Agricola / Germania / Dialogue on Oratory

by Tacitus, R.M. Ogilvie, Eric Herbert Warmington (Primary Contributor)

Cornelius Tacitus (ca. 56-ca. 120) became an orator, married in 77 Julius Agricola's daughter before Agricola went to Britain, was quaestor in 81 or 82, a senator under the Flavians & a praetor in 88. After four years' absence he experienced the terrors of Domitian's last years & turned to historical writing. He was a consul in 97. Close friend of the younger Pliny, they successfully prosecuted Marius Priscus.
Works:
(i) Life & Character of Agricola, written 97/8, interesting because of Agricola's career in Britain.
(ii) Germania (98/9), an important description of the geography, anthropology, products, institutions, social life of the German tribes as known to the Romans.
(iii) Dialogue on Oratory of unknown date; a lively conversation about the decline of oratory & education.
(iv) Histories (probably issued in parts from 105 onwards), a work originally consisting of at least 12 books covering the period 69-96, but only I-IV & part of V survive, dealing in detail with the dramatic years 69-70.
(v) Annals, originally covering the period 14-68 (Tiberius, Gaius, Claudius, Nero) & published between 115-ca. 120. Of at least 16 books, there survive I-IV (covering 14-28); a bit of V & all VI (31-37); part of XI (from 47); XII-XV & part of XVI (to 66).
Tacitus is renowned for his development of a pregnant concise style, character study & psychological analysis, & for the often terrible story which he brilliantly tells. As a historian of the early Roman empire he is paramount.
The Loeb Classical Library edition is in five volumes.

Genres: History, Classics, Nonfiction, Germany, Audiobook, Roman History, Ancient History

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 99

About the author

born perhaps 55
died perhaps 120

From the death of Augustus in 14 Histories and Annals , greatest works of Publius Cornelius Tacitus, Roman public official, concern the period to Domitian in 96.

Publius Cornelius Tacitus served as a senator of the empire. The major portions examine the reigns of Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those four emperors, who reigned in the year. They span the empire to the years of the first Jewish war in 70. One enormous four-books long lacuna survives in the texts.

Publius Cornelius Tacitus discusses oratory in dialogue format in Dialogus de oratoribus , Germania in De origine et situ Germanorum , and biographical notes about Gnaeus Julius Agricola, his father-in-law, primarily during his campaign in Britannia (see De vita et moribus Iulii Agricolae ).

Reviews

[Olivier Goossens · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Latin is yummy, yummy. Sometimes obscure, but that's just Tacitus. Agricola is quite the distinguished gentleman. Too bad he lived during the reign of a jealous cunt.

[Alexander Rolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The speech Tacitus concocts for the Britons made me want to join up and fight the Romans. I will also never forget his one-paragraph epic about a cohort of Germans in the Roman army who mutinied, stole three ships, sailed around Britain raiding the coast for supplies with decreasing success, until they resorted to cannibalism (first the weak, then they drew lots), lost the ships due to ignorance of navigation, and finally washed ashore and were killed or sold into slavery.

That was all in Agricola. Germania was dull. The Dialogue on Oratory was really good.

[Nathan Casebolt · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 2023, a viral TikTok trend encouraged women to ask how often their men think about the Roman Empire. To the shock of many women, it turns out many men think quite a lot about the imperial eagle. I can’t dispute this, because I myself think about it several times a month, if not more. In the words of historian Tom Holland, Rome is like a Tyrannosaurus Rex — exciting because it’s “safely extinct.”

Rome was no less fascinating to its own citizens. Few were more determined to understand it than Tacitus, the Roman politician, orator, and historian famed for his “Histories” and “Annals” of the first emperors. As a survivor of the civil wars following Nero’s suicide, the establishment of the Flavian dynasty, and its end in Domitian’s reign of terror, Tacitus had opinions about power and virtue.

Apart from his two magna opera, only three of his minor works survive: a biography of his father-in-law Agricola, an ethnography of the Germanic tribes, and a set-piece dialogue on the subject of orators. Though not essential reading, each demonstrates the yearning Tacitus felt for a virtuous but lost past.

The dialogue on rhetoric, for instance, preserves an evergreen generational complaint: “The true causes [of modern oratorical decay] are, the dissipation of our young men, the inattention of parents, the ignorance of those who pretend to give instruction, and the total neglect of ancient discipline.” Though you could dismiss this as a typical old man’s lament, it blends with the portrait in his major works of a Rome which, in its imperial glory, had abandoned the virtues that made it glorious.

