Tacitus

In Tacitus’ history of the Germans , it is evident that he looks down upon their culture.

Tacitus considers the Germans to be a barbarian tribe, with no lineage or history. He criticizes their love for war, appearance, and society. While there are a few aspects of German society that Tacitus admires, such as marriage and loyalty, he makes it obvious that this society is not acceptable.

Tacitus’ reason behind this German history is to show the Romans what they should be proud of. It is as if he is trying to boost the Romans patriotism towards their own society. He does this by belittling another one. One line he states is, “…such as choice steeds, heavy armour, trappings, and neck-chains. We have now taught them to accept money also.” This shows how he is trying to show his fellow Romans that they are greater than the Germans and that the Roman way of life is the “correct” way.

It is obvious that Tactius thinks greatly of Roman society, with his slight unfriendly remarks about German society that are supposed to be belittling them. He makes the Romans seem more civilized and cultured in all aspects of life with comparing them to a very unadvanced society.