28.06.2013 Views

Here - Academics - College of the Holy Cross

Here - Academics - College of the Holy Cross

Here - Academics - College of the Holy Cross

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Disordering Freedom:<br />

The Relation between Disorder and Libertas in Tacitus<br />

Nikolas Churik, 2015<br />

________________________________________________<br />

In <strong>the</strong> Annals, Tacitus refers to Arminius, a<br />

Germanic chieftain <strong>of</strong> fame from <strong>the</strong> Teutoburg forest, as<br />

both “<strong>the</strong> disrupter <strong>of</strong> Germania” (turbator Germaniae,<br />

I.55.2) and “doubtless <strong>the</strong> liberator <strong>of</strong> Germania” (liberator<br />

haud dubie Germaniae, II.88.2). By giving Arminius both<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se appellations, Tacitus has created a link between<br />

two seemingly dissimilar words. Far from being totally<br />

distinct, <strong>the</strong>se concepts are closely related: without<br />

disorder, <strong>the</strong>re cannot be freedom. In particular, this is<br />

freedom <strong>of</strong> speech, as was understood during <strong>the</strong> Roman<br />

Republic. This relation has been previously illustrated in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Dialogus de Oratoribus (Dialogue on Orators), an<br />

earlier work, which pre-dates <strong>the</strong> Annals. That work<br />

presents a discussion on <strong>the</strong> decline <strong>of</strong> oratory and some <strong>of</strong><br />

its possible causes. Though interpretations vary, one strain<br />

<strong>of</strong> thought considers <strong>the</strong> Dialogus to be a critique <strong>of</strong> certain<br />

112

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!