Kali 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 Tacitus's 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 high ranking Roman officials whom he did not want to upset. His criticisms were derived from his experiences with Agricola, speeches given by Calgucus, and his ability to compare and contrast cultural differences of Rome and Germania, targeting
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Romans helped build temples, public squares, proper houses, and their national toga was suddenly being seen everywhere. "In their innocent they called this 'civilization', when in fact it was a part of their enslavement" (Tacitus, 15). By carrying over their social norms to other nations, Rome continued to expand in an eased manner, as suggested by Agricola during his reign. Romans were overruling nations that were unnecessary for them to. Moving forward to Germania, which contained much more social criticism than Agricola did by comparing the cultural difference of Germania and Rome. Tacitus described Germania as an empire that revolves strictly around their freedom. The kings of Germania did not hold absolute control over the German citizens. "But even the power of the kings is not absolute or arbitrary. As for the leaders, it is their example rather than their authority that wins them special admiration" (Tacitus, 38). In contrast, the citizens of Rome strongly believed that they attained their own freedom, however they were wrong in the fact that it was the Emperor who held all power in the Roman empire. In addition, Germans treated slaves with much more respect than Romans did. In Rome, the upper class were able to purchase numerous slaves to work in their house, and on their land. Slave owners in Rome treated their slaves harshly and with much disrespect, not providing them with necessities needed to survive. Their reason for this was
Though Justinian, a Byzantine emperor, led a unique empire, he did essentially revive Roman culture and values. Geographically, ancient Rome and the Byzantine Empire were very alike. The map in document 6 indicates the Byzantine Empire controlled North Africa, and land around the Mediterranean, which is similar to ancient Rome. Cultures usually depend on geographic locations, therefore, since the empires had very similar locations, their culture too were alike. In society, both empires adopted Christianity and trade played an important role. These geographic and cultural similarities show that the Justinian Byzantine Empire revived Rome, and prolonged it’s legacy. Ancient Rome built multiple architectural feats, such as the Colosseum. Using
There were a number of Roman laws regarding slavery, and these too, changed over time. In the Republican period, slaves had no rights and were always subject to the whims of their owners. They did have some legal standing, however. They were allowed to act as witnesses in trials, and could gain freedom either through their owner's gratitude after loyal service or by buying it through the meager earnings they might collect over a lifetime of service. For example, owners in the Republic had the right to kill or mutilate slaves at a whim, but later imperial laws took this right away, though in practice this law could be largely ignored. This represents how valued slaves were to the Roman people.
First of all, the Romans learned many rules on how to expand and to rule the large areas around them. Rome learned early on that it was very important to create alliances with surrounding cities in Italy.2 Rome became allies with the other Latin speaking cities of Latium.2 The Romans and their allies then took over the Etruscan city of Veii.2 The Romans learned that careful diplomacy was very useful in taking over larger areas.2 The Romans took a punch to the face in 389 B.C.E. Celts
Rome was a civilization that expanded their empire by getting new citizens from conquered civilizations and giving them limited citizenships in Rome by them some responsibilities of a regular Roman citizen. There were four types of Roman citizens: Latini were people on the Italian peninsula, and had the right to travel, trade, and live in Rome but were not allowed to marry in Rome or the Roman empire. The Foederati were citizens of states that had treaties with Rome and were given little rights in return for military service. Peregrini were foreigners in conquered lands they could be given full or partial citizenship (doc
Rome is known for its’ empire (The Roman Empire). Rome started out small and ended up becoming this huge and undefeatable force of nature. Rome received their success by either attacking other nearby towns/neighbors or granting them treaties or citizenships. E. Badien, the author who created an article called, The Organization Of Italy, explains how Rome organized Italy, and got their neighboring cities and nations to join them and turn ancient Italy into a leading state of power. In Badien’s observations, he finds that granting citizenship and the Latin’s helped Rome to become powerful and assisting Italy to be more structured.
The customs of the Germans also differed from those of the Romans. Germany contained various people and was thought of by Tacitus as indigenous with little foreign blood. Their physical characteristics are all the same, they cannot endure hard work and tiring chores as the Romans can. Their only form of wealth was in numbered livestock, because their lands didn't have a lot of silver or gold. But after being exposed to the Romans, they began to value gold and silver.
Roman slavery was a very big part of the Roman lives. Slavery was an important feature of the roman world. Prisoners of war and those who sold themselves to pay off debts usually became slaves. Slaves in Ancient Rome had few rights and couldn't chose what they wore or where they lived. Slaves were usually the people with less money. Many more wealthy people owned slaves. Not all slaves were treated badly at this time, but many were.
