By the end of 20th century, however, a sort of "inverted red tacitism" (as the new variant of black tacitism could be called) appeared, for example in publications like Woodman's "Tacitus reviewed": the new theories described the emperors of the principate no longer as "monarchs" ruling as autocrats, but as "magistrates" in essence defending a "republican" form of government (which might excuse some of their rash actions), very much in line with Graves' lenient posture regarding crimes committed under the rule of "princeps" Claudius (for instance the putting aside of the elder L. Silanus, showing the emperor's lack of conscience according to Tacitus, "Ann." XII,3; while Graves' account of the same incident appears not to incriminate Claudius).