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[Harmondsworth] Penguin [1971], 1980n printing
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`Long may the barbarians continue, I pray, if not to love us, at least to hate one another.'Cornelius Tacitus, Rome's greatest historian and the last great writer of classical Latin prose, produced his first two books in AD 98. He was inspired to take up his pen when the assassination of Domitian ended `fifteen years of enforced silence'. The first products were brief: the biography ofhis late father-in-law Julius Agricola and an account of Rome's most dangerous enemies, the Germans. Since Agricola's claim to fame was that as governor for seven years he had completed the conquest of Britain, begun four decades earlier, much of the first work is devoted to Britain and its people.The second is the only surviving specimen from the ancient world of an ethnographic study. Each in its way has had immense influence on our perception of Rome and the northern `barbarians'. This edition reflects recent research in Roman-British and Roman-German history and includes newlydiscovered evidence on Tacitus' early career.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member ThePam
I love this book. Then again I'm a fan of Tacitus, and his lovely barbarians.
Tacitus' actual purpose in writing this book is open for debate. Some historians view his presentation of the Germanic bar-bar's (barbarians) as idealistic and purposefully so as they claim Tacitus' was trying to point
What you will find in the narrative itself, is some very readable prose that is well translated. It's a short book and well worth the quick read if this is an area of interest. And though suspicious, almost all current researchers in this area -- EA Thompson, Goffart, etc. -- nod their heads in Tacitus' direction.
Pam T.
Tacitus' actual purpose in writing this book is open for debate. Some historians view his presentation of the Germanic bar-bar's (barbarians) as idealistic and purposefully so as they claim Tacitus' was trying to point
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out how decadent Romans were in comparison. Others historians, however, tend to view his observations as having more merit and accuracy. I fall somewhere in between, but in any case, there is little reason to believe that the author had any personal experience with the German tribes; although it is entirely likely that he had plenty of contact with those who did.What you will find in the narrative itself, is some very readable prose that is well translated. It's a short book and well worth the quick read if this is an area of interest. And though suspicious, almost all current researchers in this area -- EA Thompson, Goffart, etc. -- nod their heads in Tacitus' direction.
Pam T.
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LibraryThing member Whicker
An enjoyable, easy read. If you are interested in history of the Roman Empire or ancient Europe, this should definitely be on your list.
LibraryThing member JohnNebauer
An easy to read translation. The 'Agricola' is a hagiography of Tacitus' father-in-law. The details of Agricola's operations are often scant (though a number have had light thrown on them by archaeological evidence) but in a sense are only needed to show his subject in a good light.
The 'Germania'
He concludes wit the hope that Rome remain fortunate with their enemies staying divided. In a sense Tacitus was prophetic. It has been argued (for example by Peter Heather) that the collapse of the West in the 5th century was in part due to the greater sophistication and unity of the German confederations, which was a result of long contact with Rome.
The 'Germania'
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is a description of the peoples living beyond the Rhine-Danube frontiers. His descriptions are generally though to be accurate if sometimes exaggerated. His purpose is to contrast the 'virtue' of the Germans with the 'debauchery' of the over-civilised Romans.He concludes wit the hope that Rome remain fortunate with their enemies staying divided. In a sense Tacitus was prophetic. It has been argued (for example by Peter Heather) that the collapse of the West in the 5th century was in part due to the greater sophistication and unity of the German confederations, which was a result of long contact with Rome.
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LibraryThing member isabelx
Britain yields gold, silver, and other metals, to make it worth conquering. Its seas, too, produce pearls, but they are of a dark, bluish-grey colour. Some think that the natives are unskilful in gathering them; for whereas in the Indian Ocean the oysters are torn alive and breathing from the
In "The Agricola", Tacitus covers the life and career of his father-in-law, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who was Governor of Britain between 78 and 84 A.D. In "The Germania" he is writing about the character and customs of the germanic tribes living north of the frontier of the Roman Empire.
This Penguin Classics edition includes an interesting introduction, but the maps included could have been bigger; the names of the tribes are so small and close together that it is very hard to find the one you are looking for.
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rocks, in Britain they are collected as the sea throws them up. I find it easier to believe that the pearls are of inferior quality than that people miss a chance of making a larger profit.In "The Agricola", Tacitus covers the life and career of his father-in-law, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who was Governor of Britain between 78 and 84 A.D. In "The Germania" he is writing about the character and customs of the germanic tribes living north of the frontier of the Roman Empire.
This Penguin Classics edition includes an interesting introduction, but the maps included could have been bigger; the names of the tribes are so small and close together that it is very hard to find the one you are looking for.
