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Cornelius ,James Rives,H. Mattingly | 176 pages | 30 Mar 2010 | Penguin Books Ltd | 9780140455403 | English | London, United Kingdom Agricola and Germania PDF Book

It's not very lucky to die at 53 today, but given how many of Agricola's contemporaries were executed, it seemed a fair innings in context. The proud tone of the Agricola recalls the style of the laudationes funebres funeral speeches. This was done agreeably to the ancient and long established practice of the Romans, to make even kings the instruments of servitude. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. The welfare of their country, their wives, and their parents called them to arms, while avarice and luxury alone incited their enemies; who would withdraw as even the deified Julius had done, if the present race of Britons would emulate the valor of their ancestors, and not be dismayed at the event of the first or second engagement. One of the most common opinions on it has been is that the text is more or less a front for discussing Roman virtues and vices: the barbarian is what the Roman is not; usually he is not as good as the Roman, but some aspects of his life may be praiseworthy in comparison with degenerate Romans of today. Described as being of Celtic, Gaul, and indigenous decent, the people of Germany are described first in terms of their dress, traditions, and overall culture. As a student of classical history I have gained a liking of Tacitus that is greater than any other classical historian. Jul 02, Jeremy rated it really liked it Shelves: politics , sociological. This short work focused on all the Germanic tribes from the east bank of the to the shores of the North and Baltic Seas in the north to the Danube to the south and as far as rumor took them to the east. This would fix the date of his birth not later than 53 A. He was a close friend of Pliny the Younger, who assisted him in his early career. Next occur the communities of the Suiones, seated in the very Ocean, who, besides their strength in men and arms, also possess a naval force. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors. The unsuspecting Britons spoke of such novelties as 'civilisation', when in fact they were only a feature of their enslavement p They also both take us to the frontiers of the , and far beyond that in the case of Germania. Contiguous to the were formerly the ; but report now says that the and Angrivarii, migrating into their country, have expelled and entirely extirpated them, with the concurrence of the neighboring nations, induced either by hatred of their arrogance, love of plunder, or the favor of the gods towards the Romans. We have even explored the ocean itself on that side; and fame reports that columns of Hercules are still remaining on that coast; whether it be that Hercules was ever there in reality, or that whatever great and magnificent is anywhere met with is, by common consent, ascribed to his renowned name. In the narrative and ethnographical portions, two models of the historical style can be seen: that of Sallust with incongruities, archaism, parataxis and sobriety and that of Livy with oratorical style: wide, fluid, hypotactic and dramatic. On affairs of smaller moment, the chiefs consult; on those of greater importance, the whole community; yet with this circumstance, that what is referred to the decision of the people, is first maturely discussed by the chiefs. When they all think fit, 73 they sit down armed. These districts were surrounded with castles and forts, disposed with so much attention and judgment, that no part of Britain, hitherto new to the Roman arms, escaped unmolested. His descriptions of the British and the Germans are important, not simply for being some of the first any human being wrote about those peoples, but also because he shows them from the perspective of a detached and often bewildered outsider. These are they, who, the last year, attacking by surprise a single legion in the obscurity of the night, were put to flight by a shout: the greatest fugitives of all the Britons, and therefore the longest survivors. The work can appear moralizing at points, perhaps implicitly comparing the values of Germanic tribes and those of his Roman contemporaries, although a direct comparison between and Germania is not explicitly presented in the text. They bestow more than ordinary pains in coating certain parts of their buildings with a kind of earth, so pure and shining that it gives the appearance of painting. Matzoh anyone? In antiquity, Lucian appears to imitate a sentence from it. There is a geographical and ethnological digression, taken not only from notes and memories of Agricola but also from the De Bello Gallico of . However, his writings make use of common ethnographical descriptions, which are applied by ancient authors indifferently to any barbarian population. There is a lot of speech making and pontificating about the greatness of Agricola and his army, although Tacitus can also be surprisingly critical of his wife's father. Agricola and Germania Writer

