History, Ethnography, And Eulogy Of Agricola - 1500 Words

Written by the Roman historian Tacitus, the Agricola chronicles the life of his father-in-law Gnaeus Julian Agricola while also covering the ethnography and history of ancient Britain and Rome. After the assassination of Domitian in 96 AD, Tacitus used his freedom to publish his work. Tacitus describes the character of his father-in-law, by showing how he grew up in a household that encouraged the study of philosophy and attended to matters of state with honesty and competence. Tacitus explores different themes in the book including the history, ethnography, and eulogy of Agricola. Near the beginning of the book, the historian Tacitus admits his disdain towards Domitian’s rule and the profound effect Domitian had on the Roman Empire. Tacitus claims that for fifteen years, men fell victim to the cruelty of the emperor. He contrasts Nerva and Trajan, the next two emperors, with their predecessor by stating that Nerva harmonized the old discord between autocracy and freedo m, and Trajan enriched the happiness of our times. Tacitus does not try to hide his contempt towards Domitian, but he does not dwell on it for very long in the story. During the reign of Domitian, Agricola has been the most important general involved in the conquest of a great part of Britain. During his time as a general, his commendable characteristics began to unveil. Over the course of seven years, the Romans began subjecting the native people of Britain to foreign rule. Tacitus goes intoShow MoreRelatedAgricola and Germania Essay1604 Words   |  7 PagesKali Ryan Agricola and Germania Dr.Newsome October 2, 2012 Agricola and Germania The Agricola and Germani is a novel that serves two purposes: The Agricola is a eulogy praising Tacituss father-in-law, and commander of Britian, Agricola. The Germania is an ethnography on German people. Both stories are told through the eyes of Tacitus as he indirectly criticizes Roman politics and society. His reason for snaking in these criticisms in such a crafty manner had been due to his friendship with