tacitus on germany-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





Tacitus　on　Germany

by　　Tacitus


Translated　by　Thomas　Gordon









INTRODUCTORY　NOTE

The　dates　of　the　birth　and　death　of　Tacitus　are　uncertain；　but　it　is
probable　that　he　was　born　about　54　A。　D。　and　died　after　117。　He　was　a
contemporary　and　friend　of　the　younger　Pliny；　who　addressed　to　him
some　of　his　most　famous　epistles。　Tacitus　was　apparently　of　the
equestrian　class；　was　an　advocate　by　training；　and　had　a　reputation　as
an　orator；　though　none　of　his　speeches　has　survived。　He　held　a　number
of　important　public　offices；　and　married　the　daughter　of　Agricola；　the
conqueror　of　Britain；　whose　life　he　wrote。

The　two　chief　works　of　Tacitus；　the　〃Annals〃　and　the　〃Histories；〃
covered　the　history　of　Rome　from　the　death　of　Augustus　to　A。　D。　96；
but　the　greater　part　of　the　〃Histories〃　is　lost；　and　the　fragment　that
remains　deals　only　with　the　year　69　and　part　of　70。　In　the　〃Annals〃
there　are　several　gaps；　but　what　survives　describes　a　large　part　of
the　reigns　of　Tiberius；　Claudius；　and　Nero。　His　minor　works；　besides
the　life　of　Agricola；　already　mentioned；　are　a　〃Dialogue　on　Orators〃
and　the　account　of　Germany；　its　situation；　its　inhabitants；　their
character　and　customs；　which　is　here　printed。

Tacitus　stands　in　the　front　rank　of　the　historians　of　antiquity　for
the　accuracy　of　his　learning；　the　fairness　of　his　judgments；　the
richness；　concentration；　and　precision　of　his　style。　His　great
successor；　Gibbon；　called　him　a　〃philosophical　historian；　whose
writings　will　instruct　the　last　generations　of　mankind〃；　and　Montaigne
knew　no　author　〃who；　in　a　work　of　history；　has　taken　so　broad　a　view
of　human　events　or　given　a　more　just　analysis　of　particular
characters。〃

The　〃Germany〃　is　a　document　of　the　greatest　interest　and　importance；
since　it　gives　us　by　far　the　most　detailed　account　of　the　state　of
culture　among　the　tribes　that　are　the　ancestors　of　the　modern　Teutonic
nations；　at　the　time　when　they　first　came　into　account　with　the
civilization　of　the　Mediterranean。





TACITUS　ON　GERMANY



The　whole　of　Germany　is　thus　bounded；　separated　from　Gaul；　from
Rhoetia　and　Pannonia；　by　the　rivers　Rhine　and　Danube；　from　Sarmatia
and　Dacia　by　mutual　fear；　or　by　high　mountains：　the　rest　is
encompassed　by　the　ocean；　which　forms　huge　bays；　and　comprehends　a
tract　of　islands　immense　in　extent：　for　we　have　lately　known　certain
nations　and　kingdoms　there；　such　as　the　war　discovered。　The　Rhine
rising　in　the　Rhoetian　Alps　form　a　summit　altogether　rocky　and
perpendicular；　after　a　small　winding　towards　the　west；　is　lost　in　the
Northern　Ocean。　The　Danube　issues　out　of　the　mountain　Abnoba；　one　very
high　but　very　easy　of　ascent；　and　traversing　several　nations；　falls　by
six　streams　into　the　Euxine　Sea；　for　its　seventh　channel　is　absorbed
in　the　Fenns。

The　Germans；　I　am　apt　to　believe；　derive　their　original　from　no　other
people；　and　are　nowise　mixed　with　different　nations　arriving　amongst
them：　since　anciently　those　who　went　in　search　of　new　dwellings；
travelled　not　by　land；　but　were　carried　in　fleets；　and　into　that
mighty　ocean　so　boundless；　and；　as　I　may　call　it；　so　repugnant　and
forbidding；　ships　from　our　world　rarely　enter。　Moreover；　besides　the
dangers　from　a　sea　tempestuous；　horrid　and　unknown；　who　would
relinquish　Asia；　or　Africa；　or　Italy；　to　repair　to　Germany；　a　region
hideous　and　rude；　under　a　rigorous　climate；　dismal　to　behold　or　to
manure　＇to　cultivate＇　unless　the　same　were　his　native　country？　In
their　old　ballads　（which　amongst　them　are　the　only　sort　of　registers
and　history）　they　celebrate　/Tuisto/；　a　God　sprung　from　the　earth；　and
/Mannus/　his　son；　as　the　fathers　and　founders　of　the　nation。　To
/Mannus/　they　assign　three　sons；　after　whose　names　so　many　people　are
called；　the　Ingaevones；　dwelling　next　the　ocean；　the　Herminones；　in
the　middle　country；　and　all　the　rest；　Instaevones。　Some；　borrowing　a
warrant　from　the　darkness　of　antiquity；　maintain　that　the　God　had　more
sons；　that　thence　came　more　denominations　of　people；　the　Marsians；
Gambrians；　Suevians；　and　Vandalians；　and　that　these　are　the　names
truly　genuine　and　original。　For　the　rest；　they　affirm　Germany　to　be　a
recent　word；　lately　bestowed：　for　that　those　who　first　passed　the
Rhine　and　expulsed　the　Gauls；　and　are　now　named　Tungrians；　were　then
called　Germans：　and　thus　by　degrees　the　name　of　a　tribe　prevailed；　not
that　of　the　nation；　so　that　by　an　appellation　at　first　occasioned　by
terror　and　conquest；　they　afterwards　chose　to　be　distinguished；　and
assuming　a　name　lately　invented　were　universally　called　/Germans/。

