How did Tacitus use a year-by-year structure in the Annals?

In his work commonly known as the Annals, the Roman historian Tacitus utilized a traditional year-by-year narrative structure to chronicle the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty from 14 to 68 CE.12

Rather than using this chronological framework as a mere list of events, Tacitus employed it as a foundation for literary elaboration on significant historical developments. He integrated this systematic, annual approach with his own critical analysis, using the structure to diagnose the decline of Roman political freedom under imperial rule.1

It is important to note that the title Annals is a modern convention; Tacitus did not use this title for his work, nor did he use the year-by-year format to imply a simple, uncritical recording of facts. Instead, he combined the traditional annalistic form with his own interpretive style, focusing heavily on the personal factors and moral character of the emperors to explain the political shifts of the era.314