"The histories of Tiberius, Caius, Claudius, and Nero, while they were in power, were falsified through terror, and after their death were written under the irritation of a recent hatred. Hence my purpose is to relate a few facts about Augustus -- more particularly his last acts, then the reign of Tiberius, and all which follows, without either bitterness or partiality, from any motives to which I am far removed."
Tacitus opens his comprehensive historical annals with a declaration of intent. Choosing to remain neutral, he wants to record an accurate history of the Roman emperors. He saw that most of the historical records of Tiberius, Caius, Claudius, and Nero were corrupted by either fear of speaking ill or hatred and bitterness after the rulers' deaths. He wants to be the exception, to present an accurate and unbiased account of the political, economical, and social era through which these men ruled.
"No honour was left for the gods, when Augustus chose to be himself worshipped with temples and statues, like those of the deities, and with flamens and priests."
Augustus was the emperor who demanded worship from his subjects. He wanted the glory of the gods for himself, so Tacitus includes these events in his annals. Comparing Augustus to the deities which were worshipped in those days, Tacitus claims that Augustus chose to replace those deities with himself forcefully. He built temples for himself, demanding the devotion of his subjects.
"The more numerous the laws, the more corrupt the government."
Tacitus presents the conservative perspective here that limited regulation is better for the populace. As if each law is a measure of the government's corruption, he decried the excess of laws enacted during that time. It's as if the emperors were trying to control every aspect of the public so as to further subject them as an extension of their own wills.
"Every great example of punishment has in it some injustice, but the suffering individual is compensated by the public good."
Tacitus compares the application of justice to its consequence. If a member of the public is punished, part of his punishment may be excessive. This is necessary, however, among a large populace because the accused becomes a representative. By enacting an excessive punishment on one man, the government is stating publicly that it will not be bothered to deal with the same foolishness again. This in turn motivates the rest of the people to avoid committing the same offense, knowing the authorities will be more harsh the next time.
"The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise."
In his annals, Tacitus is addressing primarily political concerns. He stumbles across a commonly understood concept: great accomplishment entails a great deal of risk as well. If a man is willing to sacrifice his safety in order to accomplish something bigger than himself, he will probably succeed. In terms of the government, this means taking risks concerning personal safety in order to build infrastructure.
