It is common knowledge that Caligula considered invading Britain (40AD), but his fickle mind was quick to repent of it, besides his great designs in Germany were frustrated. Everywhere the field was covered with weapons, corpses, severed limbs and blood; but there was sometimes an angry courage even in defeat. The crops are quick to sprout but ripen slowly, for a like reason, the plentiful moisture in the soil and atmosphere. Agricola Het eerste werk van Tacitus behoort nog niet tot de geschiedschrijving, maar tot een daarmee verwant genre. Then began a great and bloody spectacle, wherever there was open ground: of pursuit, injury and capture, and as other fugitives crossed their path, slaughter of the captives. ‘A Map of Britain in the Most Perfect State of Roman Power and Government’ P. CORNELIVS TACITVS (c. 56 – c. 117 A.D.) ANNALES. The Britons will acknowledge our cause is theirs, the Gauls will remember their former freedom: as the Usipii recently deserted them, so will the rest of the Germans. This I would preach to wife and daughter, to so venerate the memory of husband and father as to contemplate his every word and action, and to cling to the form and feature of the mind rather than the body; not because I think bronze or marble likenesses should be suppressed, but that the face of a man and its semblance are both mortal and transient, while the form of the mind is eternal, and can only be captured and expressed not through the materials and artistry of another, but through one’s own character alone. Now here, a real and notable victory, with thousands of enemies slain, was being celebrated to great acclaim. wishes to say that ‘Agricola made no fatuous parade of independence to challenge public attention and provoke his doom’: he prefers to express the idea by means of alliteration and zeugma combined: neque inani iactatione libertatis famam fatumque provocabat. Raised in her loving care he spent his boyhood and youth cultivating all the civilised accomplishments. If posterity wishes to know of his outward appearance, he was more handsome than imposing: there was no aggressiveness in his look: his dominant expression was benign. Claudius, since deified, took on the great task: legions and auxiliaries were shipped across (43AD), and Vespasian was there to play a part, the first of the distinctions that later came his way: tribes were conquered, chieftains captured, and Vespasian was revealed by destiny. He himself, travelling slowly, so that the very leisureliness of his passage might strike fear into fresh tribes, reached winter quarters. The question of who indeed first inhabited Britain, and whether they are indigenous or newcomers, is, as usual among barbarous nations, difficult to ascertain. His energy, stamina, and experience in war, was compared everywhere to the inertia and timorousness of the current military hierarchy. Happy indeed, you were, Agricola! The British Library. To this day, on the last frontier of freedom, we have been protected by our very remoteness and obscurity; now the furthest shores of Britain lie exposed, and while the unknown is always magnified, now there are no more tribes, nothing but sea and stone, for these fatal Romans, whose arrogance you will not escape by humility and restraint. By immediately suppressing such evils in his first year, he gave a brilliant lustre to peacetime, which the indifference or arrogance of previous governors had rendered no less dreadful than war. And since warfare could not be conducted after the end of summer, he led his troops down to the territory of the Boresti. The Rijksmuseum. Such was the state of Britain, such the military situation which Agricola found in the midsummer of his arrival when the troops, assuming campaigning was over, were seeking rest, and the enemy were seeking an opportunity. Agricola was born on the 13th of June, in the third of Caligula’s consulships (AD40) and died in his fifty-fourth year on the 23rd of August, in the consulship of Collega and Priscinus (AD93). If there is a place for virtuous spirits; if, as the wise are pleased to say, great minds are not extinguished with the body, rest in peace, and recall us, your family, from childish longing and womanish lament to the contemplation of your virtues, which it is wrong to grieve or mourn. The following day revealed the extent of our victory more widely: all around was a silent waste, deserted hills, smoke rising from the ruined huts. Such are the Britons who were conquered some time ago; the rest remain as the Gauls once were. Thanks to his native shrewdness, Agricola, though among civilians, dealt with them readily and justly. In an early chapter of the Agricola, Tacitus asserts that he wishes to speak about the years of Domitian, Nerva and Trajan.In the Histories