An alternative theory of the history of Christianity
The Tacitus Reference (Annals 15:44)
Web Publication by Mountain Man Graphics, Australia

Editorial Comments

In other papers related to the thesis that Constantine invented christianity in the fourth century, and implemented it in the Roman Empire with effect from his military supremacist council of Nicaea, we have emphasised that the field of this thesis is ancient history.

An alternative theory of the history of antiquity is being explored in which the christian "Biblical History" was inserted into the political history of the Roman Empire no earlier than the rise of Constantine.

The Tacitus Reference (Annals 15:44)

In a separate article reviewing Jay Raskin's The Evolution of Christs and Christianities, a series of analyses are presented surrounding the mention of "chrestus" and "christians" in the pre-nicene epoch by Tacitus and Suetonius, as Eusebian interpolations. Since the preparation of this article, further information has come to light on the Tacitus reference, and is presented below.

TACITUS AND BRACCIOLINI:
THE ANNALS FORGED IN THE 15th CENTURY

by JOHN WILSON ROSS (1818-1887)
Originally published anonymously in 1878.

The text of this work is available here at the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Here is a brief sketch by way of a reproduction of the claims made at the index to the book:

BOOK ONE - TACITUS

CHAPTER I - TACITUS COULD BARELY HAVE WRITTEN THE ANNALS.

   1. From the chronological point of view.
   2. The silence preserved about that work by all writers 
      till the fifteenth century.
   3. The age of the MSS. containing the Annals.


CHAPTER II - A FEW REASONS FOR BELIEVING THE ANNALS TO BE A FORGERY.

   1. The fifteenth century an age of imposture, shown in the
      invention of printing.
   2. The curious discovery of the first six books of the Annals.
   3. The blunders it has in common with all forged documents.
   4. The Twelve Tables.
   5. The Speech of Claudius in the Eleventh Book of the Annals.
   6. Brutus creating the second class of nobility.
   7. Camillus and his grandson.
   8. The Marching of Germanicus.
   9. Description of London in the time of Nero.
  10. Labeo Antistius and Capito Ateius; the number of people executed 
      for their attachment to Sejanus; and the marriage of Drusus, the 
      brother of Tiberius, to the Elder Antonia.


CHAPTER III - SUSPICIOUS CHARACTER OF THE ANNALS FROM THE POINT OF TREATMENT.

   1. Nature of the history.
   2. Arrangement of the narrative.
   3. Completeness in form.
   4. Incongruities, contradictions and disagreements from the
      History of Tacitus.
   5. Craftiness of the writer.
   6. Subordination of history to biography.
   7. The author of the Annals and Tacitus differently illustrate
      Roman history.
   8. Characters and events corresponding to characters and
      events in the XVth century.
   9. Greatness of the Author of the Annals.


CHAPTER IV - HOW THE ANNALS DIFFERS FROM THE HISTORY.

   1. In the qualities of the writers; and why that difference.
   2. In the narrative, and in what respect.
   3. In style and language.
   4. The reputation Tacitus has of writing bad Latin due to the
      mistakes of his imitator. 


CHAPTER V - THE LATIN AND THE ALLITERATIONS IN THE ANNALS.

   1. Errors in Latin, (_a_) on the part of the transcriber;
                       (_b_) on the part of the writer.
   2. Diction and Alliterations: Wherein they differ from those
      of Tacitus.



BOOK TWO - BRACCIOLINI.

CHAPTER I - BRACCIOLINI IN ROME.

   1. His genius and the greatness of his age.
   2. His qualifications.
   3. His early career.
   4. The character of Niccolo Niccoli, who abetted him in the
      forgery
   5. Bracciolini's descriptive writing of the Burning of Jerome
      of Prague compared with the descriptive writing of the
      sham sea fight in the Twelfth Book of the Annals.

CHAPTER II - BRACCIOLINI IN LONDON.

   1. Gaining insight into the darkest passions from associating
      with Cardinal Beaufort.
   2. His passage about London in the Fourteenth Book of the
      Annals examined.
   3. About the Parliament of England in the Fourth Book.


