De vita Julii Agricolae

work by Tacitus

Also known as: “Agricola”

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June 22, 2026

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De vita Julii Agricolae is a biographical work by the Roman historian Tacitus. It details the life and military achievements of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, Tacitus's father-in-law. Agricola was a prominent Roman general celebrated for his conquests in Britain. The work covers Agricola's military career, including his campaigns in Wales and Scotland, culminating in the Roman victory over the Caledonians at the Battle of Mons Graupius. Tacitus wrote the Agricola around 98 CE, offering a laudatory yet balanced political judgment of his father-in-law's career.12

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Tacitus
First literary works
…98 Tacitus wrote two works: De vita Julii Agricolae and De origine et situ Germanorum (the Germania), both reflecting his personal interests. The Agricola is a biographical account of his father-in-law’s career, with special reference to the governorship of Britain (78–84) and the later years under Domitian. It is laudatory…
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…98 Tacitus wrote two works: De vita Julii Agricolae and De origine et situ Germanorum (the Germania), both reflecting his personal interests. The Agricola is a biographical account of his father-in-law’s career, with special reference to the governorship of Britain (78–84) and the later years under Domitian. It is laudatory…
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biography
Antiquity
…wrought biography of his father-in-law, Agricola, concentrating on the administration rather than the man, has something of the monumental quality of Roman architecture. The revolution in thought and attitude brought about by the growth of Christianity is signaled in a specialized autobiography, the Confessions of St. Augustine; but the biographical…
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…wrought biography of his father-in-law, Agricola, concentrating on the administration rather than the man, has something of the monumental quality of Roman architecture. The revolution in thought and attitude brought about by the growth of Christianity is signaled in a specialized autobiography, the Confessions of St. Augustine; but the biographical…
Read More