In chapter 2, we saw how Agricola served as an alternative means of representing Agricola to that employed by Domitian. Tacitus' literary celebration of his father-in-law took the place of the sort of celebrations that the Principate no longer permitted. In this chapter we will see how Tacitus' work in Histories competes with the regime in a bigger sense. As we have just seen in chapter 3, in the preface of Histories Tacitus establishes that his work is particularly desirable because of the nature of the Principate and because of his own unique ability not to be absorbed by the structures of power characteristic of that kind of government and society. In a way, what we see in chapter 4 is the operation of Agricola – competition with the regime's media of representation – extrapolated to the scale of Tacitus' new career as articulated in the preface of Histories. In effect, as we will see, Histories presents a textual medium through which Romans can relate to their city and to other Romans, insulated from the damage and distortions inflicted on the urban space by the principes. After a section containing some preliminary reflections that link Tacitus' representation of the city in Histories with questions of civil war and the Principate, my discussion will fall into three further sections.

In the first, I discuss some crises of signification during Otho's revolt and short rule.