Likewise, Tacitus surveys the Germans partly by weighing their practices against traditional Roman values. He approves barbarian customs of marriage and family which encourage “a state of chastity well secured; corrupted by no seducing shows and public diversions, by no irritations from banqueting.” This compares unfavorably with Roman parents who, in the dialogue on orators, “are the first to give their children the worst examples of vice and luxury” with their “passion for horses, players, and gladiators.”

You’ll find no better example of Tactitus’s ideal virtuous Roman than in the biography of his father-in-law Agricola, the military governor of Britain who completed its conquest and pushed the victories of Roman arms deep into modern-day Scotland. In Agricola, Tacitus finds the perfect blend of severity toward the corrupt, lenience toward the repentant, selfless devotion to duty, and a prudent modesty that secures an empire’s interests without attracting the violent attentions of jealous emperors.

Tacitus here reveals that he has not lost all hope for the persistence of virtuous men in vicious days. Those who keep a righteous light burning in the night prove that it can be done, and their memory must and shall be preserved: “Over many indeed, of those who have gone before, as over the inglorious and ignoble, the waves of oblivion will roll; Agricola, made known to posterity by history and tradition, will live for ever.” And so he has, thanks to a son-in-law who found in him a reason to believe that, even in the worst of times, the best of humanity is never truly lost.

[Alex Cotterill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for Classics module. Two stars were for the Agricola and Germany texts - they’re fine - Germany is particularly interesting.

Why the star rating is so low is because of the horrific formatting etc. My edition - some of the words are barely legible and sometimes the text isn’t even straight on the page; annotations are just scribbles. It’s like someone went to a bad photocopier in a hurry and thought ‘that’ll be good enough, right what’s next?’ 😂

Not worth the money I paid for it.

[Phantoomer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tre trattati di Tacito. Il latino è talvolta un po' oscuro, ma è proprio il suo stile. Il dialogus de oratoribus, quello che volevo leggere con più voglia, mi ha deluso un po', ma si trovano notizie ed aneddoti interessanti sugli oratori repubblicani ed imperiali. Carino Agricola. Molto bello Germania, pieno di affascinanti descrizioni su usi e costumi di popoli ormai scomparsi. Le parti di descrizione geografica, sono un po' noiose, nonostante siano necessarie ed importanti.

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of Roman historian Tacitus’ shorter works. “The Life and Death of Gnaeus Julius Agricola” (a biography of Tacitus’ father-in-law (includes details about 1st Century AD Britain, where Agricola was governor) which could easily be subtitled ‘General Agricola is awesome; Emperor Domitian sucks.’), “Germania” (a more detailed account of the German tribes and their lands – which may well be of doubtful accuracy, based on the description of the Jewish people in his HISTORIES), and “A Dialogue on Oratory.” The first two works are interesting but the one on oratory is intensely dull. Average out to a low 3 stars.

[Maria (legoetamo) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Letto il Dialogus de oratoribus

[Seth Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a scholar of Tacitus or Roman literature. I read this book specifically for 'Germany', in which Tacitus provides a valuable overview of the culture and origin of Germany in Roman times. Agricola is an obituary of sorts for Tacitus' father in law. In it he describes Agricola's conquest of Britain and his death. A dialogue on orators addresses the question of why Oratory has declined in quality. Both Germany and Dialogue are interesting reads. Agricola makes is a nice add on but I didn't find it as informative as the other pieces.
Tacitus' style of writing is a bit awkward and hard to read at times, but Benario's translation is one of quality.

[malena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Agrícola 2/5⭐️
Germania: no sabe no contesta
Diálogo de los oradores: 2.5/5⭐️ muy torras para mi gusto, me ha decepcionado mucho

[for-much-deliberation ... · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three works by Tacitus here presented. In Agricola he recounts his father in law Gnaeus Julius Agricola's life and works as a Roman general; Germania (which I read previously) is a concise history of Germany; and Dialogue on Oratory or Dialogus de oratoribus, discusses the art of rhetoric in dialogue...

[Aiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book on Agricola is interesting as a character study in how one in political office should conduct oneself with humility and grace, disdaining corruption and acting virtuously in power - minus the imperialistic conquest of barbarian lands.

The book on Germania is equally interesting to see how arguably Rome’s greatest and longest enemy was viewed within the time period of Tacitus’ life.