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LibraryThing member stillatim
A bit of a let down, but that's because I was really excited to read these works, and, well, meh. I suspect that that isn't Tacitus' fault. These books, by and large, should be easy to understand, given a few historical notes. The editor, unfortunately, pitches this somewhere between Cambridge
Whatever. The more important problem is that both the introduction and the notes make this harder to read, not easier. Maybe a different edition would be a better choice. Agricola is either a poorly thought through love letter to his father-in-law, or a richly ironic depiction of the intelligent man's life under the Roman Empire; Germany either a dull catalogue of more or less unknown peoples, or a vicious indictment of Roman excess. Or maybe they're both both. I choose the latter option.
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green & gold depth notes and everyday reader notes. There are notes to tell you what Tacitus doesn't say, rather as if we need to be told that (having just read the section in which he doesn't say x, y and z). On the other hand, there are notes outlining the history of scholarship on various points. And then, on one of the more famous cruces (on supposed collective ownership of land, and on usury), there's a note telling us that the epigram in question is called absurd by another scholar... and nothing else. My suspicion is that Mr Birley, who obviously knows everything there is to know about Tacitus, got sick of Marxist readers saying this is a book all about communism, and decided to respond with arrogance and dismissiveness. Whatever. The more important problem is that both the introduction and the notes make this harder to read, not easier. Maybe a different edition would be a better choice. Agricola is either a poorly thought through love letter to his father-in-law, or a richly ironic depiction of the intelligent man's life under the Roman Empire; Germany either a dull catalogue of more or less unknown peoples, or a vicious indictment of Roman excess. Or maybe they're both both. I choose the latter option.
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LibraryThing member janerawoof
I have finished Agricola. Translation has given no problems: easy to understand. This was a short biography of G. Julius Agricola's early private and public life, army, and rise through the cursus honorum. Agricola is pictured as quite a paragon, all through Tacitus' biography. Of course, Tacitus
Tacitus' Germania is basically a short ethnographic treatise on Germania and her various tribes. Touched upon are: origin of the German peoples; their appearance, including the distinctively topknotted Suevians; customs and culture of each tribe, in general and individually. Tacitus is very impressed with their marriage customs and lack of adultery, as well as their adherence to generous hospitality. He does deplore what he sees as their sloth, laziness, and their love of war to take by force what they want instead of working for it. The Gutenberg version in the Gordon translation was to the point and easy to follow.
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was his son-in-law and he wrote it as a tribute. I felt, also, genuine filial affection throughout. Short history of Britannia and Britons followed. In the eighth year of Agricola's office as governor of Britannia, a large-scale battle was fought at Mons Graupius [85 AD] between Romans and Caledonians, with motivating speeches by both the British leader of the Caledonian Confederacy, Galgacus, and by Agricola beforehand. Marvelous description of the final battle. Agricola's life post-Britain, and his death. He escaped the most horrendous years of Domitian's rule. I detected a note of an envious "Lucky man!" in Tacitus if I read between the lines. I read the online version from Fordham University.Tacitus' Germania is basically a short ethnographic treatise on Germania and her various tribes. Touched upon are: origin of the German peoples; their appearance, including the distinctively topknotted Suevians; customs and culture of each tribe, in general and individually. Tacitus is very impressed with their marriage customs and lack of adultery, as well as their adherence to generous hospitality. He does deplore what he sees as their sloth, laziness, and their love of war to take by force what they want instead of working for it. The Gutenberg version in the Gordon translation was to the point and easy to follow.
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LibraryThing member meandmybooks
Excellent! Birley's introduction and end notes were wonderful. I can't speak to the accuracy of the translation, but it was extremely readable (and he does discuss some translation issues in the notes).
Agricola was interesting, especially toward the end, and Germany was wonderful. I particularly
Agricola was interesting, especially toward the end, and Germany was wonderful. I particularly
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enjoyed the speeches (Calgacus got the best one (Agricola, 30)); "People and Customs" in Germany, with Tacitus's not-so-veiled jibes at Roman decadence; and Tacitus's epigrammatic observations at the end of many chapters. Show Less
LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
Tacitus' AGRICOLA bio, and his GERMANIA, a moral ethnological essay are bracketed here. These are his first works, later he turned to larger histories. Professor Mattingly has done a workman-like job, and this Penguin paperback was a standard text for roman historians. I am very surprised about the
The Latin original was completed about 98 CE, according to the introduction.
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lack of retrieval of this edition.The Latin original was completed about 98 CE, according to the introduction.