His descriptions of the British and the Germans are I don't read a lot of classics anymore probably from having to binge on them in grad school but these short works were both engaging and enjoyable. The sky in this country is deformed by clouds and frequent rains; but the cold is never extremely rigorous. Yes, he sometimes makes distasteful pronouncements about the intellectual capacities of the Germans he otherwise praises so highly. They carry off their slain even while the battle remains undecided. At this season, all is joy; and every place which the goddess deigns to visit is a scene of festivity. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. Not only among the earliest accounts of British and German history, but also one of the most fixating and important narratives to survive from antiquity. It could be even better if it were updated regularly with info on new archaeological discoveries, but its general principles give an idea of what to look for, and the introduction and notes are fascinating if you're reading Germania out of interest in European prehistory. The greatest disgrace that can befall them is to have abandoned their shields. The Arii, fierce beyond the superiority of strength they possess over the other just enumerated people, improve their natural ferocity of aspect by artificial helps. In the confidence with which this inspired him, he undertook an expedition against the island Mona, 68 which had furnished the revolters with supplies; and thereby exposed the settlements behind him to a surprise. Useless to them, they gather it in the rough; bring it unwrought; and wonder at the price they receive. To their mothers and their wives they bring their wounds for relief, nor do these dread to count or to search out the gashes. They have no house, land, or domestic cares: they are maintained by whomsoever they visit: lavish of another's property, regardless of their own; till the debility of age renders them unequal to such a rigid course of military virtue. Even to fall in this extremest verge of earth and of nature cannot be thought an inglorious fate. I now proceed to mention those particulars in which they differ from each other; and likewise to relate what nations have migrated from Germany into Gaul. It was thrilling to be standing right on the edge of recorded history, peering through the mist. Indo-European ethnolinguistic group of Northern European origin primarily identified as speakers of . I find it much more agreeable to read the text myself and draw my own conclusions, rather than have someone else try to justify actions of the time to fit a politically correct narrative as I've unfortunately encountered several times previously. He studied rhetoric in Rome, and in AD77 or 78 he married Julia, the daughter of the noted general Agricola. This is the resort of youth; this is the receptacle of old age. They also both take us to the frontiers of the Roman empire, and far beyond that in the case of Germania. Birley's introduction and end notes were wonderful. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. More akin to something you would see in Herodotus it was very different from what I would think Tacitus would write. They dwell scattered and separate, as a spring, a meadow, or a grove may chance to invite them. The Gothini, to their additional disgrace, work iron mines. . For they even gratified us with the spectacle of a battle, in which above sixty thousand Germans were slain, not by Roman arms, but, what was still grander, by mutual hostilities, as it were for our pleasure and entertainment. Some of the bog bodies dug up in recent times have had been found covered in branches though I believe one of these was a young girl which appears to contradict Tacitus' testimony that this was a punishment reserved for "cowards, shirkers, and sodomites" p In every house the children grow up, thinly and meanly clad, to that bulk of body and limb which we behold with wonder. Even homicide is atoned by a certain fine in cattle and sheep; and the whole family accepts the satisfaction, to the advantage of the public weal, since quarrels are most dangerous in a free state. And yet, predictable. They were presently driven at the mercy of the waves; and had frequent conflicts, with various success, with the Britons, defending their property from plunder. Tacitus' start as a historian began with these two classics. Oft times I found the descriptions of the people during this epoch amusing through his words. These unauthenticated reports I shall leave untouched. It is their dignity, their strength, to be always surrounded with a large body of select youth, an ornament in peace, a bulwark in war. In former times, however, as there was a greater propensity and freer scope for the performance of actions worthy of remembrance, so every person of distinguished abilities was induced through conscious satisfaction in the task alone, without regard to private favor or interest, to record examples of virtue. The fortune of a single battle, however, reduced it to its former subjection; though many still remained in arms, whom the consciousness of revolt, and particular dread of the governor, had driven to despair. His descriptions of the British and the Germans are important, not simply for being some of the first any human being wrote about those peoples, but also because he shows them from the perspective of a detached and often bewildered outsider. Thus, the , who formerly bore the titles of just and upright, are now charged with cowardice and folly; and the good fortune of the Catti, who subdued them, has grown into wisdom. By virtue of these, the wife is espoused; and she in her turn makes a present of some arms to her husband. After his return to Rome, Agricola got no compliments, the tyrannical emperor got jealous and had him eliminated. As in the Germania , Tacitus favorably contrasts the liberty of the native Britons to the corruption and tyranny of the Empire; the book also contains eloquent and forceful polemics against the rapacity and greed