Product Description
The only surviving works from one of the world's earliest historians, in important new translations

Sallust's first published work, Catiline's War, contains the memorable history of the year 63, including his thoughts on Catiline, a Roman politician who made an ill-fated attempt to overthrow the Roman Republic. In The Jugurthine War, Sallust dwells upon the feebleness of the Senate and aristocracy, having collected materials and compiled notes for this work during his governorship of Numidia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Essential highly-readable source
Sallust is one of only two contemporary sources to have survived on the politics of the late Roman Republic (the other one is Cicero). All the rest was written later, sometimes much later. Another reason to read Sallust is that he was highly held in his own time for his style and clarity of expression - indeed, that is partly why this has survived.

Sallust is believed to have lived 86-34BC, he achieved senatorial rank, and he was a Caesarean (unlike Cicero, who was an optimate). His works include a history of the Jugurthine war (a late second-century BC African conflict that punctuated Rome's own internal struggles), an account of the Catilinarian conspiracy, and fragments of a history that once described the 70s and 60s BC. A lot of this is almost certainly made up. Stock descriptions of sieges and battles in the war against Jugurtha, which took place before Sallust was born, are unlikely to fit any close reality. The books contain the inevitable set speeches, all of course the author's interpretation of what might have been said. Even the Catilinarian account may well have been drawn from Cicero: Sallust was too young to have been in the senate in 63BC. Yet Sallust's books are invaluable. At least he would have been in Rome, and since Cicero was judge and party on Catiline, this second, corroborative account is priceless. And even the speeches and the fragmentary histories are of value, providing a strong flavour of the ideological conflicts that divided the Roman Republic, how they were expressed, and what the public response may have been.

Sallust is essential reading for students of the period. It also is a good alternative or complement to the host of trashy novels and movies that have recently come out about Rome.

A. J. Woodman's Sallust
The historical value of Sallust's monographs is best left to the judgement of professional historians; but for students of the Republican period, Sallust is most enjoyable. Like Thucydides, Sallust the man shows through his writing, and this translation by Woodman is the best I have encountered.

One can't read Syme's study of Sallust without reading Sallust himself, and this translation is the best available to the 21st century English reader.

Skippable
Although this book is an ancient source of information, there's little information to be found in it. The titles really say it all. The Jugurthine War is about the war between Rome under Metellus and Marius against Numidia under Jugurtha roughly 110 BCE. Catiline's War isn't much of a war at all, it's just the case of an upset patrician revolting against the Roman senate during a chaotic period of Roman history (80s BCE). The speeches included at the end are even less informative, so all in all, you're much better off reading Appian's and Plutarch's account of this time period than Sallust's because he writes as though you already know what he's talking about, leaving out the general procession of events entirely.

essential reading on Roman morals
Here I am, re-reading books I still have from college, with faint hope that anyone would ever read a review of it, but here goes:

The two tales in this were hugely influential historical essays more or less up to the early 20C; they served as models of moralistic writing as well as clear exposition in Latin.In the Jugurthine War, you get wonderful details on the rise of the great generals, Marius and Sulla, who were friends and then deadly rivals in a struggle that essentially sowed the seeds of the end of the Roman Republic in the next generation.

While the plot covers a war in Northern Africa on a ruthless rebel King, Jugurtha, the most important aspects of the work are on the transformation of the Roman army from amateur farmer landowners to a professional corps that admitted anyone.While a necessity to maintain the expansion of the Roman empire as the population of traditional army recruits dwindled, this led directly to rise of powerful generals, who could rely on the personal loyalty of their troops to grab power in civil war, which had been avoided for centuries.First, there was Sulla's dictatorship, then Julius Caesar.But the story takes place before that, when the military genius Marius was transforming the army and mentoring the ambitious Sulla.The reader can study the organization of the army as well as the changing mores of Roman society that this reflected. It is a great masterpiece and fun read, with wonderfully quirky details.In many ways, it is about the end of the aristocratic oligarchy that ruled the Republic for so long, as exemplified by the failure of Metellus and how Marius, who was not a aristocrat and knew no Greek, took over from him and triumphed.

The story on Cataline's conspiracy is more about Rome's civil society and governance.It is a far more openly moralistic tale of an attempted coup by a disgraced aristocrat, who was opposed by Cicero; in the background Julius Caesar and Pompey are also present, as are a number of lesser known Senators such as Scaurus.While this adds crucial detail to the historical picture, its preachiness and one-sided portrait - and many sloppy mistakes - make it a fairly boring read, i.e. for scholars.It is a tale of decadence and ruffians who are tempted by power in the promises of a fool, Cataline.

So, while rather recondite, this is a truly great volume of one of antiquity's most influential writers.Recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
This is Sallust's text, "Bellum Catilinae", in Latin with English introduction and notes. ... Read more

Product Description
"The Conspiracy of Catiline" (his first published work) contains the history of the memorable year 63. Sallust adopts the usually accepted view of Catiline, and describes him as the deliberate foe of law, order and morality, and does not give a comprehensive explanation of his views and intentions. Catiline had supported the party of Sulla, to which Sallust was opposed. Sallust's "Jugurthine War" is a valuable and interesting monograph. We may assume that Sallust collected materials and put together notes for it during his governorship of Numidia. Here, too, he dwells upon the feebleness of the senate and aristocracy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great tract on Roman morals just before the fall of the Republic
The two tales in this were hugely influential historical essays more or less up to the early 20C; they served as models of moralistic writing as well as clear exposition in Latin. I remember studying both the content and writing style while (inexplicably) attempting to master Latin in college.