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LibraryThing member mattries37315
Every one of Roman’s greatest historians began their writing career with some piece, for one such man it was a biography of his father-in-law and an ethnographic work about Germanic tribes. Agricola and Germany are the first written works by Cornelius Tacitus, which are both the shortest and the
Tacitus’ first work was a biography of his father-in-law, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who was the governor of Britain and the man who completed the conquest of the rest of the island before it was abandoned by the emperor Domitian after he recalled Agricola and most likely poisoned him. The biography not only covered the life of Agricola but also was a history of the Roman conquest of Britain climaxed by the life of the piece’s hero. While Agricola focused mostly one man’s career, Tacitus did give brief ethnographic descriptions of the tribes of Britain which was just a small precursor of his Germany. This short work focused on all the Germanic tribes from the east bank of the Rhine 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. Building upon the work of others and using some of the information he gathered while stationed near the border, Tacitus draws an image of various tribes comparing them to the Romans in unique turn of phrases that shows their barbarianism to Roman civilization but greater freedom compared to Tacitus’ imperial audience.
Though there are some issues with Tacitus’ writing, most of the issues I had with this book is with the decisions made in putting this Oxford World’s Classics edition together. Namely it was the decision to put the Notes section after both pieces of writing. Because of this, one had to have a figure or bookmark in either Agricola or Germany and another in the Notes section. It became tiresome to go back and forth, which made keeping things straight hard to do and the main reason why I rate this book as low as I did.
Before the Annals and the Histories were written, Tacitus began his writing with a biography of his father-in-law and Roman’s northern barbarian neighbors. These early works show the style that Tacitus would perfect for his history of the first century Caesars that dramatically changed the culture of Roman.
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only complete pieces that he wrote.Tacitus’ first work was a biography of his father-in-law, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who was the governor of Britain and the man who completed the conquest of the rest of the island before it was abandoned by the emperor Domitian after he recalled Agricola and most likely poisoned him. The biography not only covered the life of Agricola but also was a history of the Roman conquest of Britain climaxed by the life of the piece’s hero. While Agricola focused mostly one man’s career, Tacitus did give brief ethnographic descriptions of the tribes of Britain which was just a small precursor of his Germany. This short work focused on all the Germanic tribes from the east bank of the Rhine 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. Building upon the work of others and using some of the information he gathered while stationed near the border, Tacitus draws an image of various tribes comparing them to the Romans in unique turn of phrases that shows their barbarianism to Roman civilization but greater freedom compared to Tacitus’ imperial audience.
Though there are some issues with Tacitus’ writing, most of the issues I had with this book is with the decisions made in putting this Oxford World’s Classics edition together. Namely it was the decision to put the Notes section after both pieces of writing. Because of this, one had to have a figure or bookmark in either Agricola or Germany and another in the Notes section. It became tiresome to go back and forth, which made keeping things straight hard to do and the main reason why I rate this book as low as I did.
Before the Annals and the Histories were written, Tacitus began his writing with a biography of his father-in-law and Roman’s northern barbarian neighbors. These early works show the style that Tacitus would perfect for his history of the first century Caesars that dramatically changed the culture of Roman.
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LibraryThing member jonfaith
They ravage, they slaughter, they seize by false pretenses, and all of this they hail as the construction of empire. And when in their wake nothing remains but a desert, they call that peace.
Tacitus as Graham Greene. Whether offering a biography or an anthropological survey, Tacitus remains both
Tacitus as Graham Greene. Whether offering a biography or an anthropological survey, Tacitus remains both
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terse and eloquent, all the way with a taste that all is certainly going to shit. I liked both pieces equally, I was struck in the latter by what I fathomed to be the respect shown for the Nasser of the Danube. The first section, a portrait of his father-in-law can't help but appear regal in defeat. Show Less
LibraryThing member marfita
How could I not like it? It gave me background information on my father's mother's family in Germany. They live (there are still some there in the Minden area) in the ancient territory of the Angrivarii. These people were eventually absorbed into the Saxons and were neatly placed to forge west and
The version I read of this had almost more footnotes than text. But it was such a slim volume that I went on to read his biography of his father-in-law, Agricola. A bit of that was about Agricola, but much of it about the history of Britain under Roman occupation, also interesting.
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take over Britain. Perhaps this explains why I have DNA hanging around England and Wales.The version I read of this had almost more footnotes than text. But it was such a slim volume that I went on to read his biography of his father-in-law, Agricola. A bit of that was about Agricola, but much of it about the history of Britain under Roman occupation, also interesting.
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Original publication date
98
Physical description
175 p.; 19 cm
ISBN
0140442413 / 9780140442410