TACITUS: THE OPERA MINORA: GERMANIA, AGRICOLA, DIALOGUS DE ORATORIBUS

Those smaller writings precede his "opus magnum", the "HISTORIAE" and "AB EXCESSU DIVI AUGUSTI", later given the title "ANNALES". KARL BÜCHNER called these three smaller works historical attempts, for all of them have one thing in common: They deal with the main problem of writing history, namely the problem of liberty and the possibility of greatness in the present time.
1) In the "AGRICOLA" he shows that one can be great and internally free even under bad emperors.
2) In "DE ORIGINE ET SITU GERMANORUM" he points out that the "Germans", with their liberty are much more dangerous for Rome than the Persians with their despotism! To him the German tribes were unlike the Romans unspoilt and uncorrupted!
3) In the "DIALOGUS" he tries to prove that the decay of eloquence is due to loss of liberty!
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PUBLIUS CORNELIUS TACITUS etc., see below.
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