In his incisive work, "History of Catiline's Conspiracy," Sallust delves into the political turmoil of late Republican Rome, vividly narrating the dramatic events surrounding the infamous conspiracy led by Lucius Sergius Catilina in 63 BCE. Sallust's succinct and penetrating prose exemplifies the literary style of Roman historiography, marked by a blend of moral reflection and political analysis. The text serves as both a historical chronicle and a moral treatise, revealing the decay of Ro...

Gaius Sallustius Crispus (86-34 BC), or Sallust, was a renowned Roman historian and a decided partisan of Caesar. After his retirement from statesmanship, Sallust devoted his time to the writing of literary and historical works that focused on great persons and events of his age. Although a lesser-known Roman historian, Sallust has become particularly revered for his intention to write scholarly, not merely anecdotal, discussions of events. Nietzsche described his style as "compact, severe...

C’est à tort que les hommes se plaignent de leur condition, sous prétexte que leur vie, si faible et si courte, serait gouvernée par le hasard plutôt que par la vertu. Loin de là ; quiconque voudra y penser reconnaîtra qu’il n’y a rien de plus grand, de plus élevé, que la nature de l’homme, et que c’est moins la force ou le temps qui lui manque, que le bon esprit d’en faire usage. Guide et souveraine de la vie humaine, que l’âme tende à la gloire par le chemin de la vertu, alors elle trouv...

C’est à tort que les hommes se plaignent de leur condition, sous prétexte que leur vie, si faible et si courte, serait gouvernée par le hasard plutôtque par la vertu. Loin de là ; quiconque voudra y penser reconnaîtra qu’il n’y a rien de plus grand, de plus élevé, que la nature de l’homme, et quec’est moins la force ou le temps qui lui manque, que le bon esprit d’en faire usage. Guide et souveraine de la vie humaine, que l’âme tende à la gloirepar le chemin de la vertu...

Sallust's "Conspiracy of Catiline and the Jurgurthine War" represents a critical exploration of political corruption and moral decay within the Roman Republic. Written in a concise yet powerful prose, Sallust employs an emphatic rhetorical style, interweaving historical analysis with vivid character portrayals to unveil the motivations behind Catiline's conspiracy and the struggles against Jugurtha. The work reflects the turbulent context of the late Republic, a period marked by civil stri...

In 63 BC, frustrated by his failure to be elected leader of the Roman Republic, the aristocrat Catiline tried to topple its elected government. Backed by corrupt elites and poor, alienated Romans, he fled Rome while his associates plotted to burn the city and murder its leading politicians. The attempted coup culminated with the unmasking of the conspirators in the Senate, a stormy debate that led to their execution, and the defeat of Catiline and his legions in battle. In How to Stop ...

Gaius Sallustius Crispus, or Sallust (86 BC 35 BC), was a Roman politician historian living during the Civil War between Pompey the Great and Julius Caesar. A popularis, Sallust opposed Pompeys party and the aristocratic classes in Rome throughout his life as a writer. Sallust also became a Quaestor in 55 and a Tribune in 52. Sallust's Jugurthine War is a brief monograph recording the war in Numidia fought around 112 B.C., discussing the political careers of Marius and Sulla and their rivalr...

The Real Story of Rome gathers fifteen foundational historical works to chart Rome's emergence, expansion, and transformation across republic, empire, and late antiquity. Moving between annalistic narrative, biography, ethnography, military analysis, political invective, and geographical description, the volume reveals that Roman history was never a single story. Accounts of civil discord, imperial power, frontier warfare, Jewish-Roman conflict, and the moral burdens of rule stand beside p...

The Greatest Classics of Roman Literature gathers the capacious record of Rome's imaginative, political, philosophical, and historical self-fashioning. Epic, lyric, elegy, satire, comedy, romance, oratory, memoir, technical prose, natural inquiry, biography, and historiography appear in illuminating proximity. Monumental narratives of foundation and empire stand beside intimate poems of desire, severe moral reflections, theatrical social observation, and accounts of military and civic powe...

"Yale Classics - Roman Classical Literature" stands as a monumental testament to the richness and diversity of Roman literary tradition, weaving together an array of themes from political machinations to existential quandaries. This anthology introduces readers to the grandeur of epic narratives, the wit of satire, and the profundity of philosophical discourse, all within the scope of its carefully selected works. The collection captures the essence of Roman literary endeavors and underlin...

Yale Classics (Vol. 2) is a magnificent compilation that immerses readers in the rich tapestry of Roman literary mastery and philosophical inquiry. The overarching themes span power, morality, fate, and the human condition, with styles ranging from poetic odes to philosophical treatises and historical narratives to satirical monologues. In this volume, timeless pieces offer an exquisite exploration of ancient thought and culture, including poignant reflections on human virtues and vices, t...

An energetic new translation of an ancient Roman masterpiece about a failed coup led by a corrupt and charismatic politicianIn 63 BC, frustrated by his failure to be elected leader of the Roman Republic, the aristocrat Catiline tried to topple its elected government. Backed by corrupt elites and poor, alienated Romans, he fled Rome while his associates plotted to burn the city and murder its leading politicians. The attempted coup culminated with the unmasking of t...