They　have　a　tradition　that　Hercules　also　had　been　in　their　country；
and　him　above　all　other　heroes　they　extol　in　their　songs　when　they
advance　to　battle。　Amongst　them　too　are　found　that　kind　of　verses　by
the　recital　of　which　（by　them　called　/Barding/）　they　inspire　bravery；
nay；　by　such　chanting　itself　they　divine　the　success　of　the
approaching　fight。　For；　according　to　the　different　din　of　the　battle
they　urge　furiously；　or　shrink　timorously。　Nor　does　what　they　utter；
so　much　seem　to　be　singing　as　the　voice　and　exertion　of　valour。　They
chiefly　study　a　tone　fierce　and　harsh；　with　a　broken　and　unequal
murmur；　and　therefore　apply　their　shields　to　their　mouths；　whence　the
voice　may　by　rebounding　swell　with　greater　fulness　and　force。　Besides
there　are　some　of　opinion；　that　Ulysses；　whilst　he　wandered　about　in
his　long　and　fabulous　voyages；　was　carried　into　this　ocean　and　entered
Germany；　and　that　by　him　Asciburgium　was　founded　and　named；　a　city　at
this　day　standing　and　inhabited　upon　the　bank　of　the　Rhine：　nay；　that
in　the　same　place　was　formerly　found　an　altar　dedicated　to　Ulysses；
with　the　name　of　his　father　Laertes　added　to　his　own；　and　that　upon
the　confines　of　Germany　and　Rhoetia　are　still　extant　certain　monuments
and　tombs　inscribed　with　Greek　characters。　Traditions　these　which　I
mean　not　either　to　confirm　with　arguments　of　my　own　or　to　refute。　Let
every　one　believe　or　deny　the　same　according　to　his　own　bent。

For　myself；　I　concur　in　opinion　with　such　as　suppose　the　people　of
Germany　never　to　have　mingled　by　inter…marriages　with　other　nations；
but　to　have　remained　a　people　pure；　and　independent；　and　resembling
none　but　themselves。　Hence　amongst　such　a　mighty　multitude　of　men；　the
same　make　and　form　is　found　in　all；　eyes　stern　and　blue；　yellow　hair；
huge　bodies；　but　vigorous　only　in　the　first　onset。　Of　pains　and　labour
they　are　not　equally　patient；　nor　can　they　at　all　endure　thrift　and
heat。　To　bear　hunger　and　cold　they　are　hardened　by　their　climate　and
soil。

Their　lands；　however　somewhat　different　in　aspect；　yet　taken　all
together　consist　of　gloomy　forests　or　nasty　marshes；　lower　and　moister
towards　Noricum　and　Pannonia；　very　apt　to　bear　grain；　but　altogether
unkindly　to　fruit　trees；　abounding　in　flocks　and　herds；　but　generally
small　of　growth。　Nor　even　in　their　oxen　is　found　the　usual
stateliness；　no　more　than　the　natural　ornaments　and　grandeur　of　head。
In　the　number　of　their　herds　they　rejoice；　and　these　are　their　only；
these　their　most　desirable　riches。　Silver　and　gold　the　Gods　have
denied　them；　whether　in　mercy　or　in　wrath；　I　am　unable　to　determine。
Yet　I　would　not　venture　to　aver　that　in　Germany　no　vein　of　gold　or
silver　is　produced；　for　who　has　ever　searched？　For　the　use　and
possession；　it　is　certain　they　care　not。　Amongst　them　indeed　are　to　be
seen　vessels　of　silver；　such　as　have　been　presented　to　their　Princes
and　Ambassadors；　but　holden　in　no　other　esteem　than　vessels　made　of
earth。　The　Germans　however　adjoining　to　our　frontiers　value　gold　and
silver　for　the　purposes　of　commerce；　and　are　wont　to　distinguish　and
prefer　certain　of　our　coins。　They　who　live　more　remote　are　more
primitive　and　simple　in　their　dealings；　and　exchange　one　commodity　for
another。　The　money　which　they　like　is　the　old　and　long　known；　that
indented　＇with　milled　edges＇；　or　that　impressed　with　a　chariot　and　two
horses。　Silver　too　is　what　they　seek　more　than　gold；　from　no　fondness
or　preference；　but　because　small　pieces　are　more　ready　in　purchasing
things　cheap　and　common。

Neither　in　truth　do　they　abound　in　iron；　as　from　the　fashion　of　their
weapons　may