中文导读
《编年史》是塔西佗（Publius Cornelius Tacitus，约公元 56—120 年）最重要的史学著作，原书约 16-18 卷，记述了从奥古斯都去世（公元 14 年）到尼禄之死（公元 68 年）间的朱里亚-克劳狄王朝历史。现存约 9 卷及部分残篇。
塔西佗的史学与李维截然不同。李维写的是"罗马如何伟大"的宏大叙事，塔西佗写的是"罗马如何堕落"的政治解剖。他的关注点不是战争和外交，而是权力如何在帝制下腐蚀人性——皇帝如何从元老院的控制下独立、廷臣如何阿谀、告密者如何获利、自由言论如何消亡。
最著名的段落是关于提比略统治的记述。塔西佗描绘了一个复杂的暴君：提比略不是纯粹的恶人，而是一个被权力异化的人——他本可以成为一个好的统治者，但帝制的结构把他推向了猜疑和残忍。塔西佗最著名的评论是："当他成为最有权力的人时，他就开始做最坏的事"——这不是对个人的控诉，而是对制度的分析。
本选本收录《编年史》卷一开头（奥古斯都之死与提比略继位）。
Annales Book I, Sections 1-12 (opening)
The city of Rome was at first under kings; then under the consuls
and the dictatorship, and later under the authority of the decemvirs
and consular tribunes; then the struggle between patricians and plebeians
led to the establishment of the tribunes of the plebs and other offices.
In the course of time, the power of the people was weakened,
and the state fell under the control of a few—until at last
Augustus Caesar brought the whole world under his single rule.
But the history of the Roman people under the kings and under
the leaders of the republic has been written by many able authors;
and I shall not attempt to rival them. My purpose is to describe
the condition of the Roman state under the emperors—a period
in which the people had little to say, and the senate was reduced
to obedience.
Augustus, having gained the mastery of the state by armed force,
then turned to peaceful measures, and by the sweetness of peace
won over the hearts of all. He was hailed as the father of his country;
he was appointed consul, tribune, and pontifex maximus; he was given
the title of Augustus. But the truth is that he was the master
of all, and the people and the senate were his servants.
When Augustus died, in the year 767 from the founding of the city
(14 CE), he was succeeded by Tiberius Claudius Nero, his stepson.
Tiberius was fifty-five years old at the time; he was an experienced
general and a capable administrator, but he was also a man
of dark and suspicious nature. He had never wanted to be emperor—
or so he said. When the senate offered him the throne, he hesitated
and refused, and only after much persuasion did he accept.
But many believed that his hesitation was a sham—that he wanted
the power, but did not want to appear eager for it.
The first years of Tiberius's reign were marked by moderation
and justice. He respected the authority of the senate;
he did not interfere in the administration of the provinces;
he reduced taxes and limited the expenses of the court.
But as time went on, he became more suspicious and more cruel.
He surrounded himself with informers (delatores) who accused
the senators of treason, and many innocent men were put to death.
The senate, which had once been the guardian of Roman liberty,
was reduced to a body of flatterers and cowards.
Of the deaths of those who had been connected with the house
of Augustus, I shall speak more fully in their proper place.
But I must not pass over the fact that, under Tiberius,
the old Roman spirit of independence was gradually extinguished.
The people no longer had the courage to speak their minds;
the senators no longer dared to oppose the emperor's will;
and the soldiers, who had once been the defenders of the republic,
became the instruments of its oppression.
Such was the state of Rome when Tiberius came to power.
And it is my task to describe the events of his reign—
not without fear and trembling, for the dangers of writing history
under an emperor are great. But I shall write the truth,
so far as I can discover it; and let the reader judge
whether the fault lies with the man or with the system.
（卷一续：日耳曼尼库斯的出征与死亡、皮索的审判。）