The dialogue on oratory was by far the best aspect of this work in my opinion given its main point is that great orators are made great by operating in times of conflict and strife rather than in times of peace. That practical experience makes us better and more renowned as speakers than any amount of schooling, and that to operate within the confines of the Roman principate rather than the former republic meant that the lofty character of a Cicero would probably not have been such had he lived within the time of Tacitus.

An enjoyable and multifaceted read.

[Burak ATILGAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Britannia ve Germania okuması bir hayli keyifli eserlerken Hatipler Üzerine Diyaloglar kısmında gerçekten çok sıkıldım ve son 30 sayfayı okumadım. Kısmen sabırlı bir okuyucu olduğumu düşünüyordum ancak artık o kadar içimi baydı ki anlatmam mümkün değil. Sanırım bir şeyler kaçırdım ya da orjinal dilinde okumam gerekiyor. Onun dışında kesinlikle okunması gereken bir kitap.

Çeviri bazen çekimlemeler olarak kendini çıkmaza sürüklüyor hatta bir iki kere aynı yeri okuyup anlamaya çalışmayı gerektiriyor fakat bu sorunları görmezden gelirseniz fazlasıyla iyi. Bağış Alper Kovan'a sonsuz kere teşekkür ediyorum. Tacitus'un diğer eserlerini de çevirmesi dileğiyle ^_^

[Santiago González · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agrícola me ha gustado, es una biografía encomiástica pero se deja ver tan poco la historia que en mi opinión pierde un poco, claro que visto el género tampoco es la intención. (3*)

Germania es una recopilación de datos dispersos etnográficos sobre los pueblos de la región principalmente con objetivo de alabarlos ¿quizá frente a la degradación y vanidad romana?. Muchos datos curiosos este género me encanta. (4*)

El Diálogo de los oradores he rescatado algunas cosas pero al no haber leído aún a romanos como Cicerón y Quintiliano no le puedo sacar mucho jugo. Me gusta como está escrito. (3*)

[Kubilay Özdemir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Germenler ve Britanya'da yaşayan kabileleri en ince ayrıntısına kadar (bölgelerin coğrafi yapıları da dahil olmak üzere) anlatmış Tacitus. Ancak hatipler üzerinden verdiği sosyal mesajlar daha fazla ilgimi çekti. Baskıcı rejimin karşısında sesini çıkaranların teker teker idam edilmesi veya intihar etmeleri, insanlığın yine hiçbir zaman değişmediğinin -ve değişmeyeceğinin- en büyük kanıtı olarak yine gözüme gözüme sokulmuş oldu.

[Jose Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Agrícola and Britannia parts were very interesting for me. The last one was more difficult to follow.

[Stefan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but most of all the part of Germania, mostly because it gave a (even if it was very biased) glimps of Germanic civilazation.

[Rayco Garcia Perdomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

De commentariis Beatricis Antón dicendum est mihi nil antea compertum tam strenue probatum diligenterque comparatum. Macte magistra.

[Albs · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5/5*
Sólo Diálogo de los oradores
No ha sigut tan avorrit com esperava i es fa bastant curt (si no has d'anar resumint capítol per capítol per un examen...)

[Martin Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the first two books but was not as captivated by the dialogues on oratory.

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mucho mejor de lo esperado pero aún así... se durmió en vivo

[Private Account · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating.

My six-year-old enjoyed Agricola, tolerated Germania, and allowed passages from the Dialogue on Oratory.

Favorite quotes:

"The police, in fact, were given the task of burning in the courtyard of the Forum the memorials of our noblest characters. They imagined, no doubt, that in those flames disappeared the voice of the people, the liberty of the Senate, the conscience of mankind."

"If you humour their drunkeness by supplying as much as they crave, they will be vanquished through their vices as easily as on the battlefield." [on the Germans]

"In the good old days, every man's son, born in wedlock, was brought up not in the chamber of some hireling nurse, but on his mother's lap, and at her knee. And that mother could have no higher praise than that she managed the house and gave herself to her children. ... In the presence of such an one no base word could be uttered without grave offense, and no wrong deed done. Religiously and with the utmost delicacy she regulated not only the serious tasks of her youthful charges, but teir recreations also and their games. It was in this spirit, we are told, that Cornelia, the mother of the Gracchi, directed their upbringing, Aurelia that of Caesar, Atia of Augustus: thus it was that these mothers trained their princely children. The object of this rigorous system was that the natural disposition of every child... might at once lay hold with heart and soul on virtuous accomplishments, and... might make that its sole aim and its all-absorbing interest.

