Le peuple et la plèbe. Courants d’opinion et dénomination du corps civique dans le livre I des Histoires de Tacite

Abstract

This paper revisits a debated passage from the opening of Tacitus’ Histories, in which the historian contrasts the pars populi integra and the plebs sordida in Rome (Tac., Hist., 1.4.2-3). To cast new light on this text, we aim at replacing it in its linguistic and historical context, by analysing both the semantic relationship between populus and plebs (in Latin in general and more specifically in Tacitus) and the main trends of public opinion in Rome in 68-69 AD. Thus we argue that the opposition populus/plebs has both a sociological and a political meaning and allows Tacitus to account for a split in opinion between the plebs frumentaria and the rest of the civic body in relation to the figure of Nero, a political split that disappeared into a legitimist reflex in January 69, when Otto sought to seize power by force.

Keywords

• politics
• Nero
• Tacitus
• lexicology
• plebs
• populus