TACITUS' ACCOUNT OF THE PANNONIAN REVOLT (ANN. 1.16-30)

Abstract

Introduction The Pannonian revolt (Ann. 1.16-30) is one of the sections that receives the least attention in the prolific body of criticism on the first six books of the Annales. This results partly from the bipartite structure of the Tiberian hexad which invites critics-once they have dealt with the prologue (1.1-15)I_to concentrate on Germanicus as the foil for Tiberius in the first triad (1.3lff) and on Seianus in the second. However, the main reason for the lack of interest is probably that, in spite of Leeman's excellent discussion (1974:368-377) of capita 16 to 30, the view expressed in F.R.D. Goodyear's commentary (1972:195) still looms large in critical perceptions of Tacitus' description of the revolt in Pannonia: