Tacitus (Publius or Gaius Cornelius Tacitus, around 55 AD - around 117/120 AD) is one of the most famous historians and politicians of the early Roman Empire. He rose to the position of consul during his political career and governed the province of Asia Minor under Emperor Trajan. He is regarded as a keen observer and a powerful stylist. In "Agricola," he pays literary tribute to his father-in-law Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who played a significant role in the conquest of Britain. "Germania" serves as Tacitus' commentary on the decaying Roman society, where the Germans, despite some weaknesses, are portrayed as a positive counter-image. Similarly critical, in "Dialogus de oratoribus" ("Dialogue on the Orators"), he critiques contemporary rhetoric. His subsequent historical works, "Annales" ("Annals") and "Historiae" ("Histories"), are rich in detail and marked by his affinity for linguistic sharpness. In these works, emperors like Galba, Domitian, or Nero, as well as thinkers and poets like the philosopher Seneca, the poet Lucan, or the senator Petron, are stylized as key figures of their time.