the scope has changed; Tacitus says that he will deal with the age of Nerva and Trajan at a later time. Yet when he had sufficiently overawed them, by sparing them he again revealed the attractions of peace. This was an age-old tactic of theirs, difficult for the enemy to counter, their shields being too small to lock together, and their untipped long-swords too unwieldy for close fighting. Julius Graecinus, his father, was a Senator noted for his pursuit of rhetoric and philosophy; the very virtues which earned for him Caligula’s anger; ordered to prosecute Marcus Silanus he refused and was put to death. Once they each had one master: now two were imposed on them – a governor to extract their blood, a procurator their possessions. Rumour is not always in error; sometimes it even determines the choice. Fame which even good men often covet, he never sought, neither by parading his virtues, nor by practising intrigue: incapable of fuelling rivalry with colleagues nor contending with the agents of empire, he thought it inglorious to succeed so, and sordid to be thus contaminated. Britain’s location and inhabitants having been attested to by many writers, I reproduce them here not as a challenge to their efforts or talent but because Agricola first conquered the island completely. Online Introduction to “Tacitus’ Germany & Agricola” Handy Literal Translations was a series of 92 books published in the early 1900’s. No doubt his noble and aspiring mind desired the beauty and splendour of great and glorious ideas with more violence than restraint. For the rest, to temper his military fame, offensive to the idle, with other virtues, he drank deep of the cup of leisure and tranquillity, modest in his dress, easy in conversation, attended by only one or two friends; so that society, whose habit it is to judge great men by their ostentation, seeing and noting Agricola, questioned the extent of his reputation, comprehended by few. This is a most unjust aspect of war, that everyone claims victory for himself, and attributes defeat to one alone. Please refer to our Privacy Policy. agricola and germania penguin classics. His official duties and his hours of relaxation were carefully partitioned: when judicial business required it, he was serious, focused and severe, yet more often merciful; when the demands of office had been satisfied there was no further show of power; he eschewed moroseness, arrogance and greed. ‘A Map of Wales According to Ptolemy's Geography Rectified’ The red-haired, large-limbed inhabitants of Caledonia suggest a Germanic origin; while the dark colouration of the Silures (of South Wales), their plentiful curls, and the relative position of Spain, attests to immigrant Iberians in former times, who occupied the area; again, those nearest the Gauls are like them, whether because of the enduring power of heredity, or because the common climate of two projecting lands that face each other moulds the physique. He passed the year between his quaestorship and his tribunate of the plebs in peace and quiet, as well as his year (66AD) of office, skilfully surviving Nero’s reign (54-68AD), when it was wise to remain passive. Andrea Mantegna, 1486 - 1492 To refer to the honesty and restraint of such a man is almost to insult virtue itself. Sadly, large parts of his text are lost including his description of the whole of Caligula’s reign and the early part of that of Claudius, but what remains gives us our most detailed picture of Imperial rule. You would easily have believed him to be a good man, and been glad to think him great. Further translations from Tacitus', of the Annals and Histories, will be started this winter. In 112 or 113AD he held the civilian governorship of western Asia Minor, and died sometime around 120AD, probably surviving into Hadrian’s early reign. Now, however, the furthest limits of Britain are thrown open, and the unknown always passes for the marvellous. No one who heard of his death was gratified or quick to forget him. Be done with campaigning, crown fifty years with one great day: prove to the Roman people that the army is not to blame for the war’s delay or the rebels’ chances.’