“The Agricola” and “The Germania” are two important historical works by Cornelius Tacitus, an ancient Roman Senator and historian who lived from 56 AD to 120 AD. Tacitus lived in what historians call the Silver Age of Latin literature and his contributions to the histories of these tumultuous times are considered significant and illuminating. “The Agricola” is a biography of the Roman general Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who was Tacitus’s father-in-law. It is also a geographic and ethnographic history of Ancient Britain. Tacitus draws an unfavorable comparison between the liberty enjoyed by the Britons to the corruption and cruelty of Rome and offers a biting and insightful commentary on the Roman greed that justified the oppression and exploitation of the British people. “The Germania” is an ethnographic study of the peoples believed by Tacitus to be part of the ancient Germanic tribes, including their laws, lands and customs. While these works are not as well-known as Tacitus’ other classics, such as the “Annals”, or the “Histories”, “The Agricola” and “The Germania” remain important first-hand documents of ancient history and people lost to time.
