Branden Christopher
Tacitus and the Germania
The Agricola and Germania is one of the earliest descriptions of the German barbaric
tribes, it was written by Cornelius Tacitus. Tacitus was a historian as well as a senator in Rome.
Little is known about his personal life, and it is assumed that he wrote several books, only a few
survived the fall of Rome and the centuries thereafter. The Agricola and Germania is described as
a smart piece of anti-roman propaganda. In its descriptions of the “barbarians” we get an insight
of Tacitus’ views of Rome and its corruption. To put into modern context, similar views were
made of the Native Americans by the British, the Colonists, and even of U.S. citizens through the
Civil War. When I think of how the Roman citizens viewed the Germanic tribes, I always think
