# Tacitus Writes Germania (98)

URL: https://germany-history.com/timeline/98-tacitus-writes-germania
Location: Rome
Categories: main-event

Around 98 CE the Roman historian Tacitus wrote Germania, describing the land, customs and tribes of the Germanic peoples. He praised their simplicity and valour, partly to criticise Roman decadence. Rediscovered in the Renaissance, the work was later exploited by German nationalists and the Nazis.

## Why it matters
It shaped how Germans imagined their ancient origins for five centuries.

## Sources
- [Wikipedia – Germania (book)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germania_(book))
- [Wikipedia – Tacitus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacitus)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica – Germania (book)](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Germania)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica – Tacitus](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tacitus-Roman-historian)