of Rome. The negative poles of behaviour for Tacitus are being passionate "like a woman" or being like some kind of some kind of fancy pants namby pamby philosopher type. When he was afterwards appointed by to manage an inquest concerning the offerings which had been presented to the temples, by his strict attention and diligence he preserved the state from any further sacrilege than what it had suffered from Nero. From the time they arrive at years of maturity they let their hair and beard grow; and do not divest themselves of this votive badge, the promise of valor, till they have slain an enemy. Of all these people, the most famed for valor are the ; whose territories comprise but a small part of the banks of the Rhine, but consist chiefly of an island within it. You know the saying: There's no time like the present Agricola and Germania Reviews

This is a collection of two books, the Agricola and the Germania. To they ascribe three sons, from whose names 17 the people bordering on the ocean are called ; those inhabiting the central parts, Herminones; the rest, Istaevones. He did not even court reputation, an object to which men of worth frequently sacrifice, by ostentation or artifice: equally avoiding competition with, his colleagues, 33 and contention with the procurators. Therefore, it is hardly an For fans of the great Roman historian Tacitus who gave us "The Histories" and "The Annals," his two short works, "Agricola" and "Germania" will give you a mild fix. Even iron is not plentiful 38 among them; as may be inferred from the nature of their weapons. Trebellius, after escaping the fury of his army by flight and concealment, dishonored and abased, regained a precarious authority; and a kind of tacit compact took place, of safety to the general, and licentiousness to the army. One can be an honest and scrupulous officer, doing his job with serenity and in collaboration with the regime, keeping his job and keeping the interest of the state, waiting for a better age, when a writer would be able to write in freedom. Tacitus stresses their overwhelming sense of family, their abilities to fight, and their passion for freedom several times, showing his belief that these forces make the people of Germany particularly dangerous. That great writer, the deified Julius, asserts that the were formerly the superior people; whence it is probable that some Gallic colonies passed over into Germany: for how small an obstacle would a river be to prevent any nation, as it increased in strength, from occupying or changing settlements as yet lying in common, and unappropriated by the power of monarchies! But there is a reason that they are considered Classics. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Every mother suckles her own children, and does not deliver them into the hands of servants and nurses. Sedition however infected the soldiers, who, instead of their usual military services, were rioting in idleness. Toggle navigation. These unauthenticated reports I shall leave untouched. Vettius Bolanus was at that time governor of Britain, and ruled with a milder sway than was suitable to so turbulent a province. During this long interval many mutual wounds have been inflicted. Like a lot of ancient writers, Tacitus is something of a jack of all trades. It is, indeed, peculiar to cavalry soon to obtain, and soon to yield, the victory. We are inferior to our enemies in knowledge of the country, and less able to command supplies of provision; but we have arms in our hands, and in these we have everything. On such unverifiable stories I shall express no opinion. It was also discovered from the captives, that the Britons had been struck with consternation at the view of the fleet, conceiving the last refuge of the vanquished to be cut off, now the secret retreats of their seas were disclosed. Yet the Germanic threat never quite disappeared from the Roman imagination, and as Marcus Aurelius could attest, it was sometimes disturbingly real. In that fire they thought to consume the voice of the Roman people, the freedom of the senate, and the conscious emotions of all mankind; crowning the deed by the expulsion of the professors of wisdom, 4 and the banishment of every liberal art, that nothing generous or honorable might remain. When the duties of his office were over, the man of power was instantly laid aside. What's interesting is if you read it looking for racism, you'll be able to find some. Refresh and try again. His full name was Caius Cornelius Tacitus. This they consider as the firmest bond of union; these, the sacred mysteries, the conjugal deities. He governed, it in the reigns of , , and Domitian. Last Modified 9th September His descriptions of the British and the Germans are important, not simply for being some of the first any human being wrote about those peoples, but also because he shows them from the perspective of a detached and often bewildered outsider. The work can be viewed as an apologia for a large part of the governing class: people who, not desiring martyrdom, had collaborated with the Flavian family and had made a valid contribution to lawmaking, to provincial government, to the enlargement of the limits of the empire and to the defence of its borders. With language we should have lost memory itself, had it been as much in our power to forget, as to be silent. To their mothers and their wives they bring their wounds for relief, nor do these dread to count or to search out the gashes. Whatever else it may be, it is a graceful and affectionate tribute to an upright and excellent man.

