Agricola
Slavishness and enslavement are prominent themes in Tacitus' language, and together with the related themes of moderation and submission, they form a unifying motif that binds the entire text together. Rather proleptic of Calgachus’ language is Tacitus’ remark on Agricola’s Romanization efforts, lamenting that the Britons have taken vice in the form of life’s luxuries, from porticoes to banquets: ‘in their innocence they called it “civili z ation,” when in fact it was part of their enslavement’ ( Ag . 21). The Romans would not have wept for the conquest of foreign tribes, nor would Tacitus himself, despite his ideas of the ‘noble savage’: he cares not for slavery, but its consequences. Calgachus’ language, as well as his courageous but unwise conduct ending in a crushing defeat, can be seen as aligning him with those Roman senators (the likes of Thrasea Paetus and Helvidius Priscus) who chose to stand up against the oppression of the imperial regime, which led them to glorious but ultimately pointless deaths. Such interpretation also explains the sympathetic tone used to picture Calgachus: even though Tacitus disagreed with the conduct, he couldn't help but feel admiration for the men who sacrificed themselves for their ideals. 7 By carefully reading the text, especially the speeches at Mons Graupius, one acquires an idea of Tacitus' personal view of freedom. It is about the ability to speak one's mind, preserve one's dignity, and uphold self- esteem; less about the circumstances but more about one’s response to them. He is sorry for the Gauls because with peacetime they became idle and lost the valour and fighting spirit for which they were once famed. For Tacitus, slavery is a pernicious poison, both the product and the instrument of oppression, as it deprives one of both the ability and the will to resist. Agricola’s relationship with Domitian is then, ultimately, in focus. In accepting Domitian’s rule, he was able to contribute to the state by removing himself from political life in Rome and accepting an appointment in faraway Britain (even though this did not quite shield him from Domitian’s jealousy and wrath). Tacitus advocates this as the way one should live one’s life in times of tyranny; he does not entirely despise the stoic ppposition, but for him their flamboyant deaths were, in the end, useless ( Ag. 42: in nullum rei publicae usum ). Even Agricola is not beyond reproach, as he is hinted to share in the subservience of the Senate and provincials. He is described ( Ag. 6) as spending Nero’s reign in ‘peace and quiet’ (a condition that he later imposes upon the Britons) as at this time ‘an absence of initiative proved good philosophy’. Yet in the Britons’ case, the end result was slavery.
7 Liebeshuetz 1966; Lavan 2011.
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