The Annals by Tacitus - Translations

[Anonymous No.22436610]

Due to the massive success of my Histories thread (lol) I decided to now do this one.

>Original text (Book 1, 1)
Urbem Romam a principio reges habuere; libertatem et consulatum L. Brutus instituit. dictaturae ad tempus sumebantur; neque decemviralis potestas ultra biennium, neque tribunorum militum consulare ius diu valuit. non Cinnae, non Sullae longa dominatio; et Pompei Crassique potentia cito in Caesarem, Lepidi atque Antonii arma in Augustum cessere, qui cuncta discordiis civilibus fessa nomine principis sub imperium accepit. sed veteris populi Romani prospera vel adversa claris scriptoribus memorata sunt; temporibusque Augusti dicendis non defuere decora ingenia, donec gliscente adulatione deterrerentur. Tiberii Gaique et Claudii ac Neronis res florentibus ipsis ob metum falsae, postquam occiderant, recentibus odiis compositae sunt. inde consilium mihi pauca de Augusto et extrema tradere, mox Tiberii principatum et cetera, sine ira et studio, quorum causas procul habeo.

My other translation threads:
>Democracy in America by Tocqueville
>>/lit/thread/21013322
>The Golden Ass by Apuleius
>>/lit/thread/22368784
>The Histories by Herodotus
>>/lit/thread/20880417
>Beowulf
>>/lit/thread/21235718
>The Histories by Tacitus
>>/lit/thread/22419288

Posting The Annals (Tacitus) translations below (feel free to add more):

[Anonymous No.22436613]

>A. J. Woodman (Hackett Publishing)
The City of Rome from its inception was held by kings; freedom and the consulship
were established by L. Brutus. Dictatorships were taken up only on occasion, and neither did decemviral power remain in effect beyond two years, nor the military tribunes’ consular prerogative for long. Not for Cinna nor for Sulla was there lengthy domination, and the powerfulness of Pompeius and Crassus passed quickly to Caesar, the armies of Lepidus and Antonius to Augustus, who with the name of princeps took everything, exhausted as it now was by civil dissensions, under his command. The Roman people of old, however, had their successes and adversities recalled by brilliant writers; and to tell of Augustus’ times there was no dearth of deserving talents, until they were deterred by swelling sycophancy.The affairs of Tiberius and Gaius, as of Claudius and Nero,were falsified through dread while the men themselves flourished, and composed with hatred fresh after their fall. Hence my plan is the transmission of a mere few things about Augustus and of his final period, then of Tiberius’ principate and the remainder—without anger and partiality, any reasons for which I keep at a distance.

[Anonymous No.22436617]

>Michael Grant (Penguin Classics)
When Rome was first a city, its rulers were kings. Then Lucius Junius Brutus created the consulate and free Republican institutions in general. Dictatorships were assumed in emergencies. A Council of Ten did not last more than two years; and then there was a short-lived arrangement by which senior army officers – the commanders of contingents provided by the tribes – possessed consular authority. Subsequently Cinna and Sulla set up autocracies, but they too were brief. Soon Pompey and Crassus acquired predominant positions, but rapidly lost them to Caesar. Next, the military strength which Lepidus and Antony had built up was absorbed by Augustus. He found the whole state exhausted by internal dissensions, and established over it a personal régime known as the Principate. Famous writers have recorded Rome’s early glories and disasters. The Augustan Age, too, had its distinguished historians. But then the rising tide of flattery exercised a deterrent effect. The reigns of Tiberius, Gaius, Claudius, and Nero were described during their lifetimes in fictitious terms, for fear of the consequences; whereas the accounts written after their deaths were influenced by still raging animosities. So I have decided to say a little about Augustus, with special attention to his last period, and then go on to the reign of Tiberius and what followed. I shall write without indignation or partisanship: in my case the customary incentives to these are lacking.

[Anonymous No.22436619]

>J. C. Yardley (Oxford World’s Classics)
Kings first governed the city of Rome; liberty and the consulship were established by Lucius Brutus. Dictatorships were employed to meet crises. The rule of the decemvirs lasted no more than two years, and the consular authority of the military tribunes was also short-lived. The ascendancy of Cinna was not of long duration, nor that of Sulla; and the dominance of Pompey and Crassus swiftly passed to Caesar, the armed might of Lepidus and Antonius to Augustus. Augustus then brought a world exhausted from civil dissension under his authority, with the title of ‘First Citizen’. he Roman people of old had their successes and their failures related by famous authors; and there was no shortage of fine minds for recording the Augustan period, until the groundswell of obsequiousness frightened them off. The histories of Tiberius, Gaius, Claudius, and Nero were distorted because of fear while they reigned, and, when they were gone, were composed with animosities still fresh. Hence my decision to deal only briefly with Augustus—and specifically with the final days—and then to move on to the principate of Tiberius and its aftermath, without rancour or bias, far removed as I am from motives for these.

