The Jesus Archive
Who they were

Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus was a senator, consul in 97 and proconsul of Asia, and the greatest historian of imperial Rome. His Annals, written around 115–117, covered the reigns from Tiberius to Nero; the books on Jesus’s lifetime and on AD 64 survive.

In Annals 15.44 he explains that the Christians blamed by Nero for the fire of 64 took their name from Christus, executed under Tiberius by the procurator Pontius Pilatus. The passage is generally accepted as authentic. Scholars discuss where he obtained the information and why he calls Pilate procurator rather than prefect.

Where to start

Tacitus, Annals: the Second Medicean manuscript, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence
Witnesses Outside the ChurchTacitus, Annals 15.38–44: the Great Fire and Nero’s punishment of the Christiansc. AD 115–117 · Publius Cornelius Tacitus

Every mention

7 writings
  1. AD 31The Pilate inscription (Caesarea Maritima)Stones and Scrolls1×
  2. AD 116Tacitus, Annals 15.38–44: the Great Fire and Nero’s punishment of the ChristiansWitnesses Outside the Church3×
  3. AD 627Qur’an, Surah 4 (An-Nisa): WomenOther Voices1×
  4. 2026Guide to the research and the world before JesusThe Dossier1×
  5. 2026The documentary record of Jesus and the movements that interpreted himThe Dossier5×
  6. 2026From medieval devotion to the presentThe Dossier1×
  7. 2026Sources and further readingThe Dossier2×