Pedro de Valencia and Roman Historians: Life and Works
Pedro de Valencia: Life and Works
Pedro de Valencia was born in Zafra in 1555. He studied the first letters and the rudiments of Latin. His parents sent him to Salamanca to study law. They also noted his training in theology and classical humanities. Philip III appointed him royal chronicler and he moved to Madrid.
Work
Like his teacher Montano, Valencia was a man of encyclopedic knowledge. His writings covered many topics, and the content was not published either in his lifetime or in later centuries. It was not until the twentieth century that some of his writings were brought to light. The main reason may have been his innate modesty, or perhaps the overwhelming admiration and reverence for Arias Montano. He dedicated his efforts to publishing the unpublished works of his master, teacher, and father, and did not bother to publish his own.
His writings include:
- Bible and religious writings in which he followed in the footsteps of Montano.
- Philosophical writings, including his work “Academy”.
- Writings on literary criticism: “Letter to Góngora”.
- Social and economic writings, such writings often carry the label of “Discourses”.
Discourses
The Discourses are the most interesting facet of Pedro de Valencia. They usually deviate from philological concerns and are placed in the group of social criticism.
- Treaty on the Moors of Spain: He was not in favor of cruel punishment or expulsion, but to admit and disperse them throughout Spain and not force them to learn Christian doctrine.
- Discourse about the stories of witches and things pertaining to magic: He claims that witchcraft can be explained in several ways, but all natural. He criticizes the methods of the Inquisition and rejects as invalid the statements extracted under pressure or torture.
Roman Historians: Livy and Tacitus
Livy
Livy dedicated his life to his own training and the drafting of the 142 books of history that were published in groups of five. Although Livy was a man of republican ideas, Augustus saw the only possibility of ending the harsh civil strife. So this writer assumed the political ideal of Octavian Augustus, working on his program of peace and moral restoration of Rome. The title of his work is Ab Urbe Condita, and it covers history from the origins of Rome. In the foreword, he explains the aims in writing it: to show how Rome has come to this moral degeneration. He praises the former national virtues that made it so powerful and says that only by returning to them will Rome be saved. Through his story, we know not only the facts chronologically arranged but also the spirit of their people, giving a psychological interpretation as important information for understanding the historical development.
Tacitus
Tacitus did not start his literary activity until after the death of Domitian, whose despotic regime had halted all creative activity. Tacitus began to write and publish his works with the desire to do justice to the past and reflect on it, saving from oblivion the great moral values and condemning the vices.
Project
He queried all the above sources with the critical eyes of those who want to make a serious and objective work. With his formal and concise style, he judges the Empire. Although Tacitus’ result is clearly unfavorable to the imperial regime, he believes that absolute and personal power is the only possible system for Rome today, and all one can hope for is that there will be good emperors.
Major Works
- The Annals: Covering the historical period that goes from the death of Augustus to Nero.
- The Historiae: From the year of Nero’s death until the death of Domitian.
Other Works
- The Life and Customs of Julius Agricola: A biography of his father, Agricola, an illustrious military man who possibly died because of the envy of Emperor Domitian.
- The Germania: A great study on this ethnic and warlike people of simple habits whose virtues, similar to those of the early Romans, could make the Germans a dangerous enemy of Rome.