[Anonymous No.22436622]

>Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb (Modern Library and Everyman’s Libray)
Rome at the beginning was ruled by kings. Freedom and the consulship were established by Lucius Brutus. Dictatorships were held for a temporary crisis. The power of the decemvirs did not last beyond two years, nor was the consular jurisdiction of the military tribunes of long duration. The despotisms of Cinna and Sulla were brief; the rule of Pompeius and of Crassus soon yielded before Caesar; the arms of Lepidus and Antonius before Augustus; who, when the world was wearied by civil strife, subjected it to empire under the title of "Prince." But the successes and reverses of the old Roman people have been recorded by famous historians; and fine intellects were not wanting to describe the times of Augustus, till growing sycophancy scared them away. The histories of Tiberius, Caius, Claudius, and Nero, while they were in power, were falsified through terror, and after their death were written under the irritation of a recent hatred. Hence my purpose is to relate a few facts about Augustus - more particularly his last acts, then the reign of Tiberius, and all which follows, without either bitterness or partiality, from any motives to which I am far removed.

[Anonymous No.22437188]

bump

[Anonymous No.22437855]

I don't get the point, seems way too niche to survive even on /lit/, have a bump

[Anonymous No.22438383]

>>22437855
Thank you :)
I simply want to make something for future reference

[Anonymous No.22438603]

>>22436613
I own this version. Interesting to compare. Thanks.

[Anonymous No.22438609]

>temporibusque Augusti dicendis non defuere decora ingenia
I love this construction

[Anonymous No.22439638]

>>22438603
np :)

[Anonymous No.22440244]

>>22436622
Does anyone know if the Everyman’s Library edition has notes?

[Anonymous No.22440671]

>Cynthia Damon (Penguin Classics)
The city of Rome was originally in the hands of kings; liberty and the consulship were instituted by Lucius Brutus. Dictatorships were assumed temporarily. The Board of Ten did not exercise control beyond a two-year period, nor was the military tribunes’ consular authority long prevalent. Neither Cinna’s regime nor Sulla’s was lengthy. The power of Pompey and Crassus quickly gave way to Caesar, likewise the armies of Lepidus and Antony to Augustus, who as ‘first citizen’ received everything, weary as it was from civil strife, into his command. For the Roman people of old – their successes and misfortunes – writers of renown produced a record, and the tale of Augustus’ times did not lack reputable talents until the spread of flattery proved a deterrent. The affairs of Tiberius and Gaius, Claudius and Nero, in their prosperity, were falsified through fear and after their fall were written with hatreds still fresh. Thus my plan is to report a few final things about Augustus, then Tiberius’ principate and the rest, without anger or favour, from whose causes I consider myself distant.

[Anonymous No.22441174]

>

[Anonymous No.22441625]

Anyone know what the best translations of the Aenid are, if I find the poetry the most important aspect? Amazon won't show me the previews except for the one of Dryden (and I don't want to just buy him because he also is an important poet)

[Anonymous No.22442831]

>>22441625
I can show some translations, just give me a few minutes

[Anonymous No.22442836]

>>22436610
Good thread. Have a bump.

[Anonymous No.22442848]

>>22441625
>>22442831
Fagles

[Anonymous No.22442861]

>>22442848
Fitzgerald

[Anonymous No.22442872]

>>22442836
Thanks! I appreciate it

[Anonymous No.22442879]

>>22442861
Cecil Day-Lewis

[Anonymous No.22442889]

>>22442879
Patric Dickinson

[Anonymous No.22442890]

Huhuhuhuhuhuhu. Anals. Huhuhuhuhuhuhu

[Anonymous No.22442899]

>>22442889
And Allen Mandelbaum. Hope this helps, friend.

[Anonymous No.22443437]

>>22442848
>>22442861
>>22442879
>>22442889
>>22442899
King
why yes, I will reply in both threads

[Anonymous No.22445094]

>>22436610
This is the only good thread on /lit/

[Anonymous No.22445101]

>>22437855
Why is this niche? Tacitus is like the numero uno when it comes to the Roman histories.

[Anonymous No.22445268]

>>22443437
here's Dryden btw

[Anonymous No.22445551]

>>22445101
I mean the thread style, how many people on 4chan are going to be interested in a thread specifically around a single book of a single ancient Roman author and specifically about comparing translations. Maybe the thread should be more about either comparing ancient translations as a whole or something like that, maybe there'd be more people interested for example in the philosophical works where translation can make or break things sometimes, while historiography is more linear