He gave them 3 opportunities to change the nature of their beliefs. He also gave them a change to invoke the Roman gods, by offering prayer and incense and wine to Emperor Trajan and by curse Christ. After this Trajan gives a short reply to Pliny giving his 4 major orders. The first was to not seek out or hunt the Christians for trial. The second was if the accused ware guilty of being Christian, then they must be punished. The third was if the accused deny they are Christians and show proof that they are not by worshipping the gods, then they will be pardoned, and then lastly Pliny should not allow anonymous accusations. The letters between Pliny and Trajan show the Roman administrative process and problems. It also shows that the Roman Empire at this time did not hunt for Christians for prosecution or…
Agrippina was the mother of the Emperor Nero. Her influence on politics and her ambition dates back to his birth and spans till the time her powers began to decrease, and eventual assassination in 59 AD. Nero was 17 at the time he succeeded Claudius. In the early years of his reign, Agrippina held great influence over her son and political affairs. However her downfall began in his inaugural address, when she was indirectly denounced by Nero, who later began to rely on others, such as Seneca, Burrus and Poppaea Sabina.…
* Galba says, in the words of Tacitus: ‘Under Tiberius and Gaius and Claudius we were the inheritance, so to speak, of one family’…
Julius Caesar was the greatest Roman leader. Julius Caesar was popular because he included not only the nobles, but also common people in the political process. He did not enjoy destroying things, but rather building up and helping people. He was born July 100 B.C., in Rome, Italy. He had a small family. Caesar was well-built and of sound heath. He was also kidnapped by pirates(Rinaldo11-13). His life was in jeopardy for a while. He and two other men became known as the First Triumvirate and controlled Rome through the 50s. In 58 B.C. he conquered Gaul. As he got bigger he showed his ruthlessness with his enemies. In 49 B.C., he conquered Rome. When he took control of Rome, he destroyed the system which he wanted to keep. Julius Caesar only…
Hingley and Unwin note that Tacitus was “writing within living memory of the events. His close relationship with his father-in-law, Agricola, suggests that some of his knowledge of historical events in Britain at this time may have been passed down directly to him” (Hingley & Unwin, 2005, 43).…
When explaining the resurrection of Jesus, it is important to keep to the “minimal facts approach” by looking at some important facts. The first fact is that Jesus died by crucifixion. This highly evidenced occurrence has kept with the minimal facts approach because it is so widely attested. Not only was the crucifixion recorded in the four gospel accounts as well as a “number of non-Christian sources” (Habermas & Licona, 2004, p. 49).Lucian of Samosata, Mara Bar-Serapion and the central text of Rabbinic Judaism, the Talmud, all illustrate the death of Jesus. A “highly critical scholar of the Jesus Seminar, John Dominic Crossan, writes, “That he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be” (Habermas & Licona, 2004, p. 49). While the crucifixion of Jesus is the beginning of explain the minimal facts, the more important fact is that Jesus’ disciples believed that he rose and appeared to them.…
The first fact is that Jesus died by crucifixion. Josephus, a Jewish historian; Tacitus, a Roman historian; Lucian, a Greek satirist; Mara Bar-Serapion, a Syrian philosopher; and the Jewish Talmud attest to it historically. All of these sources are non-Christian and should be viewed with a higher degree of authenticity because they are unbiased (Habermas & Licona, 2004).…
When examining events in the distant past, it is good to keep in mind that our frequently sparse and incomplete records were written by individuals who were often more interested in their current political situations than the actual facts . Such is undoubtedly the case with the authors of the only primary texts recording the events surrounding Boudicca’s rebellion: Tacitus and Cassius Dio. Tacitus, for example, was more interested in his political agenda when writing the Agricola than when writing the Annals . Writing 40-50 years after the rebellion, he likely had detailed knowledge of the facts since his father in law was a soldier serving in Roman Britain , but he went to pains to paint Boudicca as a character who almost uniquely stood up to the Emperor Nero . His account seems to be less focused on the actual events than it was on the political climate in Rome and the author’s opinion of women in leadership . Cassius Dio’s account is also questionable since he wrote it in the early 3rd century AD and the only remaining copy is an abbreviated version missing much of the original detail . Dio’s opinion of Boudicca is clear: he felt that Rome was shamed by the fact that a woman could wreak disaster in one of its provinces . The matter is further complicated by the fact that there is very little overlap in the works of the two…
history is a branch of literature. It is colourful, vivid. It has to read well.…
Tacitus’ “The Burning of Rome” translated by George Gilbert Ramsay shows its significance, style, and beliefs of the burning of Rome. A large portion of Ancient Rome flares during the Emperor Nero 's reign. Rather than rebuild the city to it 's old plan, Nero built a gigantic palace where the burned buildings had been. Rumors were told that Nero started the fire. To put an end therefore to this rumor, he shifted the charge onto others, and inflicted the most cruel tortures upon a body of men detested for their abominations, and popularly known by the name of Christians (Ramsay 327).…
During the first and the second centuries, outside the borders of the Roman Empire, and occupying the area of Central Europe of what is today Germany, lived the tribes of the Germanic people. These descendants of modern Germans proved peculiar in that they adopted many qualities typical of barbaric cultures, yet they simultaneously practiced virtues more befitting of advanced civilizations, values more ethical than even the Roman empire of the time. The Germanic warriors had a rigid code that defined how to live honorably and avoid committing shameful acts; they also adhered to strict tradition in their relationship with their king or chief.…
Titus Flavius Vespasian was well known for restoring peace and stability to an empire in disarray following the death of Nero in A.D. 68. In the process he established the Flavian dynasty as the legitimate successor to the imperial throne.…
There are various points Tacitus uses the praise that frequently heaps on his father-in-law Agricola as a vehicle for condemning the values of contemporary Rome. First, Tacitus describes Agricola’s character a man who had no “…incorruptibility and self-restraint in a man of his caliber would be to insult his virtues”. By stating this, Tacitus send a message to everyone that all the other consult and leaders were driven by corrupt and self-interest. Tacitus gave a clear picture of the values of all higher rank officials as well as the people who were aspiring to attain power. They were driven by greed, corruption, and the motive to attain all the power. Secondly, Tacitus describes Agricola as someone who “…scorning all rivalry with his colleagues,…
During the rapid turnover of emperors following the death of Nero in 68 AD, Vespasian prepared his own bid for power. The legions of Egypt, Judaea, Syria and then the Danube all declared for him, and he sent his commander Primus ahead to secure Italy on his behalf. A major, and bloody, victory was achieved at Cremona, and Primus took Rome in December 69 AD. The senate passed a law conferring the powers of emperor on Vespasian and he arrived in Rome in the late summer of 70 AD, having left his elder son Titus in charge in Judaea. Jerusalem was taken in August 70 AD and the Jewish temple was…
Tacitus, Roman author, was one of the people to write about the Germanic society in great detail. Tacitus, being a Roman, has lopsided ways of writing about Germania, the enemies of Rome. This text informs us about the many ways of life in Germania. It introduces us to a somewhat full looks of Germany that, at the time was unavailable. This text is very useful because, in 97-8 AD when this was written, not much was known about Germania. This can be observed from his way of writing, the usefulness of his work amongst many historians. In his text, Tacitus discussed many defining elements of the Germania society, and from that it can be inferred how it reflected the Roman world within…