Tacitus & Sea

Before I began to make use of my Book Tokens this Xmas I began to re-read Tacitus.  This was somewhat disappointing for me as I liked it last time but was more aware of his bias, deliberate choice of view and admiration for Vespasian the new Emperor.  
I agree after three poor Emperor's, each one devoted to replacing the disgraced Nero, Vespasian was a good practical choice.  His ability to secure the Empire and salvage Rome from the muddle was useful and Tacitus came to fame under Domitian Vespasian's rather unfortunate second son.
The book goes into too much detail, much of which finds me wondering about its veracity, and often speeches are made Thucydides style, that is made up by Tacitus.  This does not mean he in inaccurate but he is not totally truthful and people might sound as he wished.  
When Nero was removed Galba took his place until bumped off by the crowd, Otho was next and he happily committed suicide to save Rome, Vitellius was next but after a short but bloody civil warhe came to an end thankfully.
It is easy to see which Emperor Tacitus liked because the bad ones are full of greed, laziness or incompetence, their people are often divided and confused, always without discipline and not very nice.  The good guy's side however are the opposite.  Now again he is probably right as civil wars tend to leave a lot of confusion and mixed feelings, father against son etc.  However he on occasion sounds like something written in the 'Daily Mail' rather than an objective source.
Still without actually doing anything but be crowned Emperor by his troops Vespasian takes the position and before he even reaches Rome the book ends as so many parts of the writing have not survived.  So much we do not know!
It's worth a look just to get a grip on how class ridden the Roman society was.  To see how easily armies dump their generals and run amok, and to be glad we live in such a secure and loving society like ours.  
What?...oh!

 
I've done nothing but read books and tidy up today so here is a picture of the sea.  Isn't it wonderful?  The sea not the picture.  Where would we be without it?  Just sitting beside it relaxes the mind and allows us to dream of places far away.  
The sound of waves lapping against the shore, the sight of boats, some with sails, moving around is so good as easing the days troubles.  I wish I lived next to the sea I do miss it.  However it never writes to me.  
At night at sea you see the stars above.  How wonderful to get an uninterrupted view of the night sky.  I caught such a glimpse the other night coming home as the light opposite was out.  At sea you will be able to see for miles and above you a panorama of stars must appear.  I want to see that!  Ah well, one day perhaps...

Birds, Tacitus.

After much stress I managed to actually grab a picture of one of the birds.  These brutes sit in the trees above me singing away yet I cannot see them!  They know this and sing louder for spite!  Then if I get a good idea of where the brute is it moves to another branch.  The leaves are small still and only some blossom is around yet it is so hard to see these songbirds.  This one came down twice and moved so fast the camera failed to focus on him.  I'll get a decent shot one day.

Well that's another Tacitus finished.  'The Histories', detailing the year 69 A.D. when three men, Galba, Otho and Vitellius, became emperor for a wee while.  All ends nicely with the three men dead and Vespasian on the throne and he was the only one never to reach Rome during the crisis.  
His armies, and those Legions quick to support him, overcame the Legions and individuals who did not.  The oath taking for one and then another Emperor became confusing to me and I think to many soldiers.  Add to this the peoples dominated by Rome, the Germans, Gauls, English,Africans and the rest sometimes came to support Rome sometimes attempted rebellion.  As always individuals took their opportunities, the losers usually dying, and money was made and lost.
In the end it was just like today but with war involved.
Tacitus was not at his best when writing this book, his 'Annals' is much better written and in this book he spends too much time informing us of the bad guys bad actions and glorifying Vespasian and his men.  It was a wee bit like reading the 'Daily Mail' from that point of view.  He may have been right but it is not quite 'History.' 
I enjoyed this as the three Emperors were merely names to me, now I have one impression of their nature.  Tacitus also reveals how the Romans saw the Jews. They, and the Egyptians, were considered to reject true belief in the 'gods' and the Jews did not even have a statue of their God in the Temple!  The Romans thought the Jewish morals very strange indeed.  
Tacitus reveals something of the Roman outlook, the common people he refers to as 'riff-raff' and has no faith in them in any way.  His attitude is denigration at its best, 'snob' would be a good term for him, I wonder if he went to Eton with David Cameron?   Slaves were the lowest of the low, his opponents, or at least Vespasian's opponents were always immoral, the senate full of flattery and hypocrisy and few there were regarded by Tacitus as noble.  The army, that highly disciplined organisation was very much falling apart much of the time.  The leaders were corrupt, the officers either failures or killed by their men and it all appears to be exaggeration by the author to make his men look good. 
Still it was worth a read.      

A Mixed Bag

With the arrival of temporary sunshine I took the opportunity to visit the cemetery and upgrade the fotos on the war memorials.  The newly cut grass gave off a sweet fragrance as I walked across the wide expanse looking for my friends who have lain here so long.  I had permission to do this from the various bodies concerned.  I am happy that I managed to find most but not so happy that the one perfect picture of a colourful robin sitting atop a stone was missed! Typical!
My knees now ache as the exercise, which I need, is much harder than when I was a boy.  It appears almost impossible to get rid of the aches from the muscles after exercise, no wonder folks don't do it. Anyway I walked there and back and stuffed my face afterwards with fattening stuff.  This may have been the wrong option.
  