. ‘Roman Triumph’ Receiving a brief embrace, and not a word of enquiry, he melted into the crowd of courtiers. Addeddate 2007-02-15 16:40:31 Call number srlf_ucla:LAGE-3274618 Though it is still in the nature of human frailty that the remedy acts more slowly than the disease, and just as the body is slow to grow, swift to decay, so it is easier to destroy wit and enthusiasm than it is to revive them, while inertia has a certain charm, and the apathy we hate at first we later love. At no time was Britain more troubled or the situation more in doubt: veterans were slaughtered, colonies burned, forces cut off from their base; one day brought victory, the next a struggle for life. When you penetrate the woodland glades, the creatures that are bravest charge at you, the timid and placid are driven off by the mere sound of your passing. His third year of campaigning (79AD) uncovered new tribes, harrying them as far as Taus, as the estuary is named (Firth of Tay?). Aesica, Northumberland’ The Emperor, ready with his usual dissimulation, assumed a calm demeanour, listened to Agricola’s request to be excused, nodded in approval, and allowed himself to be thanked, unashamed of granting such a plea out of envy. Mettius Carus, the informer, had as yet only one success to his name; Messalinus’ rasping voice of accusation was still confined to the Alban citadel; and Baebius Massa, that rascal, was still as yet on trial: soon our hands would drag poor Helvidius to prison; we it was who suffered Mauricus’ and Rusticus’ reproachful gaze; we who were drenched in innocent Senecio’s blood. Kline, A.S., (prose translation) "Tacitus: The Agricola and Germania" Author Email: admin@poetryintranslation.com. With his wife and daughter surviving him, he might even pass for fortunate in escaping what was to come, his reputation unimpaired, in the flower of his fame, his friends and family secure. And as among household slaves the newcomer is mocked by his fellows, so in this age-old worldwide house of slaves, we the newest and most worthless, are marked for destruction: we lack the fields, the mines, the harbours that we might have been preserved to labour in. Your latest actions and their extreme fear have frozen their army in its tracks, so you may win a fine and glorious victory. National Gallery of Art | NGA Images. Those whom East nor West can satisfy reveal their greed if their enemies are wealthy, their ambition if they are paupers; alone amongst all men they covet rich and poor alike. So that a scattered and uneducated population, always ready on that account for war, might become accustomed through amenity to a quiet and peaceful life, he exhorted individuals and encouraged tribes to construct housing, market-places, and temples; praising the prompt, rebuking the idle, such that rivalry for compliments replaced coercion. ‘Funeral of a Roman General’ ‘Bronze Gilt Broach. The Agricola & Germania Publius Cornelius Tacitus A Translation into English by A.S.KLINE Published with Selected Illustrations POETRY IN TRANSLATION www.poetryintranslation.com Moreover in such matters the danger was not in being bold but in being discovered. There, a daughter (Julia, later wife to Tacitus) was born to him, a help and consolation, since he lost the son he had briefly carried in his arms. Conditions and Exceptions apply. Definition of Tacitus in the Definitions.net dictionary. The Rijksmuseum. Agricola’s scouts, sent in all directions, met no one; the traces of the enemy’s flight uncertain, and nowhere any sign of unity. While proceeding to carry out the solemn rites, Agricola heard the news that Vespasian aspired to power, and at once joined his party. Section 1: On biography and auto-biography, Section 5: Military apprenticeship in Britain, Section 8: Service under Petilius Cerialis, Section 9: Governorship of Gallia Aquitania, Section 10: Governorship of Britain: its geography, Section 14: The first Consular Governors of Britain, Section 16: Boudicca’s uprising and its aftermath, Section 17: Cerialis appointed by Vespasian, Section 24: Campaigning on the West Coast of Scotland, Section 25: Campaigning beyond the Firth of Forth, Section 26: Night attack on the Ninth Legion, Section 27: The Britons continue the struggle, Section 28: Mutiny by the Usipii Battalion, Section 29: Loss of his son, and advance to Mons Graupius, Section 30: Calgacus’ speech: ‘They make a desert…’, Section 32: Calgacus’ speech: of rebellion, Section 33: Agricola’s speech: no retreat, Section 34: Agricola’s speech: complete the work, Section 35: The disposition of the troops, Section 36: Roman infantry and cavalry attacks. So they sought peace, and surrendered the island, regarding Agricola as a great man, a brilliant general, who on entering the province, at the moment others spent in ostentation, courting attention, chose effort and danger. agricola summary amp study guide supersummary. His final illness brought grief to us, sadness to his friends, and many an unknown stranger expressed concern. He married Julia Agricola, the daughter of the famous general Agricola, and later wrote a biography of his father-in-law. Even though my speech is hoarse and unpractised, I shall not hesitate to compose a record of our former slavery, and our present blessings. With the governor absent, and their fears banished, the Britons began to discuss the ills of servitude amongst themselves, comparing their injuries, and