Tacitus on the Significance on the Comet in AD 60 (Ann. 14.22)

This paper argues that Tacitus intends his readers to recognize that the comet of AD 60 (Ann. 14.22.1) portended a change of king in Armenia rather than a change of ruler within the Roman Empire. While he criticizes the common people for misinterpreting the significance of the comet, he really only criticizes their failure to apply the basic principle of interpretation correctly, that is, that a comet portends a change of ruler, rather than this principle itself.