Germania: Tacitus’ Perceptions of Pax Romana Rome

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.