The Annals of Tacitus

The Jan-Apr 2026 subscription book for Castalia History

Castalia Library is very pleased to finally announce that after some internal debate, the January-April 2026 subscription book for Castalia History is the ANNALS of Tacitus, one of the great histories of the Roman Empire.

The same year the cities of Gaul, stimulated by their excessive debts, began a rebellion. The most vehement incendiaries were Julius Florus and Julius Sacrovir; the first amongst those of Treves, the second amongst the Aeduans. They were both distinguished by their nobility, and by the good services of their ancestors, who thence had acquired of old the right of Roman citizens; a privilege rare in those days, and then only the prize of virtue. When by secret meetings, they had gained those who were most prompt to rebel; with such as were desperate through indigence, or, from guilt of past crimes, forced to commit more; they agreed that Florus should begin the insurrection in Belgia; Sacrovir amongst the neighbouring Gauls. In order to this, they had many consultations and cabals, where they uttered seditious harangues; they urged “their tribute without end, their devouring usury, the pride and cruelty of their Governors: that they had now a glorious opportunity to recover their liberty; for that since the report of the murder of Germanicus, discord had seized the Roman soldiery: they need only consider their own strength and numbers; while Italy was poor and exhausted; the Roman populace weak and unwarlike, the Roman armies destitute of all vigour but that derived from foreigners.”

Scarce one city remained untainted with the seeds of this rebellion; but it first broke at Angiers and Tours. The former were reduced by Acilius Aviola, a legate, with the assistance of a cohort drawn from the garrison at Lyons. Those of Tours were suppressed by the same Aviola, assisted with a detachment sent from the legions, by Visellius Varro, lieutenant-governor of lower Germany. Some of the chiefs of the Gauls had likewise joined him with succours, the better to disguise their defection, and to push it with more effect hereafter. Even Sacrovir was beheld engaged in fight for the Romans, with his head bare, a _demonstration_, he pretended, _of his bravery_; but the prisoners averred, that “he did it to be known to his countrymen, and to escape their darts.”

An account of all this was laid before Tiberius, who slighted it, and by hesitation fostered the war. Florus the while pushed his designs, and tried to debauch a regiment of horse, levied at Treves, and kept under our pay and discipline: he would have engaged them to begin the war, by putting to the sword the Roman merchants; and some few were corrupted, but the body remained in their allegiance. A rabble however, of his own followers and desperate debtors, took arms and were making to the forest of Arden, when the legions sent from both armies by Visellius and Caius Silius, through different routes to intercept them, marred their march: and Julius Indus, one of the same country with Florus, at enmity with him, and therefore more eager to engage him, was despatched forward with a chosen band, and broke the ill-appointed multitude. Florus by lurking from place to place, frustrated the search of the conquerors: but at last, when he saw all the passes beset with soldiers, he fell by his own hands. This was the issue of the insurrection at Treves.

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In other news, fans of the Junior Classics will be pleased to know that it is now possible, for the first time in six years, to acquire leatherbound editions of the Junior Classics via the new Castalia Chateau subscription.

The monthly subscription is $50 and three months covers the discounted retail price of $225 for one book. This are essentially the same books as were provided to the original backers, with the same interiors, the exception being that they will be bound in higher quality pigskin leather at the Castalia bindery. There will not be a goatskin edition, as we still have 4 or 5 of the extremely rare and extremely expensive original sets available.

We will ship the books out to subscribers in pairs, since we can reasonably estimate the numbers required by the end of March and begin producing them two volumes at a time. We plan to maintain the existing color scheme, although the pigskin leathers will likely be different shades than the cowhide. If there is sufficient demand for sets in a single color, we can discuss that option, but there will be a reasonable one-time surcharge for that.