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Tacitus' Germanicus and the Commanders of Germania

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Tacitus' Germanicus and the Commanders of Germania TACITUS’ GERMANICUS AND THE COMMANDERS OF GERMANIA By MEGAN M. DALY A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2013 1 © 2013 Megan M. Daly 2 to my brother Michael 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my advisor Victoria Pagán for her many years of support in all things Classics, but more specifically for sharing with me her passion for Tacitus. Her guidance has been vital in the completion of this project. She has encouraged me always to keep thinking deeper, wider, onward, and upward. I am indebted also to Andrew Wolpert, who throughout my graduate years pushed me to think more critically and never to forget the influence of the Greek world. I would also like to express my gratitude to Lewis Sussman and Mary Watt, both of whom were inspirational in the early stages of my career and have since helped me through this most challenging task. I must also thank the rest of the Classics family at the University of Florida, in particular Mary Ann Eaverly, Jennifer Rea, Konstantinos Kapparis, and Jim Marks, for contributing in no small way to my development as a student, teacher, and scholar. I am in debt also to my colleagues, especially James Lohmar, Seth Boutin, George Hendren, Bob Brewer, and David Hoot, with whom I have spent countless hours talking about the classical world and how it affects us today. In addition, I would like to express my gratitude to the Center for Greek Studies at the University of Florida for funding my recent research trip to Germany which provided so much insight and inspiration for this project. Furthermore, I thank Professor Herbert Benario for his encouragement and pleasant conversation regarding Tacitus and Germany. On a more personal note, I must thank Teresa Turner and my friends from the Williams and Badcock houses. I would not have made it this far without their friendship and support. I would like to thank Sifu and Simu Jackson as well for teaching me about strength and showing me that nothing is impossible. Finally, I thank my family for their love and for believing in me. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. 4 ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 11 Review of Literature ................................................................................................ 11 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 15 Intertextuality .................................................................................................... 15 Sources ............................................................................................................ 18 Character .......................................................................................................... 22 Historical Background ............................................................................................. 25 Drusus .............................................................................................................. 25 Varus ................................................................................................................ 27 Tiberius............................................................................................................. 27 Germanicus ...................................................................................................... 28 2 GERMANICUS AND DRUSUS ............................................................................... 30 Germanicus and Drusus in the Annals ................................................................... 31 Drusus in Pre-Tacitean Authors .............................................................................. 39 Drusus’ Military Accomplishments .................................................................... 52 Drusus’ Character ............................................................................................ 58 Drusus and Tiberius ......................................................................................... 60 Drusus’ Death and Mourning for Drusus .......................................................... 63 Drusus in Parallel and Post-Tacitean Authors ........................................................ 68 Drusus and Germanicus in Germania: A Topographical Comparison .............. 71 Drusus’ Death ................................................................................................... 74 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 80 3 GERMANICUS AND VARUS .................................................................................. 81 Germanicus and Varus in the Annals ..................................................................... 81 Varus in Pre-Tacitean Authors ................................................................................ 93 Varus the Person ............................................................................................ 109 Varus the Bad General ................................................................................... 111 Varus the Victim ............................................................................................. 115 Varus in Parallel and Post-Tacitean Authors ........................................................ 119 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 141 4 GERMANICUS AND TIBERIUS ........................................................................... 142 5 Germanicus and Tiberius in the Annals ................................................................ 142 Tiberius in Pre-Tacitean Authors .......................................................................... 147 Tiberius the Superhuman Commander of Germania ...................................... 148 The Familial Piety of Tiberius ......................................................................... 157 The Scarcity of the Pre-Tacitean Tradition ..................................................... 158 Tiberius in Parallel and Post-Tacitean Authors ..................................................... 165 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 170 5 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 174 APPENDIX A THE LITERARY TRADITION OF DRUSUS .......................................................... 185 Periochae .............................................................................................................. 185 138 ................................................................................................................. 185 139 ................................................................................................................. 185 140 ................................................................................................................. 185 141 ................................................................................................................. 185 142 ................................................................................................................. 185 Strabo ................................................................................................................... 186 7.1.3.8-13 ....................................................................................................... 186 7.1.3.52-6 ....................................................................................................... 186 Velleius Paterculus ............................................................................................... 187 2.95.1-2 .......................................................................................................... 187 2.97.2-3 .......................................................................................................... 187 Horace .................................................................................................................. 188 Carm. 4.4.1-28 ............................................................................................... 188 Carm. 4.14.1-13 ............................................................................................. 188 Valerius Maximus ................................................................................................. 189 5.5.3.3-17 ....................................................................................................... 189 Seneca the Younger ............................................................................................. 190 Polyb. 15.5 ..................................................................................................... 190 Marc. 6.3.1-2 .................................................................................................. 190 Marc. 6.4.1-6.5.3 ............................................................................................ 191 Consolatio ad Liviam............................................................................................. 193 13-20 .............................................................................................................
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