Is Christianity based on older myths?

[Mister Agenda]

So wrote a historian, and a senator, who opposed Christianity, who was never corrected by any other Roman, just 60-70 years after Christs death.

And who only reported what Christians were said to believe. We all think Christians believed in Jesus, too. It's kind of the defintion. But the writings of Tactitus don't constitute independendent corroboration of the existence of the central figure of the cult. I think Jesus more likely than not existed, but not based on this crap.

You afraid to follow the evidence?

What evidence?

Your idea that he got the 'tale' from some random people and not, for example, historical records, or even eye witnesses given the small time frame, is 100% ungrounded speculation.

Forty years later is enough time for almost of any purported eyewitnesses to die, given typical lifespans in that time and region. Tacitus was a historian, and often cited his sources when utilizing records.

Why on earth would a Roman senator who opposed Christianity, take a Christians word from anything, above the Roman records, or above Roman eyewitnesses?

What Roman records? What Roman eyewitnesses? The ones you're making up? It would be irrational not to take a cult member's word for what figure the cult worships, and he probably didn't get it first hand from Christians anyway, but from letters from other Roman senators. Tacitus wasn't writing as an historian in this passage, but as a senator.