Tacitus The Annals

[Pertinax]

well Rubicon has still not arrived on my desk, however the Miichael Grant translation of Tacitus has . I think I first read this book 35 years ago so I will see if reaquaintance is as good as anticipated , the only difficulty I see ahead is when Rome- Total War arrives and the intellect will take second place to campaigning through Gaul.

[Pertinax]

I am wading through blood in Gaul and listening to weasely senators -so Tacitus is speaking to me .When I read this book as a schoolboy I thought the language was arcane (like the St James' bible) heavy,rolling and portentus but the battle scenes were vivid and direct and the narrative seemed to pick up speed and be totally absorbing. Now I realise that because I was a kid I wanted battles and heroic fights not what seemed like the ramblings of accountants and bookkeepers. I havent finished the Grant translation yet but I have to say now that I savour the language and the very subtle portraiture of individuals by use of well crafted phrases; the battle scenes are just as vivid as when I first read them ,I shivered alongside Germanicus' troops as they grimly buried the remains of Varus' legions.

My observations so far-excellent , probably should be read aloud rather than studied by an individual because the language is that of rhetoric speaking through a very subtle translator. Ok I dont think Tacitus liked Tiberius at all and the litany of corrosive comment makes you feel that you must perhaps take a look at Tiberius from other points of view.

For now I leave this passage "A galdiator show was given in the name of Germanicus and Drusus.The latter was abnormally fond of bloodshed.Admittedly it was worthless blood ,but the public were shocked"

Worthless blood-an interesting moral judgement from a prominent and thoughtful person,phrases like these are the little windows into the differentness of the Roman soul.

[Primus Pilus]

For now I leave this passage "A galdiator show was given in the name of Germanicus and Drusus.The latter was abnormally fond of bloodshed.Admittedly it was worthless blood ,but the public were shocked"

Worthless blood-an interesting moral judgement from a prominent and thoughtful person,phrases like these are the little windows into the differentness of the Roman soul.

 

Its this exact reason that I become so frustrated with the generic portrayal of Romans as a bloodthirsty mob. To some it was enjoyable, without question, but there were many who saw it just as Tacitus did.

[Denec]

I am reading this book as well right now.

 

I will be perfectly honest there are at times that I am quite lost. I have never read this in school or not that I recall. For myself it is difficult reading. Though I am still enjoyig it overall.

[Tiberius Sylvestius]

I get lost too, it's when Tacitus starts reeling off the names of all and sundry, sure he explains who they are in relation to a whole ton of other 'famous' names you've never heard of. Although i figure when i'm wading through it that at the time when Tacitus was writing this people just knew who all these people were. If you read a book now on the Second World war, they mention Eisenhower, Churchill, Goebels you generally just know who they are (or at least what side they were on), it's common knowledge. Tacitus and his Rome though is much more remote in time and thus sometimes it's very easy to get lost.

 

That aside i can cope with pretty much everything else Tacitus throws in there, my one slight grip is that i wish there was more in there on Tiberius himself (and i wish Caligula wasn't missing!). It's mostly about wars and conquests and the like which i'm less interested in, i like reading about the guys right at the top, the senators vying for power against an Emperor they don't like, he employing Sejanus who takes it out on the senators... yep i like the politics and the scandals. I kinda like Tiberius, he's the quiet silent type, the kind that you don't want to cross, the backstabber, i like how he mysteriously kills people off and then denies all knowledge or blames someone else. He's not one of those in your face Emperors like Nero, "Yep it was me, and you're going to do what about it?"

Edited November 22, 2005 by Tiberius Sylvestius