--- product_id: 8365443 title: "The Histories (Penguin Classics)" price: "127.25 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 12 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/8365443-the-histories-penguin-classics store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # The Histories (Penguin Classics) **Price:** 127.25 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Histories (Penguin Classics) - **How much does it cost?** 127.25 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/8365443-the-histories-penguin-classics) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The Histories (Penguin Classics) [Tacitus, Wellesley, Kenneth, Ash, Rhiannon, Ash, Rhiannon] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Histories (Penguin Classics) Review: Transitions in power... - Tacitus was one of the preeminent historians of the ancient world. He wrote several works, but only a couple of them have survived, and even these have fragments missing. "The Histories" primarily concerns one year of the Roman Empire: 69 AD. In that year, the empire would have four emperors: Galba, Otho, Vittelius, and Vespasian. The first three would come to "untimely ends." Otho would committee suicide, the other two were murdered. Vespasian would rule for 10 years, die of natural causes, and we succeeded by his son, Titus. It was Nero's suicide (yes, the infamous Nero, of watching Rome burn fame) in 68 AD, without a ready heir-apparent, that precipitated this year-long fight for succession that was in reality a civil war within the empire. Each of the contenders had their own geographic power base, with shifting alliances on the part of other players. Vittelius was in the Germanic area; Vespasian was most recently based in the area now called the Middle East: Judaea and Syria. It was a very bloody transition, both for the "principals," as indicated earlier, as well as the foot soldier, who died in their thousands. Overall, though there sure was much injustice in the infamous "hanging chads" as well as a Supreme Court decision, Tacitus' account makes one appreciate a non-bloody transition. Tacitus was a Roman senator who wrote this account over 30 years after the events occurred. Thus, much had become "received wisdom." He includes certain speeches, verbatim. He admits to owing his position to the Vespasians', who were enemies of Vittelius, so in his rather scathing account of the later, it helps to keep that in mind. With those caveats aside, I sensed that he was an acute observer in how power was sought and utilized, and the many follies associated with it. He does an excellent job of tracking the changing political alliances, along with summarizing the motivations of the principal characters. In addition to the politics, there is much military history, with the names and leadership of the various legions that took part in battles. Tacitus assumes that the reader knows the military nomenclature and tactics of the time, and thus the modern reader may need to familiarize oneself with these, from a separate source. The most detailed battle accounts were of two different battles, each occurring essentially at the same place, Bedriacum, in northern Italy. Vittelius was the winner in the first one, and the loser in the second, both fought within six months of each other. (It recalled other multiple battles over the same place, for example Bull Run in the American Civil War, or Ypres, in the First World War.) One aspect of the fighting that I found surprising was how, in a civil war, Roman soldiers would treat Roman civilians as suitable targets for looting and raping (it just seemed to be part of the game.) Furthermore, in terms of brutality and callousness, Tacitus states that Hannibal insisted that the Romans who died in the bloody battle of Cannae in 216 BC be buried. In this Civil War of 69 AD, Romans let other Romans rot on the battlefield. And in terms of "fragging their own officers," an expression from a much later war, it was also telling how often the troops revolted, and killed their own generals. The last section covers the Roman war against the Jews, in 70 AD, which included the destruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. The victorious Roman general was Titus, son of Vespasian, who would go on to become emperor in his own right, when his father died (of natural causes!) For the modern reader, Tacitus' perspective can be somewhat jarring. Judea was just one more area on the borders of the expanding empire that needed to be "pacified." It was filled with cantankerous natives involved in customs and practices that did not conform with the norm of the empire, and were therefore "aberrant." I cannot read Latin, and therefore cannot vouch for the accuracy of the translation. I note at least one other review which challenges it though. But I do think that Kenneth Wellesley has produced a most readable and understandable version for the modern reader. And there are four excellent maps that I found myself constantly referring to, as well as 50 pages of notes designed to assist the modern reader who is not intimately familiar with the period. It was a great read, with numerous points on power, its use, and the transition of same between one group and another, valid for today. 5-stars. Review: Great deal. - Good stuff! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #544,521 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #55 in Classic Roman Literature #298 in Ancient & Classical Literature #10,460 in Classic Literature & Fiction | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (129) | | Dimensions | 7.74 x 5.14 x 0.93 inches | | Edition | Revised | | ISBN-10 | 0140449647 | | ISBN-13 | 978-0140449648 | | Item Weight | 9.9 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 384 pages | | Publication date | August 25, 2009 | | Publisher | Penguin Classics | | Reading age | 18 years and up | ## Images ![The Histories (Penguin Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91eQzf5LkBL.jpg) ![The Histories (Penguin Classics) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91-dRoqHj2L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Transitions in power... *by J***I on August 2, 2013* Tacitus was one of the preeminent historians of the ancient world. He wrote several works, but only a couple of them have survived, and even these have fragments missing. "The Histories" primarily concerns one year of the Roman Empire: 69 AD. In that year, the empire would have four emperors: Galba, Otho, Vittelius, and Vespasian. The first three would come to "untimely ends." Otho would committee suicide, the other two were murdered. Vespasian would rule for 10 years, die of