Tacitus: AgricolaThe first work of any great historian has always commanded attention, and Tacitus was ancient Rome's very greatest historian. His biography of his father-in-law, governor of Britain in the years AD 77-84, is a literary masterpiece: it combines penetrating political history with gripping military narrative and throughout poses the question (still very much alive today) of how one should live one's life under a tyranny. This is the first commentary in English on the Agricola for almost half a century: in keeping with the aims of the series, particular attention is paid to the understanding of Tacitus' Latin, but a whole range of generic, historical, textual and narrative topics is covered, and it will be suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students as well as scholars. Tacitus' Agricola remains a key text for anyone with an interest in Roman Britain as well as ancient biography. |
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aetas Agricola arma asyndeton atque battle bellum biography Birley Boudica Britain Britanniae Britons Caes Caesar Calgacus Camulodunum Cato chiasmus chiastic Cicero clause clausula combination common consul contrast Curt death digression Domitian e.g. Cic e.g. Liv eius elsewhere enim erat etiam exercitus expr fama Frontin fuit gloria hendiadys Herennius Senecio hostium imperial Intro Latin legions Livian Livy means metaphor military modo Mons Graupius narrative neque Nerva nihil nisi noun nunc Oakley on Liv OLD 4a passage perhaps phrase Plin Pliny princeps prouinciae quae quam quamquam quibus quidem Quint quod reference Roman Rome Sall Sallust scholars seems sentence Silv simul Sörbom speech subjunctive Suet Suetonius suggests sunt Tacitus tamen Thrasea tion Trajan tricolon uariatio uelut uictoria uiros uirtus uirtutibus uita Usipi uultu Vell verb Virg words