Mortimer
Geek
Tacitus wrote a famous work Germania around 98 AD, where he described the Germanic tribes north of the Roman Empire. It’s partly ethnography, partly moral reflection—he often contrasted German “virtues” with what he saw as Roman “decay.”
Here’s a compact summary of his main points:
Appearance: Tall, strong, with fierce blue eyes, reddish hair, and robust bodies adapted more for sudden effort than for enduring labor.
Character: Brave, warlike, and freedom-loving, but also simple and sincere. They valued honor and loyalty, especially to their chiefs.
Society: Tribal and clan-based. Kings had limited power; leaders were chosen for valor. Important matters were decided in assemblies.
Women: Highly respected, believed to have prophetic gifts. Marriage was seen as sacred and women were generally chaste.
Customs: Hospitality was important. They drank a lot of beer, loved feasts, and were generous but could also be reckless.
Economy: Little agriculture, mostly herding and hunting. They disliked long hard labor and valued warfare more than farming.
Morality: He admired their “uncorrupted” way of life compared to decadent Rome, but also noted their ferocity and tendency to violence.
A famous quote from Germania (ch. 2, paraphrased):
“The Germans are a people pure and unmixed by intermarriage with other nations; they are a race distinct, like none but themselves.”
[video]https://youtube.com/watch/9FVxrlxHkmc?si=eTSwg1bZI4XTEVJZ[/video]
[video=youtube_share;9FVxrlxHkmc]
Here’s a compact summary of his main points:
Appearance: Tall, strong, with fierce blue eyes, reddish hair, and robust bodies adapted more for sudden effort than for enduring labor.
Character: Brave, warlike, and freedom-loving, but also simple and sincere. They valued honor and loyalty, especially to their chiefs.
Society: Tribal and clan-based. Kings had limited power; leaders were chosen for valor. Important matters were decided in assemblies.
Women: Highly respected, believed to have prophetic gifts. Marriage was seen as sacred and women were generally chaste.
Customs: Hospitality was important. They drank a lot of beer, loved feasts, and were generous but could also be reckless.
Economy: Little agriculture, mostly herding and hunting. They disliked long hard labor and valued warfare more than farming.
Morality: He admired their “uncorrupted” way of life compared to decadent Rome, but also noted their ferocity and tendency to violence.
A famous quote from Germania (ch. 2, paraphrased):
“The Germans are a people pure and unmixed by intermarriage with other nations; they are a race distinct, like none but themselves.”
[video]https://youtube.com/watch/9FVxrlxHkmc?si=eTSwg1bZI4XTEVJZ[/video]
[video=youtube_share;9FVxrlxHkmc]