---
product_id: 3690028
title: "Agricola and Germania (Penguin Classics)"
price: "R446"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 12
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/3690028-agricola-and-germania-penguin-classics
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# Agricola and Germania (Penguin Classics)

**Price:** R446
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## Description

Agricola and Germania (Penguin Classics) [Tacitus, Rives, James, Rives, James, Mattingly, Harold, Rives, James] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Agricola and Germania (Penguin Classics)

Review: Fantastic breakdown - I really loved this revised book. Nearly the first half is written by J.B. Rives, who gives an elucidating breakdown of Rome, and creates an easy to read/understand narrative that frames the original works by Tacitus, perfectly. I truly felt engaged and like I was reading a story. His understanding of Tacitus, and his works, and the culture of the time was so enlightening, and really added depth to my comprehension. Plus, he gives a bibliography for other reads about the European tribal peoples of the time, which I really appreciated. By the time I got to through the introduction, I felt like I had a good basis and background for which to interpret the words of Tacitus. I bought this book because of what Tacitus writes about, but what I got was SO much more, thanks to the extra effort and work of J.B. Rives. Thank you so much.
Review: The Agricola and the Germania - Tacitus' Agricola and Germania are among the two most-cited sources on Roman Britain and on the ancient Germans, respectively, and anyone with an interest in the Classical World should have a copy of this book. The Agricola is our primary source on Cnaeus Julius Agricola-governor of Roman Britain in the late 1st Century AD who is known to history primarily for the defeat he inflicted on the Caledonians at Mons Graupius in AD 83, and for his planned conquest of Ireland. Reading Tacitus' account, however, we find that his legacy in his own times was more for bringing justice to southern Britain, where previous Roman governors had abused their authority and driven the tribes to revolt. I can't imagine that we can take everything in the Agricola word-for-word, as Tacitus' account is naturally biased-Agricola was his father-in-law, and Tacitus does not speak a single negative word-not even the slightest criticism of a minor feature-of him. The Germania is also biased in that Tacitus is portraying these wild tribes as `noble savages'-claiming they never lied or indulged in improper sexuality, and had no love for money or fine clothing; in all, the Germania is as much an attack on the decadence of the Romans of Tacitus' generation as it is an account of the peoples of Germany in the 1st Century. After giving an at times rather humorous account of Germanic culture and customs, Tacitus looks at all the major tribes and their unique features-such as the bizarre hairdos of the Suebi, the strange religious rites of the tribes worshipping the Goddess Nerthus, and the customs of the Harii, who painted themselves black and only fought battles at night. Overall, this is a must read for a student of the Classical, especially Roman world, showing much about the culture and worldview of both the Romans and their Germanic contemporaries, and how these were perceived by a fairly typical upper-class Roman writer.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #88,931 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #6 in Classic Roman Literature #36 in Ancient & Classical Literature #1,902 in Classic Literature & Fiction |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (599) |
| Dimensions  | 7.6 x 5 x 0.5 inches |
| Edition  | Illustrated |
| ISBN-10  | 014045540X |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0140455403 |
| Item Weight  | 4.8 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 121 pages |
| Publication date  | March 30, 2010 |
| Publisher  | Penguin Classics |
| Reading age  | 18 years and up |

## Images

![Agricola and Germania (Penguin Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81A00y+DPHL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fantastic breakdown
*by A***E on May 13, 2020*

I really loved this revised book. Nearly the first half is written by J.B. Rives, who gives an elucidating breakdown of Rome, and creates an easy to read/understand narrative that frames the original works by Tacitus, perfectly. I truly felt engaged and like I was reading a story. His understanding of Tacitus, and his works, and the culture of the time was so enlightening, and really added depth to my comprehension. Plus, he gives a bibliography for other reads about the European tribal peoples of the time, which I really appreciated. By the time I got to through the introduction, I felt like I had a good basis and background for which to interpret the words of Tacitus. I bought this book because of what Tacitus writes about, but what I got was SO much more, thanks to the extra effort and work of J.B. Rives. Thank you so much.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Agricola and the Germania
*by K***Y on August 10, 2008*

Tacitus' Agricola and Germania are among the two most-cited sources on Roman Britain and on the ancient Germans, respectively, and anyone with an interest in the Classical World should have a copy of this book. The Agricola is our primary source on Cnaeus Julius Agricola-governor of Roman Britain in the late 1st Century AD who is known to history primarily for the defeat he inflicted on the Caledonians at Mons Graupius in AD 83, and for his planned conquest of Ireland. Reading Tacitus' account, however, we find that his legacy in his own times was more for bringing justice to southern Britain, where previous Roman governors had abused their authority and driven the tribes to revolt. I can't imagine that we can take everything in the Agricola word-for-word, as Tacitus' account is naturally biased-Agricola was his father-in-law, and Tacitus does not speak a single negative word-not even the slightest criticism of a minor feature-of him. The Germania is also biased in that Tacitus is portraying these wild tribes as `noble savages'-claiming they never lied or indulged in improper sexuality, and had no love for money or fine clothing; in all, the Germania is as much an attack on the decadence of the Romans of Tacitus' generation as it is an account of the peoples of Germany in the 1st Century. After giving an at times rather humorous account of Germanic culture and customs, Tacitus looks at all the major tribes and their unique features-such as the bizarre hairdos of the Suebi, the strange religious rites of the tribes worshipping the Goddess Nerthus, and the customs of the Harii, who painted themselves black and only fought battles at night. Overall, this is a must read for a student of the Classical, especially Roman world, showing much about the culture and worldview of both the Romans and their Germanic contemporaries, and how these were perceived by a fairly typical upper-class Roman writer.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent historical content
*by C***. on February 1, 2024*

Must have for people that can't stop thinking about the Roman Empire.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Agricola and Germania (Penguin Classics)
- The Annals of Imperial Rome (Penguin Classics)
- The Histories (Penguin Classics)

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*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-01-30*