Romans found new societal and technological innovations which led their empire to be a sustainable society. These innovations helped the Roman Empire to be successful and peaceful. They aided in making everyone content, including the conquered and prevented wars from breaking out within the empire. Technological innovations helped the citizens live a comfortable and healthy life. New innovations included new beneficial laws.
Some policies and institutions of the Roman Republic were useful to help them succeed in conquering first Italy and then the Mediterranean world. Before of the institution of the republic, the romans were a monarchy since their beginning and they were basically a pastoral people. Rome suffer several changes and improvements under the control of the Etruscan kings. The Etruscan were civilization settled north of Rome in Etruria, and they once had control over almost all the Italic peninsula. The Etruscans influences in Rome were profound, they transformed Rome from a pastoral community to a city (91). The Etruscan built the street and roads that help the development of temples, markets, shops, streets, and houses. They basically brought urbanization to Rome. It is fairly to say that the Rome republic was a fusion between the elements of the Etruscan civilization and the Rome elements. The combination of the different political institutions and policies made the Romans succeed in their conquest territories.
As Rome conquered communities, more and more people were becoming Romanized, and noticed as Roman citizens. Of course these new citizens were expected to pay taxes, allowing the empire to grow economically as well as militarily. During the Roman rule of Augustus, Caesar and Trajan, Rome's laws were continually improved making Rome ever more powerful and ethical. (Ferril)
The Romans were also known to be a dominant and warlike group and this dominance which was key in the construction of this vast empire (Backman, Cultures of the West, p.172). One way Romans were able to grow so large was by successfully integrating the conquered people into society. (Jones, Rome, Podcast 1). Even with the changes to come over the course of the next century a lot of Romans were actually opposed to change (Jones, Rome, Podcast 1). Romans were a traditional society
As the population of slaves grew rapidly, the aristocratic elite was able to hold great power and wealth throughout Ancient Rome and its plantations. The more slaves that an elite had working for them the more “luxury and privileges” they obtained. In addition, the Romans took prisoners or citizens charged for war debt from conquered regions such as Carthage, Macedonia and Greece in Northern Italy, Africa and Europe to acquire as their slaves. The slaves past origin and ethnicity did not cause discrimination or leave that slave with a crueler punishment than others in the Roman Republic. However constant loyalty and obedience towards the owner was required.
Most slaves were take when Rome conquered their homes and didn’t have any choice but to go. Slaves were like toys for some people. When their owner was done with them, the slaves would be poot up for sale. They had a sign around their neck that had details about them written on it. Slaves were with few rights and no say in what happened in Rome.
The Roman Empire conquered land at a previously unparalleled rate, within the known world, affecting its institutions from the rest of the Empire’s prevalence. From Hispania to Britannia sweeping across the mediterranean, gaining Egypt, ending in Persia; the absorption of Carthage and North Africa, and finally the civil war being won by Augustus, all brought upon the negative effects of their conquest. The Empire continued to grow from the year 200 B.C.E. to the year 200 C.E.; this growth had many effects upon the Empire. Although expansion and conquest are often good, seen as liberating, or wholly expansive in mathematical, philosophic, and scientific thought, this is not inherently the case. The Roman Empire’s expansion was not entirely as powerful and awe inspiring as many claim it to be; the greedily performed collection of lands resulted in many negative outcomes. These outcomes largely presented Rome with an issue they would never be able to recover from: empiric decay. The effects of militaristic expansion, of the Roman Empire, resulted in the decay of previously prosperous economic, political, and social institutions.
The Roman Empire included a diversity of people from divergent cultures. As they believed in a happy enjoyable life, they designed their city to be entertaining along with constructive. Their society united well together with a unified destiny. They established a society that worked together with very defined impulsions. They built a wonderful transportation for business and comfort. Rome has always been known for its government, the republic, but that was not the way Rome was controlled at first. Rome started out being ruled jointly within the myth, the successor of the joint rule was the Sabine king, Numa Pompilius, who was indeed a proven historical figure. Although Rome enjoyed many years of peace under the rule of Numa Pompilius, his successors were very much war-like and proceeded to lead Rome into an expansive campaign. It wasn’t until Servius Tullius seized the throne after a palace riot killed his father in law, Tarquin I. Servius conducted numerous changes in the time he was in power. He changed the basis of citizenship within Rome from birth to residence. This made Rome more welcoming to the immigrants. He also composed a new assembly; the comitia centuriata. This created voting units called centuries and divided the people into different classes by how much they owned. Servius also laid claim to the surrounding countryside and increased the Roman population which led to