44
Agricola was born on the ides of June, in the third consulship of Caligula; he died on the tenth before the calends of September, during the consulship of Collega and Priscus, in the fifty-sixth year of his age.There seems, in this place, to be some mistake, not, however, imputable to Tacitus, but, more probably, to the transcribers, who, in their manuscript, might easily write LVI. instead of LIV. Caligula's third consulship was A. U. C. 793, A. D. 40. Agricola was born on the thirteenth of June in that year: he died on the ioth of the calends of September, that is the 23d of August, in the consulship of Pompeius Collega and Cornelius Priscus, A. U. C, 846, A. D. 93. According to this account, Agricola, on the 13th of June, A. U. C. 846, entered on the fifty-fourth year of his age, and died in the month of August following. It is, therefore, probable, that the copyists, as already observed, inserted in their manuscript fifty-six for fifty-four. [His life extended through the reigns of nine emperors, from Caligula to Domitian.] As to his person, about which in future times there may be some curiosity, he was of that make and stature which may be said to be graceful, not majestic. His countenance had not that commanding air which strikes with awe; a sweetness of expression was the prevailing character.
