Ethnography in Tacitus is thus not a study or presentation of ethnic groups, but a subversion of a classical historical style and methodology by Tacitus to present “case-studies”, real world examples of the political and moral argument that Tacitus is attempting to make throughout all of his works. However, in each of these cases Tacitus presents the culture, practices, and institutions of various ethnic groups in such a way so as to demonstrate and thereby prove a political or moral point. Agricola, while ostensibly a panegyric on his father-in-law, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, also contains ethnography on the various peoples of ancient Britain. Tacitus’ Germania serves as ethnography on the various Germanic peoples. Tacitus, in his various works, presents several examples of what can be termed “ethnographies”, works whose purpose is to inform the reader of the various customs and living conditions of groups that are otherwise foreign to the reader.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |