 75, not usual at that time, although this point cannot be confirmed with certainty. Furthermore, according to some sources, he had a personal fortune of 280 million sesterces, although in those days the value had dropped due to rampant inflation.

Reign

Antoniniano de Tácito.

As the first long-standing soldier emperor, Tacitus had hopes of founding a new dynasty. For this reason he appointed his brother Floriano as prefect of the Praetorians.

Shortly after his accession to the throne, border wars resurfaced as Germanic tribes crossed the Rhine and devastated the areas through which they passed. At the same time the Goths who said they had been called by the Emperor Aurelian to fight the Persians entered Asia Minor from the Black Sea, passing through the Caucasus.

Consequently the brothers separated. Tacitus dealt with the Goths while Florianus fought against the invading Germans. Both were successful. Tacitus achieved a victory against the Alans near Palus Maeotis.

Death and Succession

After only 6 months in power and after having won a victory against the Goths, Tacitus died suddenly and unexpectedly in Tyana (Cappadocia) in June 276.

Two versions of his death have come down to us. Eutropio and Aurelio Víctor say that death was due to an infection with fever. While Zósimus tells us that Tacitus was murdered and as responsible he names the same people who had murdered Maximino, governor of Syria and probably a relative of Tacitus.

Tacitus was succeeded by his brother Florianus, who reigned briefly.