Germania: Tacitus’ Perceptions of Pax Romana Rome
While the early 2nd century is usually considered to be the height of the Roman Empire, closer examinations reveal a deteriorating state hiding behind a façade of power and wealth. As modern day historian C. Warren Hollister described, “life in Rome’s ‘golden age’ could be pleasant enough if one were male, adult, very wealthy, and naturally immune to various epidemic diseases. But if this was humanity’s happiest time, God help us all!” (14). Living during this time period, Cornelius Tacitus perceived of the rust slowly consuming through Rome’s golden shine. He writes, “the destinies of the Empire have passed their zenith,” predicting the end of an era 300 years before it occurred (33). He makes this conclusion based on observations of a deterioration of loyalty to the Empire due to weakened patriotism and societal values. His criticisms on the flaws of the Empire are interwoven into the text of his Germania, some being obvious while others are more discreet.
Written in 98 AD, Germania is a description of barbarian lifestyle and culture that Tacitus compiled from different accounts and sources. What makes it a somewhat unreliable historical source is that Tacitus interjects the text with his own opinions about the Empire. For example, Tacitus’ cynicism with the supposed power and strength of the Empire is revealed through his descriptions of the strength of the Germans. In this time period, the Empire represented the paragon of strength in a society, but Tacitus immediately brings attention to the hardiness and unity of the Germans in their barbaric wasteland. While the Romans enjoyed a temperate Mediterranean climate, the Germans lived in a place where t...
... middle of paper ...
...able and foresees the fall of the Western Empire three centuries years later. He even says that the Empire was still standing because the Germans were too busy fighting each other, and that “Fortune can guarantee us nothing better than discord among our foes” (33). Tacitus’ insight on the weaknesses of the Empire during its so-called “golden age” should press modern readers to re-evaluate preconceptions of the Pax Romana. Although Germania may paint a biased picture of the Germans living at the time period, Tactius’ work is valuable because of the interesting perceptions it conveys.
Works Cited
Hollister, C. Warren. Medieval Europe: A Short History. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 1998.
Tacitus. Dialogus, Agricola, Germania. Trans. Maurice Hutton. London: Heineman, 1914. IN Readings in Medieval History. 2nd ed. Ed. Patrick J. Geary. Toronto: Broadview, 1997.
Tacitus's Germania is a thoroughly itemized ethnographic text detailing the geography, climate and social structure of Germany and its people. Unlike his Histories and Annales Tacitus doesn't offer a story line to be followed, but instead, he nudges forth an unspoken comparison to be made between two cultures.
Despite being an immediate bestseller, shortly after publishing, Edward Gibbon’s History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire became unpopular with large groups of the British reading public. The abridged edition consecutively presents the stories behind the Empire’s leadership and course of action. Gibbon revivifies the complex and compelling period of the Romans by detailing the prosperous conditions of the empire, the decline, and the aftermath of the fall. At the same time, Gibbon efficiently scrutinizes the declining virtue of the Roman people. Gibbon made an argument that the intellectual inflexibility of the Roman Empire had declined into “barbarism” and “Christianity,” which ultimately attributed to the fall of the Empire. Many ideas in international politics may have the best foundations for evidence but quickly go out of style. The ideas behind Gibbon’s Decline did just that. Many authors attribute the decline of the Roman Empire to military and economic characteristics rather than virtuous leadership and characteristics. Because Gibbon takes a humanist approach in describing decline, he undermines legitimate factors that modern political scientists would evaluate. Gibbon wrote in a paradigm that has little value for modern political science and as such, is a really bad idea. His idea- the decline of the Roman virtue having consequences beyond structural factors- is, in effect, an idea that should not be used for anything except teaching the definition of virtue and reviewing history. Because of the paradigm going out of style, The Decline would not have survived with merit had it not been for the intriguing anecdotes and tales of the many characters.
In Tacitus’ Germania, the author reveals different aspects of the Germanic tribes of that time. Tacitus underlines religion, politics, and warfare in his passages. He goes into detail about climate, geography, social structure, the different customs of the Germanic people, and the tribes that make up Germany. Warfare being described to be one of the most important characteristics of the Germanic people, it was the most respectable effort that people of Germany could display.