accentuating their grievances: they argued that nothing was achieved by submission, other than that greater demands were placed on the willing sufferers. He was active during Trajan’s reign, with significant absences from political life, as he undertook his literary work, writing the Germania and Agricola, the Histories and the Annals. Please refer to our Privacy Policy. For though he did not live to see the light of this most fortunate age, with Trajan as our leader, which he foretold with prophecy and prayer in our hearing, nevertheless he was compensated, by a premature death, in evading those final days when Domitian, no longer fitfully or with pause for breath but in one single unremitting stroke, exhausted the life-blood of the state. So both sides separated in a state of excitement. For, to accustom to rest and repose through the charms of luxury a population scattered and barbarous and therefore inclined to war, Agricola gave private encouragement and public aid to the building of temples, courts of justice and dwelling-houses, praising the energetic, and reproving the indolent. They found hiding places and as quickly eschewed them; now taking counsel together, now scattering; sometimes breaking down at the sight of their loved ones, more often stirred to action; it was credibly reported that some, as though in mercy, laid violent hands on wives and children. No crime was responsible for his predicament, no complaint by any victim of an offence; simply an Emperor hostile to virtue, the man’s achievements and, worst of enemies, those who praise. Meanwhile, since the chariots had fled, our cavalry joined the infantry-battle. The consul (suffectus, 77AD) betrothed his daughter Julia, a girl of great promise, to me, then a mere youth, and on conclusion of his office gave her to me in marriage. Britain comprises the largest island known to Rome, in extent and situation stretching over towards Germania eastwards and Hispania westwards, while to the south it is in sight of Gaul; its northern shores alone have no land facing them, but are washed by wastes of open sea. ‘A Map of Scotland According to Ptolemy's Geography Rectified’ Let those whose way it is to admire only what is rebellious, learn that great men can exist even under bad leaders, and obedience and moderation, if accompanied by industry and vigour, achieve that glory more often realised through dangerous actions, without benefit to the state, and an ostentatious end. ‘Ancient Roman Warriors Riding into Battle’ The battle was now within the camp itself, when Agricola, discovering the enemy line of march from his scouts and following in their footsteps, ordered the swiftest of his troops and cavalry to attack their rear-guard, and then raise a general cry, with dawn at hand, gleaming on the standards. Inexperienced as they were, they called these aspects of their subjugation, civilisation. We use cookies for social media and essential site functions. Een vertaling van de Agricola van Tacitus, door The Oxford Translation Revised, With Notes. Then the armies formed ranks, weapons gleaming, the bravest to the fore. In this manner they sailed round the coast of Britain, only to lose their ships on account of their lack of navigational skill. New York. Furthermore the wearing of our clothing was seen as a distinction, and the toga became fashionable. The following winter was spent in prosecuting sound measures. There was a pact so to speak, that gave licence to the army, security to the governor, and an end to the mutiny, without bloodshed. This work MAY be FREELY reproduced, stored and transmitted, electronically or otherwise, for any non-commercial purpose. So the fiercest of the Britons have already fallen, only a collection of timorous cowards remain. Theft, slaughter, rapine they misname empire, they make a desert and call it peace.’. ‘Roman Soldier’ A History of all Nations from the Earliest Times - John Henry Wright (p225, 1905) They faced the winter with intrepidity, each well secured, while the enemy were ineffectual and despairing, having been accustomed to set winter’s gains against summer’s losses, but now being driven off winter and summer alike. What does Tacitus mean? Knowing everything, but not pursuing everything, he showed indulgence to small sins, severity towards the greatest, content often with a show of penitence, rather than forever exacting punishment; advancing to office and position those unlikely to offend rather than condemning those who did. Be that as it may, in the summer in which he began his sixth year of governance (83AD) he embraced the tribes beyond the Firth of Forth in his operations, fearing a general uprising among all the communities on that side, and he explored the coastline with his navy, nervous of land routes threatened