The Works of Cornelius Tacitus, Volume 1J. Stockdale, 1811 - Rome |
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afterwards Agricola Agrippa Agrippina ancient Annals Antony Armenia Arminius arms army Asinius Gallus Augustus Barbarians battle berius Blæsus body BOOK brother Cæcina Caius Caligula called camp centurions character Cheruscans chief Christian æra citizens cohorts colours command conduct consuls consulship death decree dignity dispatched Domitian Drusus emperor enemy epist father favour fell friends fury Gaul gave Genealogical Table genius Geographical Table Germanicus Germans glory honour Julius Cæsar king knew legions length liberty Libo Livia Lucius Lucius Apronius manicus manner Maroboduus ment military mind nations Nero orator Parthians Piso Pliny prætor prætorian prince province quæ racter rank reign Rhescuporis Rhine rius river Rome says Section Segestes seized senate sent sesterces shew sion slaves soldiers spirit Stertinius Suet Suetonius sword Syria Tacfarinas Tacitus thought Tibe Tiberius tion tribunes Varus Velleius Paterculus victory virtue Visurgis Vonones whole wife wounds
Popular passages
Page 165 - The great-grandson of Augustus, and the daughter-in-law of Tiberius, need not be left to fill the measure of your iniquity. Without that horrible catastrophe the scene of guilt may end. But let me ask you, in these last few days what have you not attempted? What have you left unviolated? By what name shall I now address you ? Shall I call you soldiers ? Soldiers ! who have dared to besiege the son...
Page 166 - The distance between myself and those illustrious characters, I know is great; and yet, descended from them, with their blood in my veins, I should resent with indignation a parallel outrage from the soldiers of Syria, or of Spain: and will you, ye men of the first legion, who received your colours from the hand of Tiberius; and you, ye men of the twentieth, his...
Page 143 - The crowd in the mean time stood at gaze. Every gleam of light inspired the men with joy, and the sudden gloom depressed their hearts with grief. The clouds condensed, and the moon was supposed to be lost in utter darkness. A melancholy horror seized the multitude, and melancholy is sure to engender superstition.
Page 375 - " sequitur fortunam, ut semper, et odit damnatos. idem populus, si Nurtia Tusco favisset, si oppressa foret secura senectus 75 principis, hac ipsa Seianum diceret hora Augustum. iam pridem, ex quo suffragia nulli vendimus, effudit curas ; nam qui dabat olim imperium fasces legiones omnia, nunc se continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, 80 panem et circenses."
Page 196 - The extent of the ground, and the three different inclosurcs for the eagles (a) ,stilldistinctlyseen, left no doubt but that the whole was the work of the three legions. Farther on were traced the ruins of a rampart, and the hollow of a ditch well nigh filled up. This was supposed to be the spot where the few, who escaped the general massacre, made their last effort, and perished in the attempt. The plains around were white with bones, in some places thinly scattered, in others lying in heaps, as...
Page liv - ... of human nature, and when we see them figuring on the stage of public business, we perceive the internal spring of their actions; we see their motives at work, and of course are prepared to judge of their conduct. Tacitus intended, if his life and health continued, to review the reign of Augustus, in order to detect the arts by which the old constitution was overturned to make way for the government of a single ruler. This, in the hands of such a writer, would have been a curious portion of history...
Page 354 - Egyptian and Jewish ceremonies were the next subject of debate. By a decree of the senate, four thousand of that description, the descendants of enfranchised slaves, all infected with foreign superstition, and of age to carry arms, were transported to the island of Sardinia, to make war upon the freebooters, who plundered the inhabitants, and ravaged the country. If the whole number died in that unwholesome climate, the loss, it was said, would be of no kind of moment.
Page 168 - I should not have lived to see the disgrace of the legions, and all the horrors that followed. After my death, you would have chosen another general, regardless indeed of my unhappy lot, but still of spirit to revenge the massacre of Varus and his three legions. May that revenge be still reserved for the Roman sword ; and may the gods withhold from the Belgic states, though now they court the opportunity, the vast renown of vindicating the Roman name, and humbling the pride of the German nations...
Page 143 - The night that followed seemed big with some fatal disaster, when an unexpected phenomenon put an end to the commotion. In a clear and serene sky the moon was suddenly eclipsed. This appearance, in its natural cause not understood by the soldiers, was deemed a prognostic denouncing the fate of the army. The planet, in its languishing state, represented the condition of the legions : if it recovered its former lustre, the efforts of the men would be crowned with success. To assist...
Page 198 - ... their brother soldiers. While employed in this pious office, their hearts were torn with contending passions ; by turns oppressed with grief, and burning for revenge. A monument to the memory of the dead was raised with turf; Germanicus, with his own hand, laid the first sod ; discharging at once a tribute due to the legions, and sympathizing with the rest of the army.