CHAPTER III - BRACCIOLINI SETTING ABOUT THE FORGERY OF THE ANNALS

   1. The Proposal made in February, 1422, by a Florentine, named
      Lamberteschi, and backed by Niccoli.
   2. Correspondence on the matter, and Mr. Shepherd's view that
      it referred to a Professorship refuted.
   3. Professional disappointments in England determine
      Bracciolini to persevere in his intention of forging
      the Annals.
   4. He returns to the Papal Secretaryship, and begins the
      forgery in Rome in October, 1423.


CHAPTER IV - BRACCIOLINI AS A BOOKFINDER

   1. Doubts on the authenticity of the Latin, but not the
      Greek Classics.
   2. At the revival of letters Popes and Princes offered large
      rewards for the recovery of the ancient classics.
   3. The labours of Bracciolini as a bookfinder.
   4. Belief put about by the professional bookfinders that
      MSS. were soonest found in obscure convents in barbarous
      lands.
   5. How this reasoning throws the door open to fraud and
      forgery.
   6. The bands of bookfinders consisted of men of genius in
      every department of literature and science.
   7. Bracciolini endeavours to escape from forging the Annals by
      forging the whole lost History of Livy.
   8. His Letter on the subject to Niccoli quoted, and examined.
   9. Failure of his attempt, and he proceeds with the forgery of
      the Annals.


BOOK THREE - THE LAST SIX BOOKS OF THE ANNALS.


CHAPTER I - THE CHARACTER OF BRACCIOLINI.

   1. The audacity of the forgery accounted for by the mean
      opinion Bracciolini had of the intelligence of men.
   2. The character and tone of the last Six Books of the Annals
      exemplified by what is said of Sabina Poppaea, Sagitta,
      Pontia and Messalina.
   3. A few errors that must have proceeded from Bracciolini
      about the Colophonian Oracle of Apollo Clarius, the
      Household Gods of the Germans, Gotarzes, Bardanes and,
      above all, Nineveh.
   4. The estimate taken of human nature by the writer of the
      Annals the same as that taken by Bracciolini.
   5. The general depravity of mankind as shown in the
      Annals insisted upon in Bracciolini's Dialogue
      "De Infelicitate Principum".


CHAPTER II - THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.

   1. The intellect and depravity of the age.
   2. Bracciolini as its exponent.
   3. Hunter's accurate description of him.
   4. Bracciolini gave way to the impulses of his age.
   5. The Claudius, Nero and Tiberius of the Annals
      personifications of the Church of Rome in the
      fifteenth century.
   6. Schildius and his doubts.
   7. Bracciolini not covetous of martyrdom: communicates his
      fears to Niccoli.
   8. The princes and great men in the Annals the princes and
      great men of the XVth century, not of the opening period
      of the Christian aera.
   9. Bracciolini, and not Tacitus, a disparager of persons in
      high places.


CHAPTER III - FURTHER PROOFS OF FORGERY.

   1. "Octavianus" as the name of Augustus Caesar.
   2. Cumanus and Felix as joint governors of Judaea.
   3. The blood relationship of Italians and Romans.
   4. Fatal error in the _oratio obliqua_.
   5. Mistake made about "locus".
   6. Objections of some critics to the language of Tacitus
      examined.
   7. Some improprieties that occur in the Annals found also in
      Bracciolini's works.
   8. Instanced in (_a_) "nec--aut".
                   (_b_) rhyming and the peculiar use of "pariter".
   9. The harmony of Tacitus and the ruggedness of Bracciolini
      illustrated.
  10. Other peculiarities of Bracciolini's not shared by Tacitus:
      Two words terminating alike following two others with like
      terminations; prefixes that have no meaning; and playing
      on a single letter for alliterative purposes.

CHAPTER IV - THE TERMINATION OF THE FORGERY.

   1. The literary merit and avaricious humour of Bracciolini.
   2. He is aided in his scheme by a monk of the Abbey of Fulda.
   3. Expressions indicating forgery.
   4. Efforts to obtain a very old copy of Tacitus.
   5. The forgery transcribed in the Abbey of Fulda.
   6. First saw the light in the spring of 1429.

CHAPTER V - THE FORGED MANUSCRIPT.

   1. Recapitulation, showing the certainty of forgery.
   2. The Second Florence MS. the forged MS.
   3. Cosmo de' Medici the man imposed upon.
   4. Digressions about Cosmo de' Medici's position, and fondness
      for books, especially Tacitus.
   5. The many suspicious marks of forgery about the Second
      Florence MS.; the Lombard characters; the attestation
      of Salustius.
   6. The headings, and Tacitus being bound up with Apuleius,
      seem to connect Bracciolini with the forged MS.
   7. The first authentic mention of the Annals.
   8. Nothing invalidates the theory in this book.
   9. Brief recapitulation of the whole argument.


