Commentary

The prologues of the BJ and the BC express virtually the same set of moral commonplaces. This raises the question: are they detachable irrelevances, selected from the sort of collection of prologues that Cicero said he used for the De gloria (Ad Att. 16. 6.4)? Or do they have a connection to the subsequent narrative? The issue goes back at least as far as Quintilian (3.8.9): ‘In the ...

Introduction

This chapter focuses on Gaius Sallustius Crispus, a Roman historian who was famously known as Sallust and was born in Amiternuma in 86 BC, in which he was speculated to belong to the local aristocracy. It analyzes three major works Sallust produced after his retirement from politics in 44 BC: Bellum Catilinae, Bellum Iugurthinum, and Historiae. It also points out how Sallust did not find writing history easy as he compared the arduous labour of historical writing to politics or warfare in service of the state. The chapter recounts Sallust's creation of a particular manner of writing history. It explains how his writing style attracted attention and discussion both in ancient times and the present as it is described as archaic and innovatory but, at the same time, abrupt and artistic.

C. Sallvsti Crispi Bellvm Ivgurthinvm

[1] Falso queritur de natura sua genus humanum, quod inbecilla atque aeui breuis forte potius quam uirtute regatur. (2) Nam contra reputando neque maius aliud neque praestabilius inuenias magisque naturae industriam hominum quam uim aut tempus deesse. (3) Sed dux atque imperator uitae mortalium animus est. Qui ubi ad gloriam uirtutis uia grassatur, abunde pollens potensque et clarus est neque fortuna eget, quippe quae probitatem, industriam aliasque artis bonas neque dare neque eripere cuiquam potest. (4) Sin captus prauis cupidinibus ad inertiam et uoluptates corporis pessum datus est, perniciosa lubidine paulisper usus, ubi per socordiam uires tempus ingenium diffluxere, naturae infirmitas accusatur: suam quisque culpam auctores ad negotia transferunt. (5) Quod si hominibus bonarum rerum tanta cura esset, quanto studio aliena ac nihil profutura multaque etiam periculosa ac perniciosa petunt, neque regerentur magis quam regerent casus et eo magnitudinis procederent, ubi pro mortalibus gloria aeterni fierent....