The period covered by Tacitus in his Annals extends from the death of Augustus to the assassination of Nero. With suggestive expressiveness, he depicts the atmosphere of fear and greed that grips everyone, the inescapable doom that the dynastic regime of Rome faces as the power-limiting bonds of the old Republic lose their validity. Central to his interest are the bearers, beneficiaries, and victims of power in the tension between unpredictable external and internal forces, in the machinery of secret intrigues and open struggles. These euphoric lines can indeed be found in a specialized lexicon, the renowned Lexicon of World Literature. What more can be said to promote this unique text? The translation has been carefully modernized by Meinolf Vielberg, who has also introduced the text anew and updated the notes.