by a hostile host. Agricola was neither slapdash, in the manner of those young men who treat soldiering as a game, nor traded idly on his tribune’s role and inexperience to win leave for pleasure; rather he gained knowledge of the province, made himself known to the men, learnt from the experts, followed the best, sought nothing in ostentation, but shrank from nothing in fear, behaving as one eager but cautious. Had not Agricola ranged everywhere and ordered his strong, lightly-armed battalions to beat the woods, in the manner of huntsmen, along with cavalry, mounted where the woods were less dense, dismounted where they were thicker, over-confidence might have caused untold damage. was merely sighted, as their orders took them only thus far, and winter was approaching. The Caledonian forces, so as to be at once impressive and alarming, were drawn up on high ground with the front ranks on the level and the rest seeming to rise higher and higher on the gentle slope; while the war-chariots filled the centre of the plain. Gnaeus Julius Agricola In 98 werd het leven van Agricola op schrift vastgelegd door zijn schoonzoon; niemand minder dan Publius Cornelius Tacitus, een van de belangrijkste historici van de late eerste eeuw na Christus. Their strength is on foot, though certain tribes fight from chariots, the charioteer holding the place of honour, while the retainers make war. Their physical traits vary, and lead to speculation. Thule (Shetland?) ‘A Roman Legion’ But there are no tribes beyond us, nothing indeed but waves and rocks, and the yet more terrible Romans, from whose oppression escape is vainly sought by obedience and submission. It was a custom in the past not yet relinquished by our own age, indifferent though we may now be to events, to relay to posterity the deeds and manners of famous men; whenever, that is, mighty and noble virtue had conquered and suppressed that vice common to all states, great and small, the ignorance and envy of what is good. Think then of your forefathers, and of your posterity, before you enter into battle.’. He has left an historical monument highly interesting to every Briton, who wishes to know the manners of his ancestors, and the spirit of liberty that from the earliest time distinguished the natives of Britain. His first military service in Britain (58-62AD) brought him to the notice of Suetonius Paulinus, a conscientious and disciplined general, who selected him for assessment as a member of his staff. ‘Think you the Romans, then, are as brave in war as they are lascivious in peace? Britain produces gold, silver and other metals, the prize of conquest. The Rijksmuseum. Trebellius, less energetic and with no military experience, held the province with a light touch, and even the barbarians learned to forgive the occasional moral error, while the interruption to civil strife provided a valid excuse for his inaction. Shortly before his arrival, the Ordovices (of North Wales) had almost destroyed one wing of the army, and this initiative had roused the province. 9, His. What was left to him, after murdering his mother... Annals BookI-1to30: Tiberius accedes to power, Annals BookI-31to54: Germanicus at war in Germany, Annals BookI-55to81: Tiberius tightens his grip, Annals BookII-1to32: Germanicus victorious, Annals BookII-33to54: Trouble in the East, Annals BookII-55to88: The death of Germanicus, Annals BookIII-1to34: The trial of Gnaeus Piso, War in North Africa, Annals BookIII-56to76: The decline of the Senate, Annals BookIV-1to33: The rise of Sejanus, the death of Drusus, Annals BookIV-34to58: Tiberius retires from Rome, Annals BookVI-1to30: Tiberius increasingly despotic, Annals BookVI-31to51: The death of Tiberius, Caligula accedes, Annals BookXI-1to38: Claudius and Messalina, Annals BookXII-1to40: Claudius and Agrippina, campaign in Britain, Annals BookXII-41to69: The murder of Claudius, Annals BookXIII-1to33: Nero and Agrippina, Annals BookXIII-34to58: War in Armenia and Germany, Annals BookXIV-1to39: The murder of Agrippina, war in Armenia and Britain, Annals BookXIV-40to65: Nero’s grip tightens, Annals BookXV-1to32: War with Parthia over Armenia, Annals BookXV-33to47: Nero runs amok, the Great Fire, Annals BookXV-48to74: The Piso conspiracy. ...who indeed could be unaware of Nero’s cruelty? He was posted immediately thereafter to Britain, and also appointed to the high priesthood. They lived in wonderful harmony, through their mutual affection and wish to put each other first, a good wife deserving greater praise the more one finds fault with a bad one. He almost eliminated the whole tribe, and aware of the need to follow up his success after that first campaign, in order to terrorise the rest, he determined to reduce the island of Mona (Anglesey), from whose conquest Paulinus had been recalled by the wider rebellion in Britain. Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama - Ebenezer Cobham Brewer (p270, 1892) Previous battles, fought against Rome with varying success, leave the hope of salvation in our hands, for we the noblest of the Britons, dwelling in its furthest reaches, have never seen the shores of slavery, our eyes untouched by the stain of tyranny. The following year (69AD – The Year of the Four Emperors) dealt his home and peace of mind a heavy blow. Filled with terror, the enemy did not dare to attack our forces, though these suffered from the atrocious weather, and there was the opportunity to establish forts. Wikisource: The Life and Death of Julius Agricola, translated by Alfred John Not having anticipated the action, Agricola lacked the presence of the fleet: yet through his resourcefulness and determination the straits were bridged. Liber I: Liber II: Liber III: Liber IV: Liber V: Liber VI: Liber XI: Liber XII: Liber XIII The British Library. I doubt not that all tributes due to you, best of fathers, were more than rendered in your honour, by the fondest of wives at your bedside; yet too few still were the tears shed as you were buried, and something your eyes longed for as they last sought the light. He conducted no public business through slaves or even freedmen, admitting no soldier or officer to his staff through personal affection, or recommendation, or entreaty: but only the best of those he considered most loyal. © Copyright 2000-2021 A. S. Kline, All Rights Reserved. That the name of a private individual should be exalted above that of the Leader, was what he most feared: it was useless to silence the forum’s eloquence, and the noble arts of peace, if another were to grasp military glory. He settled their differences, but without attempting anything further, handing over to Trebellius Maximus (63AD). For Otho’s navy, hostile and roving freely, while looting Intimilium (Ventimiglia) in Liguria, murdered Agricola’s mother on her estate, plundering the estate and a large part of his inheritance, that being the motive for the murder. And just as, in our predecessors’ times, the age was more favourable and open to actions worth recording, so distinguished men of ability were led to produce those records of virtue, not to curry favour or from ambition, but for the reward of a good conscience. Tacitus throughout seeks to maintain an objective balance, basing his narrative on solid evidence, and documentary sources, yet also takes the opportunity to express his own views and feelings regarding the abuse of power, the corruption displayed by individuals, and the character faults which undermined Imperial rule, especially in his handling of Nero’s reign. It soon bore little resemblance to a cavalry action, as our troops, who had difficulty staying on their feet, were driven forward by the mass of horses; while the odd driverless chariot, its team panic-stricken, driven wild with terror, made oblique or head-on charges. It is characteristic of human nature to hate those you have harmed: but in truth Domitian, though irritable by nature, and as unrelenting as he was secretive, was mollified by Agricola’s moderation and discretion, who neither invited infamy and ruin through defiance or a foolish show of independence. 56-117) was een Romeins consul, historicus, schrijver en redenaar. They were treated as pirates, and some were put to death by the Suebi, others later by the Frisii. Tacitus was son-in-law to Agricola; and while filial piety breathes through his work, he never departs from the integrity of his own character. ), Harold Mattingly (trans.) The History of Great Britain: from the First Invasion of it by the Romans under Julius Cæsar - Robert Henry, Malcolm Laing, John Adams (p531, 1789) Fearing to be surrounded, since the enemy was superior in numbers and their knowledge of the terrain, he split the army into three divisions and advanced. But they declared the waves sluggish, resistant to the oar, and likewise unresponsive to the wind, presumably because mountainous land, the cause and origin of storms, is scarcer, and the unbroken mass of deeper water is harder to set in motion. During the space of fifteen years, a large part of a lifetime, change on change did for many, the Emperor’s savagery for others, they being the most resolute: while we few who remain have outlived, so to speak, not merely our neighbours, but ourselves; since those years were stolen from our prime of life, while youths reached age, and old men the very edge of the grave, in silence. Publius Cornelius Tacitus (ca. The year arrived, in which lots were to be drawn for the governorship of Africa, and that of Asia Minor, whose previous governor, Civica, had recently been executed (in 88AD?