Essay Sample on Tacitus's Account of the Ancient Germans

Tacitus's account of the ancient Germanic tribes that inhabited northern Europe demonstrates several issues that differ from the West founded on the Roman civilization. The history sheds light on the various things regarding the North Germanic tribes' practices, which Tacitus uses to compare to his Roman culture (Tacitus 1). The history of the Germans provides a clear picture of things that were exchanged between the two neighbors. Although the two cultures significantly interacted later evident in events leading to the fall of the Roman Empire, Tacitus provides evidence of how they were different. Tacitus' account of the lifestyle of the Germanic people provides views that in ancient times, societies were different from others based on aspects such as economic, social, and political practices.

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The Germans were a society that strictly adhered to their cultural practices because they did not comprise of other tribes that would affect their practices. Therefore, the apparent lack of different cultural strains made them practice similar cultural practices in the entire region (Tacitus 1). The society was comprised of chiefs who ruled over the different clans that were present in the region. The chiefs were answerable to the king, who ruled over the land. In ancient Germanic society, community members had unique roles that varied among the priests, rulers, and even down into the society's smallest unit, fathers and mothers had different roles. The German lands were less fertile, characterized by unfavorable climate, which did not favor agricultural activities. However, agriculture remained their main economic activity.

Tacitus's account on the way of life of the German people does not explicitly touch on how different it was from the Roman culture. Still, his analysis contains elements of comparison. Most of the statements made by Tacitus are authoritative, indicating how the two cultures were different. For instance, Tacitus states, "they believe that sex has sanctity and prescience, and they do not despise their counsel or make light of their answers" (1). In the statement, Tacitus provides an account of how the German men respected the advice given to them by women, which was not the case with the Roman culture. Tacitus was Roman, and by providing personal opinions on some of the issues such as religion, he offered an account of the Roman culture compared to that of the Germans. For instance, Tacitus states that Romans contained imported worshiping practices based on the divine images they made (Tacitus 1). Tacitus provides accounts of the Romans because he looks for aspects from the German culture comparable to Romans. For instance, he asserts that Germans had no cities, and they did not tolerate the closely contagious dwellings, meaning what was practiced among Romans (Tacitus 2). Tacitus uses the Germanic people to criticize Roman culture, such as their disrespect for women. It is further evident in how he praises German culture, such as marriage, hospitality, and simplicity.

Germans and the imperial Romans differed in multiple ways, and each side possessed certain aspects that were superior to the others. According to Tacitus, Germans were superior to Romans in many factors, such as their war brevity and respect for women. Tacitus states that it was wrong to surpass the king in valor, which made the warriors approach war without fear (Tacitus 2). Equally, the advice women gave them was highly valued because they were considered holy creatures. However, the Romans were more civilized and advanced in several aspects as compared to the Germans. Tacitus states that "no use is made of them of stone or tile; they employ timber for all purposes, rude masses without ornament or attractiveness" (2). Moreover, Romans during this period had large pottery industries engaged in complex production methods indicating economic superiority.

The Germans were also guided with values such as generosity and respect, especially for women and the gods. In contrast, the Romans mainly respected the rulers, and because they were of different ethnic backgrounds, values such as respect for the family were not strictly followed like the Germans. Tacitus states that "good habits are here more effectual than good laws elsewhere"(3). However, from Tacitus' account of the Germans, statements that appear reliable are where he implicitly contrasts Roman and German culture. For instance, the Romans were more commercialized and engaged in trading activities such as giving loans, which was expected to be paid with interest. Such actions were not practiced with the Germans. According to Hunt et al., ancient Germans did not have an established economic system because they mainly traded agricultural products (16). Therefore, statements that touch on how Germans were uncivilized are factual because of evidence from various shows that were no civilization among the ancient Germans. However, statements that touch on issues such as their general way of life appear unreliable. For instance, the report by Tacitus that all Germans respected vices is suspect. The Germans had a punishment for those who engaged in practices such as adultery. It is therefore not correct to state that all Germans respected vices.

According to Tacitus, ancient Germans could not acquire followers without war, and they were not ready to toil to achieve something they could have through the bloodshed. They kept on invading new areas in search of riches by engaging in war. The same asserted in the fall of the Roman Empire, where it is indicated that the fall of the Roman Empire was caused by the arrival of the Germanic people (Hunt et al. 16). Romans afraid of threats posed barbarians and agreed to sign treaties that allowed Germans to own land and enjoy other privileges such as getting a percentage of the tax collected. The author further asserts that several regions of the Roman Empire suffered prolonged violence because the Germans could not stop fighting without getting what they wanted. Even though the Romans were more civilized and perhaps comprised of superior weapons, the Germans' unity and brevity in battlefields made them victorious in the Roman Empire's conquest.

Tacitus' account of Germans touches on multiple issues that can be compared to the account of Herodotus concerning Greece. One similar aspect between the two groups is there military prowess and religious practices. From the two accounts, both the Germans and the Greek believed in the gods' divine powers and held ceremonies to offer sacrifices to the gods. Greeks had various gods that they worshiped on different occasions (Ward-Perkins, 1002). However, similar to the Romans, Greeks were more civilized and had cities comprising houses built with stones and tiles. This characteristic significantly distinguishes the two groups because Germans lived in villages with houses made of timber.

In conclusion, Tacitus' account of the Germanic tribes offers information about how they differed with other groups such as the imperial Romans. The story shades light into major historical events, such as the fall of the Roman Empire. Germans were a cohesive society comprising closely united clans, displaying unique characters such as respect for women and marriage. They also believe in obtaining what they needed through war, which was made to engage other groups in battles. Their bravery in combat and unity of the battalions made them emerge victorious in actions, which suggest that they might have defeated the Romans after invading their lands. Although they were superior to the Romans in their respect for women and military superiority, the Romans were more civilized. Their regions were made up of towns and built houses with tiles and stones.

Works Cited

Tacitus, The Agricola and Germania, A. J. Church and W. J. Brodribb, trans., (London: Macmillan, 1877).

Hunt, Lynn et al. The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures. 6th ed., McMillan, 2020, pp. 1200-1345.

Ward-Perkins, Bryan. The Fall of Rome: And The End Of Civilization. 1st ed., Oxford University Press Inc., 2005, pp. 16-100.