ve been between seventeen
and twenty. From a consideration of the words of Pliny, who was born
A.D. 61 or 62, the later age seems nearer the mark, and we may
conclude that Tacitus was born A.D. 55 or 56.

We have no positive information about Tacitus' family, but his
education, political career, and marriage into a distinguished house,
prove that he belonged to a family of station. The first person of the
name we know of is mentioned by Pliny the elder as an _eques_, and may
have been Tacitus' father.

Pliny, _N.H._ vii. 76, 'Corneli Taciti, equitis Romani, Belgicae
Galliae rationes procurantis.'

Tacitus received the regular rhetorical training under the best
masters.

_Dial._ 2, 'M. Aper et Iulius Secundus, celeberrima tum ingenia fori
nostri, quos ego in iudiciis non modo studiose audiebam, sed domi
quoque et in publico adsectabar, mira studiorum cupiditate et quodam
ardore iuvenili, ut fabulas quoque eorum et disputationes et arcana
semotae dictionis penitus exciperem.'

That Tacitus had a very great reputation as a speaker is seen from
Pliny, _Ep._ ix. 23, 2, 'Numquam maiorem cepi voluptatem, quam nuper
ex sermone Corneli Taciti. Narrabat sedisse se cum quodam Circensibus
proximis: hunc post varios eruditosque sermones requisisse "Italicus
es an provincialis?" se respondisse "nosti me, et quidem ex studiis."
Ad hoc illum "Tacitus es an Plinius?"'

In A.D. 98 (according to others, 97) Tacitus delivered the funeral
oration over Verginius Rufus, and in A.D. 100 he and Pliny prosecuted
Marius Priscus, proconsul of Africa, for extortion.

Pliny, _Ep._ ii. 1, 6, 'Laudatus est [Verginius Rufus] a consule
Cornelio Tacito: nam hic supremus felicitati eius cumulus accessit,
laudator eloquentissimus.'

_Ibid._ ii. 11, 2, 'Ego et Cornelius Tacitus, adesse provincialibus
iussi.' par. 17, 'Respondit Cornelius Tacitus eloquentissime, et quod
eximium orationi eius inest, +semnos+.'

In A.D. 77 Tacitus was betrothed to the daughter of Agricola, then
consul, and in A.D. 78 he married her.

_Agr._ 9, 'Consul egregiae tum spei filiam iuveni mihi despondit ac
post consulatum collocavit, et statim Britanniae praepositus est.'

Tacitus gives us a clue to his political career in _Hist._ i. 1.

'Dignitatem nostram a Vespasiano incohatam, a Tito auctam, a Domitiano
longius provectam non abnuerim.'

This probably means that Vespasian granted him the _latus clavus_,
_i.e._ a place in the _ordo senatorius_, which was followed