BOOK FOUR - THE FIRST SIX BOOKS OF THE ANNALS.

CHAPTER I - REASONS FOR BELIEVING THAT BRACCIOLINI 
            WROTE BOTH PARTS OF THE ANNALS.

   1. Improvement in Bracciolini's means after the completion
      of the forgery of the last part of the Annals.
   2. Discovery of the first six books, and theory about their
      forgery.
   3. Internal evidence the only proof of their being forged.
   4. Superiority of workmanship a strong proof.
   5. Further departure than in the last six books from Tacitus's
      method another proof.
   6. The symmetry of the framework a third proof.
   7. Fourth evidence, the close resemblance in the openings of
      the two parts.
   8. The same tone and colouring prove the same authorship.
   9. False statements made about Sejanus and Antonius Natalis
      for the purpose of blackening Tiberius and Nero.
  10. This spirit of detraction runs through Bracciolini's works.
  11. Other resemblances denoting the same author.
  12. Policy given to every subject another cause to believe both
      parts composed by a single writer.
  13. An absence of the power to depict differences in persons
      and things.

CHAPTER II - LANGUAGE, ALLITERATION, ACCENT AND WORDS.

   1. The poetic diction of Tacitus, and its fabrication in
      the Annals.
   2. Florid passages in the Annals.
   3. Metrical composition of Bracciolini.
   4. Figurative words: (_a_) "pessum dare"
                        (_b_) "voluntas"
   5. The verb "foedare" and the Ciceronian use of "foedus".
   6. The language of other Roman writers,--Livy, Quintus Curtius
      and Sallust.
   7. The phrase "non modo--sed", and other anomalous expressions,
      not Tacitus's.
   8. Words not used by Tacitus, "distinctus" and "codicillus"
   9. Peculiar alliterations in the Annals and works of
      Bracciolini.
  10. Monotonous repetition of accent on penultimate syllables.
  11. Peculiar use of words: (_a_) "properus"
                             (_b_) "annales" and "scriptura"
                             (_c_) "totiens"
  12. Words not used by Tacitus: (_a_) "addubitare"
                                 (_b_) "extitere"
  13. Polysyllabic words ending consecutive sentences.
  14. Omissions of prepositions: (_a_) in.
                                 (_b_) with names of nations.


CHAPTER III - MISTAKES THAT PROVE FORGERY

   1. The gift for the recovery of Livia.
   2. Julius Caesar and the Pomoerium.
   3. Julia, the wife of Tiberius.
   4. The statement about her proved false by a coin.
   5. Value of coins in detecting historical errors.
   6. Another coin shows an error about Cornatus.
   7. Suspicion of spuriousness from mention of the
      Quinquennale Ludicrum.
   8. Account of cities destroyed by earthquake contradicted by
      a monument.
   9. Bracciolini's hand shown by reference to the Plague.
  10. Fawning of Roman senators more like conduct of Italians in
      the fifteenth century.
  11. Same exaggeration with respect to Pomponia Graecina.
  12. Wrong statement of the images borne at the funeral
      of Drusus.
  13. Similar kind of error committed by Bracciolini in his
      "Varietate Fortunae".
  14. Errors about the Red Sea.
  15. About the Caspian Sea.
  16. Accounted for.
  17. A passage clearly written by Bracciolini.


CHAPTER THE LAST - FURTHER PROOFS OF BRACCIOLINI BEING THE AUTHOR 
                   OF THE FIRST SIX BOOKS OF THE ANNALS.

   1. The descriptive powers of Bracciolini and Tacitus.
   2. The different mode of writing of both.
   3. Their different manners of digressing.
   4. Two statements in the Fourth Book of the Annals that could
      not have been made by Tacitus.
   5. The spirit of the Renaissance shown in both parts of the
      Annals.
   6. That both parts proceeded from the same hand shown in the
      writer pretending to know the feelings of the characters
      in the narrative.
   7. The contradictions in the two parts of the Annals and in
      the works of Bracciolini.
   8. The Second Florence MS. a forgery.
   9. Conclusion.

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