Nothing else happened.  The election fills the papers, interrupted only by gunmen in various places, and with no football till the weekend I have had to fill the spare time reading Tacitus.  His history may not be quite as we would write today but gives an interesting insight into Rome in the first century.  A while back I looked at the emperors for the first 300 years and only about seven or eight actually died normally in their beds, the rest died by poison, sword or pillows over the head.  The Emperor had amazing powers and few considered changing his role into a more democratic one, it appeared he could kill anyone just because he said so.  This certainly was Caligula and Nero's way and the rest made use of their position to remove troublemakers.  Hmmm maybe this is worth returning to, if I am emperor of course.   
Life in Roman times were very rough.  It is difficult to understand how such life could be endured yet we see similar around us much of the time.  ISIS appear keen on a similar style, without the pretend civilisation and empire, and occasionally it rears its head elsewhere, North Korea perhaps. A strong ruler could dictate a decent society, better than ours perhaps but in the end he dies and who knows what kind of man will take over.  In the end a free society means people have to be free to choose, that as the Ashers bakery in Northern Ireland and the Evangelical Preacher in the south coast have discovered does not exist.  They have both been browbeaten for party gain and by the courts at that!  
We need to use our freedom such as it is as it may not last much longer.  Who knows what mess lies ahead and the after effect of the next election will be structurally changing for this nation.  Other events will soon occur to make us worry.  Life is never what we wish it to be.  I would be perfectly happy with a small cottage with a sea view spending my days watching the sun go down as I feed the birdies and with constant sunshine on tap.  I am easily pleased.


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Bleak Fair

Poor man has arrived here once again when the weather is gray and chilly.  He should know by now he rarely sees the sun when he arrives.  The shows themselves change each year, what once was lots of roundabouts this year is almost entirely bouncy castles!  The few kids I saw as I passed were happy enough with that mind.  Poor man had three of his expensive banners ripped by a passing thug late one night so already he is out of pocket.  With the weather as it is I suspect he will be struggling to break even.  A rather risky business travelling the country.

This is the only picture I have taken since being out the other day.  Dreich weather has put me off going anywhere.  On the other hand I have watched lots of football and spent a lot of time asleep!

There was a time when I never seemed to have time to myself, now I have plenty.  One of the advantages of my position is the lack of need to rise early, struggle to work by bike, bus or other means, spend a long day with people determined to ruin my life, earn too little cash, sometimes enjoy the life and often wish I could be elsewhere.  Now all I need is a large donation of twenty pound notes to ease the day.  

Actually having most of my needs met, the house with swimming pool is still outstanding, I suspect I may use such cash to travel around taking pictures or spend too much time in bookshops, charity and proper, lining the bookshelves with worthwhile and entertaining reading.  Finding decent bookshops is however very difficult unless you live in the big city.  So many have closed because of Amazon that only the strongest survive.  

I mention this because I am once again going through a 'Roman' period.  I am browsing through Tacitus 'Annuls' as find it interesting.  I bought this in a shop when I was looking for his 'Histories' and was fooled by the one word title.  The copy I already possessed is called the 'Annals of Imperial Rome' and the one I bought was a new version again by Penguin.  Fool that I am!  I still have not got the other. Interesting how Rome was governed in such a manner, the Emperor being almost totally powerful yet spending much time wary of others making bids for power, usually women!  Why Harridan Harman never mentions them I do not know.  

The rich and powerful in the senate could also fall from grace and lose their heads if luck goes against them, today they merely move to other lucrative jobs and write about their enemies. Nothing much changes with those in power, it was ever thus.  Jesus, Lord of all, washes his disciples feet, these men build empires to their glory walking over any who get in their way and excuse the deaths and destruction that happen to occur.  Big houses, vast bank accounts with no tax paid, 'Top Gear' used as a shopping mall for cars rather than watched to see three idiots driving, and nothing but enmity from so many around them, all who disappear when the money vanishes.    

I envy them not.

No news in the papers, just election lies, half truths and deception.  Lots more to come I fear.

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Ancient Rural Scene

As my bike and I shook and clattered along the ageing path I stopped to cogitate on the farm in the distance.  I wondered how long folk had farmed this land?  Certainly there was a Celt Iron Age settlement around here somewhere when the Romans brought us roads, wine, revolting Boudicca and failed to take Scotland.  Interestingly enough Tacitus wrote of his father in law who was governor here twice in the 70's and 80's.  That's first century by the way!  His name Agricola, as in Farmer!  Good job his dad was into growing things and not a plumber.  Not that Agricola did much in the way of farming, unless you call dealing with rebellious Celts a kind of reaping.  Hunter gatherers from the distant past were in Essex 8000 BC and by 2000 BC some had become resident in the district.  It is possible the trees which covered the area were cleared soon after this time I guess and so for around three thousand years this area has provided fodder for the people in one way or another.  Not long when you consider Iraq has been doing the same for about ten thousand years but I find this strangely fascinating.  Not so the farmer who rushed past me in his Japanese 4x4 leaving the dust to settle on my almost clean bike.  I blame the EU!