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None, however, but the priests 52 are permitted to judge offenders, to inflict bonds or stripes; so that chastisement appears not as an act of military discipline, but as the instigation of the god whom they suppose present with warriors. Wikiquote has quotations related to: Tacitus. In the summer which began the sixth year of Agricola's administration, extending his views to the countries situated beyond Bodotria, as a general insurrection of the remoter nations was apprehended, and the enemy's army rendered marching unsafe, he caused the harbors to be explored by his fleet, which, now first acting in aid of the land-forces gave the formidable spectacle of war at once pushed on by sea and land. Learn how and when to remove these template messages. To ask other readers questions about The Agricola and The Germania , please sign up. The result is a seemingly well-balanced view of a region which caused Rome much trouble and effort to bring under stable control. I felt, also, Tacitus' genuine filial affection throughout. Namespaces Article Talk. The several communities of the Sitones succeed those of the Suiones; to whom they are similar in other respects, but differ in submitting to a female reign; so far have they degenerated, not only from liberty, but even from slavery. Read more from the Study Guide. The Fenni sound like a favourite daydream of Rousseau or an anarcho-primitivist. He governed, it in the reigns of Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. Nothing remarkable occurs in any of these; except that they unite in the worship of Hertha, or Mother Earth; and suppose her to interfere in the affairs of men, and to visit the different nations. A stellar writer and one of two guys I have learned of who actually witnessed and wrote about Jesus Christ. Like a lot of ancient writers, Tacitus is something of a jack of all trades. To mirror Agricola, Tacitus invents the figure of view spoiler [by which I mean there may have really been a single person in command of the called Calgacus or not, the only evidence for his existence comes from this book in which the point of his existence is to give a rallying speech to the Caledonians before battle which denounces Roman imperialism. Yet across that literary corpus, his critical eye never wavers; however silent he may have been while Domitian executed his senatorial peers, he almost never let an opportunity pass in subsequent years to put quill to parchment and call out Roman hypocrisy. March then to battle, and think of your ancestors and your posterity. In the beginning of the next summer, Agricola received a severe domestic wound in the loss of a son, about a year old. He was preserved from the allurements of vice, not only by a naturally good disposition, but by being sent very early to pursue his studies at Massilia; 15 a place where Grecian politeness and provincial frugality are happily united. His father, Julius Graecinus, 11 of the senatorian order, was famous for the study of eloquence and philosophy; and by these accomplishments he drew on himself the displeasure of Caius Caesar; 12 for, being commanded to undertake the accusation of Marcus Silanus, 13 —on his refusal, he was put to death. In my view, Tacitus lived up to his incredibly formidable reputation. Secure against men, secure against the gods, they have attained the most difficult point, not to need even a wish. In the eighth year of Ag I have finished Agricola. And likewise in his description of the customs of Germanic hospitality — and not to forget their feasting: "The Germans are not cunning or sophisticated enough to refrain from blurting out their inmost thoughts in the freedom of festive surroundings, so that every man's soul is laid completely bare. Sedition however infected the soldiers, who, instead of their usual military services, were rioting in idleness. Especially in the Germania, where although criticizing the Germanic tribes for their primitive ways of being unruly, petty, warlike and uncaring of progress other than glory and honor finds it especially admirable that they have strong and chaste marriage bonds,where women are loyal and hardworking their modest lifestyle and avoidance of luxury and bravery in battle. It is assumed that this work is an inspired fiction, based on previous literature, likely by the works of Julius Cesar, Pline the Elder, Tite-live, and Posidonius. A bit of a let down, but that's because I was really excited to read these works, and, well, meh. If a proposal displease, the assembly reject it by an inarticulate murmur; if it prove agreeable, they clash their javelins; 75 for the most honorable expression of assent among them is the sound of arms. Maybe he did get "the stuff of fables" mixed up with his facts in a few instances in Germania ; and likewise e.

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