Essay about Germania Tacitus’ Perceptions of Pax Romana...

Germania: Tacitus’ Perceptions of Pax Romana Rome While the early 2nd century is usually considered to be the height of the Roman Empire, closer examinations reveal a deteriorating state hiding behind a faà §ade of power and wealth. As modern day historian C. Warren Hollister described, â€Å"life in Rome’s ‘golden age’ could be pleasant enough if one were male, adult, very wealthy, and naturally immune to various epidemic diseases. But if this was humanity’s happiest time, God help us all!† (14). Living during this time period, Cornelius Tacitus perceived of the rust slowly consuming through Rome’s golden shine. He writes, â€Å"the destinies of the Empire have passed their zenith,† predicting the end of an era 300 years before it†¦show more content†¦These people not only survive, but also thrive on cold and hunger, being unable to handle heat and thirst (4). Tacitus further comments that â€Å"the children in every house grow up amid nakedness and squalor into that girth of limb and frame which is to our people a marvel† (20). Even though the Germans live in such a hostile environment, they grow into physiques that awe the Romans. Moreover, unlike the Romans, they reject wine and sun. In these descriptions, Tacitus insinuates that the Romans are â€Å"soft.† He also implies that the Germans, a group of many tribes, had more unity and loyalty than the great, civilized Empire. In one passage, he describes a chant the Germans use in battle: â€Å"The chant seems to them to mean not so much union of voices as union of hearts; the object they specially seek is a certain volume of hoarseness, a crashing roar, their shields being brought up to their lips, that the voice may swell to a fuller and deeper note by means of the echo† (3) This description reveals Tacitus’ admiration for this unity and how something as simple as a chant can conjure up patriotism and unify a band of warriors. However barbaric and non-Roman-like these actions are, it is evident that Tacitus feels that they truly bring the Germans together and show their intimate passion and camaraderie. The description also implies that the Roman warriors do not chant with this same intensity of feeling and do not come together with such unity. In