natural causes, and we succeeded by his son, Titus. It was Nero's suicide (yes, the infamous Nero, of watching Rome burn fame) in 68 AD, without a ready heir-apparent, that precipitated this year-long fight for succession that was in reality a civil war within the empire. Each of the contenders had their own geographic power base, with shifting alliances on the part of other players. Vittelius was in the Germanic area; Vespasian was most recently based in the area now called the Middle East: Judaea and Syria. It was a very bloody transition, both for the "principals," as indicated earlier, as well as the foot soldier, who died in their thousands. Overall, though there sure was much injustice in the infamous "hanging chads" as well as a Supreme Court decision, Tacitus' account makes one appreciate a non-bloody transition. Tacitus was a Roman senator who wrote this account over 30 years after the events occurred. Thus, much had become "received wisdom." He includes certain speeches, verbatim. He admits to owing his position to the Vespasians', who were enemies of Vittelius, so in his rather scathing account of the later, it helps to keep that in mind. With those caveats aside, I sensed that he was an acute observer in how power was sought and utilized, and the many follies associated with it. He does an excellent job of tracking the changing political alliances, along with summarizing the motivations of the principal characters. In addition to the politics, there is much military history, with the names and leadership of the various legions that took part in battles. Tacitus assumes that the reader knows the military nomenclature and tactics of the time, and thus the modern reader may need to familiarize oneself with these, from a separate source. The most detailed battle accounts were of two different battles, each occurring essentially at the same place, Bedriacum, in northern Italy. Vittelius was the winner in the first one, and the loser in the second, both fought within six months of each other. (It recalled other multiple battles over the same place, for example Bull Run in the American Civil War, or Ypres, in the First World War.) One aspect of the fighting that I found surprising was how, in a civil war, Roman soldiers would treat Roman civilians as suitable targets for looting and raping (it just seemed to be part of the game.) Furthermore, in terms of brutality and callousness, Tacitus states that Hannibal insisted that the Romans who died in the bloody battle of Cannae in 216 BC be buried. In this Civil War of 69 AD, Romans let other Romans rot on the battlefield. And in terms of "fragging their own officers," an expression from a much later war, it was also telling how often the troops revolted, and killed their own generals. The last section covers the Roman war against the Jews, in 70 AD, which included the destruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. The victorious Roman general was Titus, son of Vespasian, who would go on to become emperor in his own right, when his father died (of natural causes!) For the modern reader, Tacitus' perspective can be somewhat jarring. Judea was just one more area on the borders of the expanding empire that needed to be "pacified." It was filled with cantankerous natives involved in customs and practices that did not conform with the norm of the empire, and were therefore "aberrant." I cannot read Latin, and therefore cannot vouch for the accuracy of the translation. I note at least one other review which challenges it though. But I do think that Kenneth Wellesley has produced a most readable and understandable version for the modern reader. And there are four excellent maps that I found myself constantly referring to, as well as 50 pages of notes designed to assist the modern reader who is not intimately familiar with the period. It was a great read, with numerous points on power, its use, and the transition of same between one group and another, valid for today. 5-stars. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great deal. *by J***F on March 12, 2025* Good stuff! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Power, Paranoia, and the Price of Empire *by D***T on August 11, 2025* Tacitus’ The Histories is not just some other read, it is a powerful and impactful one. This book takes a deep dive into the harsh and violent landscape of politics in Rome in the following years after the emperor Nero's death, narrowing in on the tumultuous “Year of the Four Emperors” in 69 AD. The thing that makes this book so memorable is not just the significance it holds historically, but its discussion of human nature. Tacitus is not just writing factual evidence, he is also writing and studying one's character, human ambitions, and corruption in the world with extreme accuracy. Tacitus was a Roman senator and historian himself, and his views are both political and personal, providing key insights and knowledge. Tacitus is doubtful of power as he is critical of many emperors like Galba, Vitellius, Otho, and even Vespian, a seemingly virtuous man. In his work, he provides vivid and almost cinematic writing complete with speeches, deceit, and dark themes. Although written in latin, a challenging language to translate, the English is still able to provide the emotions provoked from Tacitus’ keen words and ponderous tone. Some sections of his writing can be filled with names and navigating through politics but patience is key. Although this piece was written around 2,000 years ago, The Histories is formulated in a way where it feels particularly modern. Tacitus gives the reader warnings of unsupervised power, false loyalties, and manipulation, all issues significantly relevant in the modern day with the media and political matters. This gives his book a purpose of more than just telling history, it also serves as a story of warning. The only complaint I have with this book is that the books now are somewhat incomplete, leaving us with irritating holes in the storyline. Despite this, the remaining writing is beautifully articulated and extremely relevant in modern day society. If you have any interest in Rome and its history or want an eye-opening dive into the collapse of politics from someone who lived right in it, this book is for you. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Histories (Penguin Classics) - The Annals of Imperial Rome (Penguin Classics) - Agricola and Germania (Penguin Classics) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/8365443-the-histories-penguin-classics](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/8365443-the-histories-penguin-classics) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-04-22*