Tacitus' life Flashcards
other than a writer he was
an impressive and famous orator, one of the best speakers of his time
he was a senator under the black years of Domitian but survived to enjoy a consulship and became a governor afterwards
teacher of Pliny the Younger
What was ancient history intended to do
arouse emotion
to be read aloud to audiences
patriotic emotion
moral tone, ethical lessons in the past
a moralist
seeks to persuade, to teach, and to guide
the art of persuasion rhetoric
Cicero on rhetoric
orators should be well versed in history and history needs the sort of composition practised by public speakers
The battle scenes
not realistic narratives
evocations of heroism, panic, reversals of fortune
to be appreciated by the audience
His style
mask of austere impartiality habit of digressions speeches to clarify character eloquence and stylistic from the past to draw moral lessons based on current ethical ideas these were directed to the supreme purpose of Rome's greater glory.
Tacitus’ bias
metropolitan bias
aristocratic and conservative
A historians duty
decline and disaster due to vice
vice and virtue contrasted
“a historian’s foremost duty is to ensure that merit is recorded, and to confront evil words and deeds with the fear of posterity’s denunciations”
most significant drama appeared to be centered on the all-powerful, glamorous, sinister imperial court
Domitian
not free from indignation or partisanship
he had lived through the equally or even more sombre and- to senators- terrifying last years of Domitian
he hints that he had to acquiesce in purges undertaken by the emperor in circles close to the historian himself
Domitian had admired Tiberius
His presentation of Tiberius
fact and impression
duplicity and concealment of Tiberius
his vicious nature became apparent through degrees
surmised that the flaws might never have been apparent at all if he had not become all-powerful
every possible sort of suggestion to imply the worst.
presentation of Germanicus`
brilliant prince who can do no wrong
his war in Germany painted in glowing colours which almost conceal its expensive uselessness
What he admired
traditional values of Rome and its antique Republic
he fully understood that the Republic was a thing of the past and could never be revived
Rome has declined so far
no room for traditional valour, the only honourable course is passivity
stresses the evil of rule by one man
the senate reduced to powerlessness
degeneracy from the past
rule
oppressive rule is caused by and causes moral degeneracy
this leads him to be embittered and pessimistic
Birth
Ad56 or 57