That church has stood there for between 800 and a 1000 years also.  It may sit on a Roman cemetery, which may sit on a Celt one, and the Saxons may even have built the first church around 600ish there, or not as the case may be.  So rarely do i see this view it took me by surprise.

I also came upon this poppy sitting almost alone among greenery in a siding.  These excellent bright plants appear almost everywhere at this time of year.  The colour stands out and as they are found everywhere, and probably unstoppable at that, I suspect they will be around for a very long time.  I wonder if some Afghan will go around and make some money out of them in a wee while....? 

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Suetonius and Tacitus

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Amazon

Recently I have been indulging my liking of history by reading both Suetonius and Tacitus. Roman history was something I knew about without  having studied properly. So I thought have a read of these two books, which someone else paid for, and I am now more aware of the first twelve emperors from Augustus onwards. At least I now have some idea of the authors opinions of these men and their doings, and as always there is a bias to dig through.

  

Suetonius was one of the high ranking members of Roman society. While Hadrian was Emperor he attained the height of being Secretary of the Imperial Correspondence. Unfortunately in the year 122 Hadrian got the impression Suetonius was being 'over familiar' with Sabina, the Empress, while Hadrian was in Britain, and so dismissed him. Having been Director of the Imperial Libraries we was well able to find his way around the records of past deeds, accurate and mythologised, and from these and other sources he produced his 'Lives of the Twelve Caesars.'    

I really enjoyed this book! Whether it was the vast quantities of cash available to the Emperor, the freedom to invade any nation desired, the ability to make instant decisions with no comeback, and removal of those who upset the rulers will by throwing them to the lions I don't know, but I enjoyed this book! Having all power, not counting the women bitching around you and the fawning courtiers making themselves useful and rich, can be a useful trick. However amongst those willing to flatter you rises a desire to put an end to you also. Reading a list of Roman Emperors from the first three hundred years it is the minority who die in their beds, the vast majority were assassinated  I suspect that the real reason I liked this book was the glimpse into the lives of those who ran Rome. A basic insight certainly, not a history similar to those produced today, but insights into the everyday are seen, and they are not always pleasant for the man in charge. 

Both books start with Augustus and end with Domitian, at least they would had much of Tacitus manuscript not been lost. Sadly his book ends just before Nero gets his comeuppance. We are treated to all the worst, and much of the best, of these rulers. The squabbles between them and their women are shown, although the women ought not to be in powerful positions of course. Tacitus especially indicates how disgraceful it is that a mere woman should attempt to run the Empire! Both men, may well have known one another. Tacitus was a friend of Pliny, Pliny a patron of Suetonius and it is likely one influenced the other as they both came from high class backgrounds. Both wished to indicate how much better life was under their leaders by showing how bad things were in the past. Thus debauchery is often mentioned, much detail by Suetonius, less so by Tacitus. Claudius liked to stay at a distance from Rome and enjoy his sexual pleasures it appears. At times the tales sound like the 'News of the World,' not history. 

One or two major points arise from these books about Rome. One is the deep belief Romans had in their gods. Each day a victim, usually a bird, was killed and the liver examined for indications of how things would be for the Emperor that day. Personally I think killing that bird for that is offal. Rome depended on their gods, Suetonius in particular begins each ruler with a long description of the omens and signs that occurred on the day he was born. Eagles are seen perched on the houses, an earthquake would occur, lightning would strike a major building and so on. There must have been vast numbers of eagles and a dangerous amount of lightening in that part of the world in those days! It also explains why they did not understand the Jews who refused to burn incense to any emperor and did not accept their gods. This was made worse when Christians arrived and the belief was they were cannibals.Did they not eat the body and blood of their God? Both were considered superstitions by those who sought the oracles!

The other major thought was just how viscous a society reigned in Rome. Pax Romanus may well has allowed trade to continue but any crime (and no matter what class you were you could end up as a criminal) could take you to death, and that on a cross or in front of beasts in the arena! Gladiatorial contests were often to the death, and Claudius we read, enjoyed watching the loser die. Criminals could be scourged to death, and Roman citizens lost their heads publicly, an advantage of being a citizen! How thoughtful! People squabbled over seating arrangements, as the better classes wished to have the front seats to show their importance. Emperors and Senate discussed this often as self important men fought for position. Cruelty was part of their make up and if the situation required it an attack on a  fellow senator was used to have an enemy banished or forced to commit suicide. A great many ended this way as lies and deceit filled the rulers household. Rewards for those who informed were often great, although later their sin would find them out. A cruel society, quite happy to slaughter a whole town if they opposed Rome, and if feeling merciful the men would die and women and children sold into slavery! Touching really. 

Both books aid us to understand Roman attitudes, but it is important to also read the younger Pliny as he gives a senators view of life in Rome and incidentally tells us more of everyday life than these books reveal.

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