Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and historian of Roman Empire who was born in 56AD somewhere in Northern Italy. He studied rhetoric in Rome and married Julia Agricola who was the daughter of General Agricola. Tacitus died in 117 AD. He had many pieces of literature but what is most relevant to what is being discussed in class is Agricola and Germania. These two books are translated by Harold Mattingly and were revised with a new introduction and notes by J.B Rives. Agricola is about Tacitus’s father in law who was a Roman General who was responsible for a lot of the Roman Conquest of Britain. He speaks about how his father in law was still respectful and handles each situation correctly even in the hardest of times. In Germania Tacitus explains the Germanic tribes by talking about the way they fight, build homes, dress, jobs of the women and men, and also even the way their horses are. He talks about how these Germanic tribes are very different from how he was raised. These two books two a good job of explaining military, behavior and lastly how different the less undeveloped cities are from the more developed ones. A university student can get insight to the Silver Age by reading Tacitus’s Agricola and Germania. Agricola helps a student get insight to the Silver Age by Tacitus talks explains, the fighting style, the mass amount of land conquered and how a general of respect lived his life. Tacitus talks about the well known and respected general Agricola by the way he held himself and how he conquered areas. Agricola was an honest and trustworthy man who was highly respected. As explained by Tacitus, “Agricola was never greedy in stealing credit for pother men’s work. Every centurion and prefect found in him an honest witness to his merit” (16). Tacitus also helps one understand the infantry of this time period. The Britons used chariots during war, the higher ranked were the charioteers. But what their greatest advantage was coping with tribes, they did this by they do not act in concert. Divus Julius, the first Roman to enter Britannia with an army, did intimidate the natives by a victory and gain control of the coast. But then came the civil wars, which the weapons of the Roman leaders turned against the common people. A woman named Boudicca who was of royal descent, for Britannia make no distinction of sex in the electing of leaders. They hunted down Roman troops, invaded forts and assaulted their own colony. Tacitus doesn’t completely back up his statement that Domitian poisoned Agricola but he definitely thinks it was a possibility.
Germania helps a student get insight to the Silver Age but from a different tribe by Tacitus talks about the way the Germanic tribes dress, marriage laws, their habits when they are at peace, the way they train their youth, the government/councils, and their ceremonial funerals. To begin with the way the Germanic tribes dressed by they wrapped themselves in a cloak and left the rest of themselves bare. The wealthier people wear tighter cloaks and are also dressed with the skins of wild beast. “The latter make careful choice of animal, then strip off the pelt and fleck it with patches from the skins of beasts that live in the outer ocean and unknown seas” (Pg. 43). Tacitus gives the reader an insight to what it would be like to be married in a Germanic Tribe. Men were content with one wife. Though some men did have more than one wife but this was not for sexual desires but instead because of high rank. Gifts are not brought from wife to husband but husband to wife. The gifts though are not to please a woman but are oxen, a horse with reins, or a shield and sword. The reasons for these gifts were women are to realize that they are not immune from the hazards of war. “That is why she is reminded, in the very rites that bless her marriage at its outset, that she is coming to share a man’s toils and dangers, that in peace and war alike she is to be his partner in all his sufferings and achievements” (Pg. 43). The council runs in a way that that on minor matters only the leading men debate but on major affairs the whole community, but even when the commons have the decision, the matter is already considered by the leaders. But in the case of accident or emergency they assemble on days where the moon is either new or full. When the crowd decides, they take their seats fully armed. The reason for this is if the people refuse a proposal the people roar out they disagree and if they agree with the proposal they clash their spears. Tacitus’s Agricola and Germania do an exceptional job at allowing the reader to get a better understanding of life during the silver age. Agricola explains the army, the life of a Britton, and what it meant to be a good and trustworthy general. Germania showed what it was like to live in a Germanic tribe by talking about what they wore, marriage laws, and also the way they decided important and not so important decisions. By reading Tacitus’s Agricola and Germania a university student can get an insight to the Silver Age.