Rome was a major power because it always made certain its own military prowess was preeminent. There have been many ideas presented as to the fall of the Roman Empire. Many believe that Rome declined morally and the violence and decadence of the societal norms led to the demise. Gibbons has been credited with the theory of the influence and transference of Christianity over the Roman system of Gods and Goddesses that perpetrated the fall. Another theory lays the blame at the feet of the Emperor, that the happiness of the people and the functioning of the government was directly correlated with the personal merit and management skills of the reigning authority. This 10 page paper argues that the imperialistic tendencies of Rome over time and the pre-eminence of military expansionism in the latter stages, was the deciding feature of the "fall". Bibliography lists 7 sources.
When searching for a career, many people want a job that will be rewarding. One job that fulfills this need is an occupational therapy assistant. An occupational therapy assistant, also known as an “OTA,” is someone who makes it possible for people to achieve everyday tasks which they normally could not do. These tasks include eating, getting dressed, bathing, and many more “typical” tasks. It is not easy to become an OTA. There is a long process that needs to be completed. This includes, difficult college classes, applying to an OTA program, licensing, training, and certifications. Many other factors come into play when deciding if being an occupational therapy assistant is the right career such as, salary, job outlook, job opportunities,
Grant, Michael the fall of the roman empire: a reappraisal, Radnor pa, Annenberg school of
Some primary personality traits, characteristics, and qualities are associated with the job of an occupational therapist. One must be patient, organized, empathetic, and energized. Patience, being one of the most important, will help to work clients through problems in a calm, suitable manner. Empathy is also important. In order to gain a clint’s trust, they must believe their OT truly understands how they feel and what they are going through.
According to the United States Department of Labor they explain that, “Occupational therapists treat patients with illnesses, Injuries, and disabilities through therapeutic use of everyday activities. Occupational therapist help patients recover, improve, and develop the skills
Occupational therapy, what is it and what makes it so much more than just a job? Occupational therapy can be such more than just a job. Although the occupational therapist has to be very patient doing their jobs, it can be very rewarding. Occupational therapists help their patients heal from whatever they may be going through or struggling with by working with them to learn how to do everyday activities. Occupational therapists help train people to learn how to use their motor skills, and use hand-eye coordination. Also, occupational therapists help assist people that have disabilities or people who have had strokes overcome these things by teaching them to perform daily activities and learn the things they need to learn to be able to get
An occupational therapist becomes trained and licensed in the healthcare profession and obtains the credentials to make a complete assessment of the impact of an injury that is causing the activities of the patient at home and in work situations
My immediate goals after obtaining an Occupational Therapy degree include gaining clinical expertise through a practice of my choice and motivating as many people as I can to achieve their goals. I plan to participate in evidence-based research in order to improve patient outcomes while spreading this knowledge through community education and prevention programs. After establishing myself in the field and gaining the necessary resources, I intend to collaborate with a team of like-minded
Occupational therapy strives to help individuals across the lifespan with and without disability live their life to the fullest by enabling them to do things they want or need to do. Occupational therapy is a holistic profession that aims to promote health and prevent, maintain, or improve live with a disability, illness or injury. Occupational therapy falls under public health because it looks at public health issues that impact patients and advocate for changes that can benefit copious individuals. The profession is also actively participating in health promotion by enabling people to increase control over their own health and work to improve health. Through engagement in occupations, everyday activities that are meaningful and purposeful
My earlier understanding of the OT profession wasn’t exactly clear. I hadn’t heard many people talk about it and I never knew anyone who was an OT until recently. When comparing physical therapy and occupational therapy, physical therapy seems to be the more popular profession. Members of my family have had physical therapy and I assumed occupational therapy was mostly the same or close to it. After shadowing two out-patient clinics and taking a class at U of M- Flint about different jobs, I quickly realized that OT was quite different. Obviously, I still don’t know everything OT and OTAs do, but I am eager to learn more about this profession.
The globalization of business has resulted in the need for compatible accounting standards that can be used internationally for financial reporting. As a result, the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) were developed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to unify the various financial reporting methods and create a single accounting standard which can be applied to any financial statement worldwide (Byatt). The global standardization of financial reporting will increase the readability and enhance comparability of globally traded companies’ financial statements, without the need of conversion or translation. There are a few main differences between the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S GAAP). The increasing recognition and acceptance of the International Financial Reporting Standards by accounting professionals in the United States, will affect the way in which the U.S will record financial statements in the future.
The success of a company is very dependent upon its financial accounting. In accounting there are numerous Regulatory bodies that govern the accounting world. These companies are extremely important to a company because they set the standards when it comes to the language and decision making of a company. These regulatory bodies can be structured as agencies, associations, commissions, and boards. Without companies like the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), Internal Accounting Standards Board (IASB), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and other regulatory bodies a company could not make well informed decisions. In this paper the author will look at only four of them.