Fabius Rusticus was a Roman historian who was quoted on several occasions by

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...

. Tacitus couples his name with that of

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...

and describes him as "the most graphic among ancient and modern historians." Tacitus also said that he embellished matters with his eloquence. Fabius Rusticus is described by Tacitus as a close friend of Seneca who was inclined to praise him in his work.Tacitus, ''Annals'' 13.20.2 Fabius Rusticus was a contemporary of

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Drusus and Antonia Minor ...

and

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...

, but little is known of the extent of his work except that it related to events during the reign of

. Fabius Rusticus was one of the primary sources for Tacitus' ''

Annals Annals ( la, annāles, from , "year") are a concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record. Scope The nature of the distinction between ann ...

'' and probably for other later historians like

Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τ� ...

and

Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for '' The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...

as well. Tacitus cites Fabius Rusticus when describing some of the most controversial aspects of Nero's life including Nero's alleged desire to kill his mother

Agrippina the Younger Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from 49 to 54 AD, the fourth wife and niece of Emperor Claudius. Agrippina was one of the most prominent women in the Julio-Clau ...

, Nero's alleged lust for his mother, and Seneca's suicide.Tacitus, ''Annals'' 15.61.3

Notes

{{Authority control Latin historians 1st-century historians 1st-century Romans

Rusticus Rusticus is a Latin adjective meaning "rural, simple, rough or clownish" and can refer to: Animals * ''Aedes rusticus'', a European mosquito * Rusty crayfish (''Orconectes rusticus'') * '' Urozelotes rusticus'', a ground spider * a synonym of the b ...