Tacitus' Agricola

The Agricola  is a book by the Roman historian Tacitus, written c. 98 AD, which recounts the life of his father-in-law Julius Agricola, an eminent Roman general. It also covers, briefly, the geography and ethnography of ancient Britian. Tacitus favorably contrasts the liberty of the native Britons to the corruption and tyranny of the Roman Empire.

Publius Cornelius Tacitus (56 AD – 117 AD) was a senator and  historian in the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. These two works span the history of the Roman Empire from the death of Augustus in 14 AD to the years of the first Jewish-Roman war in 70 AD. There are substantial gaps in the surviving texts, including one spanning four books in the Annals.

Tacitus is considered to be one of the greatest Roman historians and is known for his penetrating insights into the psychology of power politics.

Three scholars, including History & Political Science's Associate Professor Ron Schmidt, will be speaking on Tacitus and then an open discussion with students will follow.  This event is open to all USM students.  Please feel free to stay after the talk and join us for stimulating conversation and light refreshments.