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Cornelius Tacitus, The Life of Cnæus Julius Agricola (ed. Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brodribb) | 52 | 0 | Browse | Search |
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Your search returned 52 results in 13 document sections:
Cornelius Tacitus, The Life of Cnæus Julius Agricola (ed. Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brodribb), chapter 3 (search)
Cornelius Tacitus, The Life of Cnæus Julius Agricola (ed. Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brodribb), chapter 24 (search)
Cornelius Tacitus, The Life of Cnæus Julius Agricola (ed. Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brodribb), chapter 25 (search)
Cornelius Tacitus, The Life of Cnæus Julius Agricola (ed. Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brodribb), chapter 33 (search)
They received his speech with enthusiasm, and as is
usual among barbarians, with songs, shouts and discordant cries. And now was
seen the assembling of troops and the gleam of arms, as the boldest warriors
stepped to the front. As the line was forming, Agricola, who, though his
troops
AGRICOLA'S SPEECH
were in high
spirits and could scarcely be kept within the entrenchments, still thought
it right to encourage them, spoke as follows—
"Comrades, this is
the eighth year since, thanks to the greatness and good fortune of Rome and to your own loyalty and energy, you conquered
Britain. In our many campaigns and battles, whether
courage in meeting the foe, or toil and endurance in struggling, I may say,
against nature herself, have been needed, I have ever been well satisfied
with my soldiers, and you with your commander. And so you and I have passed
beyond the limits reached by former armies or by former governors, and we
now occupy the last confines of Britain, not merely
i
Cornelius Tacitus, The Life of Cnæus Julius Agricola (ed. Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brodribb), chapter 35 (search)
While Agricola was yet
speaking, the ardour of the soldiers was rising to its height, and the close
of his speech was followed by a great outburst of enthusiasm. In a moment
they flew to arms. He arrayed his eager and impetuous troops in such a
manner that the auxiliary infantry, 8,000 in number, strengthened his
centre, while 3,000 cavalry were posted on his wings. The legions were drawn
up in front of the intrenched camp; his victory would be vastly more
glorious if won without the loss splay, had posted
himself on high ground; his van was on the plain, while the rest of his army
rose in an arch-like form up the slope of a hill. The plain between
resounded with the noise and with the rapid movements of chariots and
cavalry. Agricola, fearing that from the enemy's superiority of force he
would be simultaneously attacked in front and on the flanks, widened his
ranks, and though his line was likely to be too extended, and several
officers advised him to bring up the legions
Cornelius Tacitus, The Life of Cnæus Julius Agricola (ed. Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brodribb), chapter 36 (search)
The action
began with distant fighting. The Britons with equal steadiness and skill
used their huge swords and small shields to avoid or to parry the missiles
of our soldiers, while they themselves poured on us a dense shower of darts,
till Agricola encouraged three Batavian and two Tun-
BATTLE OF GRAMPIAN MOUNTAIN
grian
cohorts to bring matters to the decision of close fighting with swords. Such
tactics were familiar to these veteran soldiers, but were embarrassing to an
enemy armed with small bucklers and unwieldy weapons. The swords of the
Britons are not pointed, and do not allow them to close with the foe, or to
fight in the open field. No sooner did the Batavians begin to close with the
enemy, to strike them with their shields, to disfigure their faces, and
overthrowing the force on the plain to advance their line up the hill, than
the other auxiliary cohorts joined with eager rivalry in cutting down all
the nearest of the foe. Many were left behind half dead, some
Cornelius Tacitus, The Life of Cnæus Julius Agricola (ed. Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brodribb), chapter 37 (search)
Cornelius Tacitus, The Life of Cnæus Julius Agricola (ed. Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brodribb), chapter 38 (search)
Cornelius Tacitus, The Life of Cnæus Julius Agricola (ed. Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brodribb), chapter 39 (search)
Of this series of events,
though not exaggerated in the despatches of Agricola by any boastfulness of
language, Domitian heard, as was his wont, with joy in his face but anxiety
in his heart. He felt conscious that all men laughed at his late mock
triumph over Germany, for which there had been
purchased from traders people whose dress and hair might be made to resemble
those of captives, whereas now a real and splendid victory, with the
destruction of thousands of the enemy, was being cel
graceful accomplishments of civil life, if another were to forestall the
distinctions of war. To other glories he could more easily shut his eyes,
but the greatness of a good general was a truly imperial quality. Harassed
by these anxieties, and absorbed in an incommunicable trouble, a sure
prognostic of some cruel purpose, he decided that it was best for the
present to suspend his hatred until the freshness of Agricola's renown and
his popularity with the army should begin to pass away.
Cornelius Tacitus, The Life of Cnæus Julius Agricola (ed. Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brodribb), chapter 40 (search)
For Agricola was still the governor of Britain. Accordingly the Emperor ordered that the usual
triumphal decorations, the honour of a laurelled statue, and all that is
commonly given in place of the audatory expressions, should be decreed in the senate, together with a
hint to the effect that Agricola was to have the province of Syria, then vacant by the death of Atilius Rufus, a man
of consula eved by many persons that one of the freedmen employed on confidential
serv-
ices was sent to Agricola, bearing a despatch in which Syria was offered him, and with instructions to deliver
it should he be in Britain; that this freedman in
crossing the straits met Agricola, and without even saluting him made his
way back to Domitian; though I cannot say whether the story is true, or is
only a fiction invented to suit the Emperor's character.
Meanwhile
Agricola had handed over his province in peace and safety to his successor.
And not to make his entrance into Rome conspicuous
by the co