Nowadays, on the other hand, our children are handed over at their birth to some silly little Greek serving-maid, with a male slave, who may be anyone, to help her--quite frequently the most worthless member of the whole establishment, incompetent for any serious service. It is from the foolish tittle-tattle of such persons that the children receive their earliest impressions, while their minds are still green and unformed. ... The parents themselves make no effort to train their little ones in goodness and self-control; they grow up in an atmosphere of laxity and pertness, in which they come gradually to lose all sense of shame, and all respect both for themselves and for other people."

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Through the careful study of his two main works and three minor works I have come up with common themes throughout his writings. Through these main points/common themes Tacitus wrote a history (some of which has been lost to time and the elements) that encompassed what he believed as the meaning of history and shows the purpose of the writing and of history in general.
Common themes that show Tacitus’s meaning of history:
1. Opinion brought to the histories
2. Leaders and the roles they played (Succession, civil war, death)
3. Military events (civil war, war, revolution, strategy, troop placement, morale)
4. Political events (i.e. Resolutions passed by the Senate)
5. Murder
6. Religion (Christianity, Jews, gods)
7. Superstition
8. International Affairs
9. Omens and Oracles
10. Crime and Punishment (i.e. Treason)
11. Entertainment

All of these combined show what Tacitus believed was relevant enough to mention in his books and was in my belief his meaning of history. It also shows that he believed that each of these events had contingent meaning. By saying one of his later quotes, “I am very conscious that a good deal of what I relate—and still have to relate—can only seem trivial, and unworthy of being placed on record” he is saying that it has meaning to him but may not have meaning to us.
Tacitus’s purpose of history through my eyes
b. I believe that Tacitus’s purpose of history was for three main reasons:
i. To share the mistakes of the past with the people of the future so they may learn and not make the same mistakes.
ii. “To bequeath to posterity a record of the deeds and character of distinguished men.”
iii. “He had in mind the conception of a simple, serious, and candid history, which would more especially derive its interest from its authenticity of information, and would owe less to beauty of form than to solidity of substance.” In this he is referring to past historians who engage in other forms of writing and do not always tell the truth.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tacitus is famous as the second historian in the western world, following Herodotus by about 60 years or so. Herodotus recorded fables, many of which were pretty fantastic, but purely mythology, often related to him by sources not of the culture he was writing on, hence lots of room for bias, conjecture, misunderstanding, etc. Tacitus did viable research to validate what he was writing to get the facts straight, although he was not above inventing speeches to put into the mouths of leaders, commanders, and personalities that he is recording as historical figures. In many ways it is a difficult read, and in the intro, the translator & the editor apologize for the difficulties, note the difficulty of translating him, the dozens of attempts over the past 400 years, etc, etc...and conclude that he is still a joy to read in English, and even more so in ancient Latin, but who actually learns ancient Latin anymore?
And I'm enjoying it, every bit as much as I was expecting to. He brings the period (1st Century CE) to life, and I'm reading it in conjunction with other books to keep it in context. The third section, on Dialogus, turned me off because of the subject matter (talking about talking is no more interesting to me than talking about Hollywood entertainment movies), but the other two sections held my interest all the way through, about Agricola and the conquest of Britain, and the Germanic lands and peoples than the Roman Empire was facing across it's northwestern border in Europe. So I've finished Vol 1, and I've already gotten into Vol 2.

[Colleen Prince · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't find my exact translation... but this was definitely one of the best historical books I've read this year. Maybe because it was shorter and an easier read, but mainly because, along with Cicero, it incorporated psychological morality and wisdom without overwhelmingly long paragraphs worth of it.

[Roddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 parts,
Part 1 interesting view of Britain and coping with deadly politics at home while campaigning abroad. Also first history of Britons.
Part 2, almost hysterically funny description of the Germans (if it wasnt real). Probably caracatured but must be elements of truth.
Part 3, very dense and deep discourse by some learned individuals. (gave up on this part)

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book primarily because of my interest in Roman Britain, because of the Agricola section. Indeed, this was most enjoyable, followed by the Germania section. On Oratory was rather boring.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This dialogue is sooo fantastic. Talk about subversive writing under an oppressive regime. Such a fun read, its like a puzzle!

[Georg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tacitus, the One and Only!