Tacitus-Germania

[georgious]

Do the erstwhile participants of this forum consider the German tribes described by Tacitus in his work as receiving a good or bad press?Do you think that Tacitus is prejudiced towards the Germans? Would you class his work as ethography, an essay on the national character as Orwell's The LIon and the Unicorn, or a form of journalism?Opinions.

[Divi Filius]

There is obviously bias in Tacitus' description of the Germanic people, that is to be expected. However, the work is also an attack on what he perceives as the decline of morals in his own world(Italian/Roman society). What he describes is generally coined as "the noble barbarian". A simplistic character, savage in its own way, but also full of pride, honor and dignity. Contrary to the modern Roman, the German is an strong monogamist; contrary to Roman society, Germania is "pure" and "unmixed".

 

His work should be considered nothing more then an ethnography of classical standards. His work is not based on any personal experience but, rather, all on secondary sources which are composed of what we would consider the "literary tradition" of Roman world.

[Constantinos]

I am nost so familliar with his work. However, after the onslaught of three Roman Legions, and the Loss of two of their Imperial Eagles, the Romans had developed a sydrome towards the Germans. Especially concerning that the leader of the Gremanic revolte, was considered to be a trusty Roman ally, even more was considered that had been incorporated to the Roman structures. It should be noted that the number of Legions stationed in the Rhine, the border line with the Germanic tribes, was by far greater than in any other place. This fact did not change not even when Rome found its self deeply envolved in a regional competition with the Parthian empire.

[georgious]

I am nost so familliar with his work. However, after the onslaught of three Roman Legions, and the Loss of two of their Imperial Eagles, the Romans had developed a sydrome towards the Germans. Especially concerning that the leader of the Gremanic revolte, was considered to be a trusty Roman ally, even more was considered that had been incorporated to the Roman structures. It should be noted that the number of Legions stationed in the Rhine, the border line with the Germanic tribes, was by far greater than in any other place. This fact did not change not even when Rome found its self deeply envolved in a regional competition with the Parthian empire.

You are reffering to the battle at the teutobourg forest and the defeat of Quinctilius Varrus by Herman. This defeat during the reign of Augustus I think, terminated the plans for Roman expansion in Germania. Nevertheless Tacitus who wrote much after the reign of Augustus, I think during the reign of Domitian, was admiring the Germans for their simple and undiluted manners as opposed to what he saw as Roman corruption. I think it has to do whith a certain admiration of primitivism that members of advanced cultures feel, much as the admiration of Enlightened Europeans for the "noble savage" after Rousseau. But it is admiration from a distance that does not solicit imitation.

[The Augusta]

Georgious - in complement to what Divi Filius posted above, you might find the following interesting:

 

Essay on Tacitus and Barbarians

 

This was a submission by our Forum member Wotwotius for our recent essay context in March 2007, and if you are able to download the file I am sure you would find it of interest.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

[georgious]

Georgious - in complement to what Divi Filius posted above, you might find the following interesting:

 

Essay on Tacitus and Barbarians

 

This was a submission by our Forum member Wotwotius for our recent essay context in March 2007, and if you are able to download the file I am sure you would find it of interest.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

Thank you Augusta, I looked at the essay of Wotwotius who pointed out certain prejudices inherent in the writing of Tacitus

which are to be found in all Roman statesmen of his time. I think that such prejudices were inevitable to a member of the ruling class, pertaining to the official "roman" identity of the empire.If educated europeans had such ideas during the heyday of european imperialism in the 19th century -how could Romans have been better in that respect?

[caldrail]

Do the erstwhile participants of this forum consider the German tribes described by Tacitus in his work as receiving a good or bad press?Do you think that Tacitus is prejudiced towards the Germans? Would you class his work as ethography, an essay on the national character as Orwell's The LIon and the Unicorn, or a form of journalism?Opinions.

Is any prejudice from Tacitus or the people who described germans to him? Most of these germans were the ones bordering the roman empire and possibly weren't so 'hard-core' as those deep in the temperate rainforest.