Three Central Characteristics Of The Germania By Tacitus

The Germania by Tacitus thoroughly examined Germany as a whole as well as individual Germanic tribes. In doing so, Tacitus emphasized three central characteristics: politics, religion, and the role of warfare. Politically, Germany The Germanic government was described as a rough democracy, with filtered input from the people and a subjective administration of justice. Kings were chosen at birth and continued the dynastic line of nobility, but even their power was not absolute or arbitrary. Leaders were especially admired because they lead by example (7). The way they dealt with matters, both major and minor, was through a council. On minor matters, the debate only took place between the cheifs. On major matters, the whole community was permitted to debate but the cheifs
carefully considered the case in advance. The final hearing was given to whoever had the highest prestige, and then the people expressed their approval or disapproval. Approval of a given proposal was expressed by arms and disapproval was evident when people roared their opposition (11). For the Germanic council, the punishment fit the crime. One was allowed to present an accusation or bring a capital charge before the council, and then justice would be administered as they deemed fit. For example, traitors and deserters were hanged on trees and the cowards and unnaturally vicious were drowned in swamps. Any act of violence was to be punished publicly and any act of shame was to be punished privately. Not all crimes were subject to physical punishment or death, though. Some men who were found guilty paid a fine to both the King/State and to the injured man and his family. The people in charge of this distribution of justice were the cheifs, who were accompanied by a hundred common companions who served as an advisory board (12). The companions were each given a rank determined by the chief. This led to compitition between companions for higher rankings and competition between cheifs for the most eager companions. Having numerous companions was not just admired within the state, but also in nearby states. The cheifs were so influencial that they could decide wars just by their reputations. A young warrior was equipped with a shield and spear in the public council once the State had determined that he was likely to make good. This presentation was perceived as the first public distinction of youth. This was significant because they shifted from simply dwelling in the household to becoming members of the State. Young boys could even become cheifs if their fathers had been of high status (13). Politically, the individual Germanic tribes did not differentiate much.
Some exceptions included the Nariscans, Marcomanians and Quadians whose strength and sway of their kings was derived from the authority of the Romans (42). The Gothinians were under the rule of a king, which led to a stricter tribe but not to the degree where their liberties were supressed (44). In the Subian Sea, the women were the ruling sex. `Tacitus saw this as their ultamite downfall (45). Tacitus described the Germans as polytheistic, with Mercury as the main diety along with Hercules, Mars, and Isis. Occasionaly, they made human sacrifices to Mercury and more lawful sacrifices to Hercules and Mars. The people did not limit their gods to walls or human forms but instead they declared woods and groves as sacred, only using the dieties names during times of worship (9). Germans periodically practiced augury and divination. They predict the future by interpreting markings on pieces of bough and deeming them as favorable or unfavorable. Another practice included consultation of the notes and the flights of birds. The people saw horses as the most reliable form of prediction that carried out the will of the
gods. The individual Germanic tribes did not sway from general religious practices much. The Semnones had various religious mysteries woven into their ancestry. The Langobards worship Mother Earth, who is said to visit countries and intervene in the people’s affairs. Tacitus describes their practice of parading her around in a cow-drawn chariot. Whereever she visited, the people rejoiced and celebrated. Then, the chariot and the diety were to be washed by a slave who was then drowned afterwards. The Marsignians, the Gothinians, the Osians and the Burians worshipped Castor and Pollux. They only exposed young men and brothers to the divinty of Alics.