In the Jugurthine War, you get wonderful details on the rise of the great generals, Marius and Sulla, who were friends and then deadly rivals in a struggle that essentially sowed the seeds of the end of the Roman Republic in the next generation.While the plot covers a war in Northern Africa on a ruthless rebel King, Jugurtha, the most important aspects of the work are on the transformation of the Roman army from amateur soldier-farmer landowners to a professional corps that admitted anyone. While a necessary measure to maintain the expansion of the Roman empire as the population of traditional army recruits dwindled, this led directly to rise of powerful generals, who could rely on the personal loyalty of their troops if they wished to grab power in civil war, which had been avoided for centuries. First, there was Sulla's dictatorship, then Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon. But the story takes place before that, when the military genius Marius was transforming the army and mentoring the ambitious Sulla. The reader can study the organization of the army as well as the changing mores of Roman society that this reflected. It is a great masterpiece and fun read, with wonderfully quirky details. In many ways, it is about the end of the oligarchy that ruled the Republic for so long, as exemplified by the failure of Metellus and how despised enemy, Marius (who was not a aristocrat and knew no Greek) took over from him and triumphed.

The story on Cataline's conspiracy is more about Rome's civil society and governance. It is a far more openly moralistic tale of an attempted coup by a disgraced aristocrat, who was opposed by Cicero; in the background Julius Caesar and Pompey are also present, as are a number of lesser known Senators such as Scaurus. While this adds crucial detail to the historical picture, its preachiness and one-sided portrait - and many sloppy chronological mistakes - make it a fairly boring read, i.e. for scholars. It is a tale of decadence and ruffians who are tempted by power in the promises of a fool, Cataline.

The introductory essays are also splendidly detailed regarding historical controversies and background currents as well as beautifully written.I learned a great deal about the context in which Sallust's essays were conceived, e.g. his reasons for moralizing, his hypocracies, and career.

So, while rather recondite, this is a truly great volume of one of antiquity's most influential writers. Recommended.

Sallust's works
Sallust was adept in the writing of history as these works attest.A reason not to read this work is if you are able to read it in the original Latin.A good primary source for those interested in this period of the Republic.

His two works, The Jugurthine War & The Conspiracy of Catiline cover the events whereby the Romans were forced to hunt a North African ruler through the desert from hideout to hideout for years & where Cicero, acting in his capacity as Consul faced an insurrection led by a Roman.

The more things change.........
The more things change, the more they stay the same.With Enron,
Worldcom, and other companies going down in flames all around us-
with the little guys getting the shaft, while the CEO's get gold-
en parachutes-when you read this, you realize nothing has changed
in 2,000 years!!!!!!!!!!!!

Allowing for some Roman idioms, Sallust is as relevant today as he was 2,000 years ago.

Pretty sad commentary on human nature, huh?!

Moral retelling of exciting episodes
I am giving this book four stars instead of five because I don't think Sallust's extrinsic moralism has worn well with time.He is right to note that rich, powerful governments are often corrupt, but the men and women who make up these governments do not change thir ways because someone preaches at them.

As with other histories written in ancient times, the two stories contained in this book are partly historical data, partly historical narratives, and partly dramatic dialogue.Whenever Sallust wants to make a general point, like "Rome is the city where everything is for sale", he adapts the language of this assertion to the circumstances of a point of specific action, and then puts it into the mouth of one of his characters.Keep in mind that the dramatic dialogue may be fiction, but the underlying points may very well have been valid.Rome really was a city where almost everything was for sale, and reading narratives like these gives us a vivid look at this reality.

This work is flawed, but we should be very happy that we have it because it gives us an alternate (pagan) look at power relationships within the late Roman Republic - a society that would soon become an Empire and produce written works (both Christian and secular) that are today read all over the world.

Enemies of the State
It is suggested by historians that Sallust was a hypocrite. In his writings he always claims to be writing from the highest motives and says such things as:
"Wealth and Beauty can only give us a fleeting and perishable fame, but intellectual excellence is a glorious and everlasting possession." This stance sits nicely alongside the fact that he was expelled from the Senate for alleged immorality in 50 B.C.! The solution to this problem seems to be that human nature is a complex phenomenon, and that man is capable of both brute carnality and intellectual honesty, depending on the chemical swings of the moment without totally compromising his integrity.

Only a part of Sallust's work has survived, most notably his history of the war against Jugurthine, an able North African monarch, and the Conspiracy of Catiline, a debauched but charismatic member of the aristocracy who aimed at a populist coup. This volume is composed of these two histories.

The war against the ruthless but talented Jugurthine was more about politics than tactics. Jugurthine took advantage of the growing material greed of senators and tribunes in the late Roman Republic to bribe them to connive at his usurpation of the Numidian Kingdom. This policy was only successful in the short term, however, as the aggravated greed of the Romans led to a war of conquest, plunder, and annexation of his kingdom.

Sallust's account is particularly effective at showing the rise of Marius, a common soldier from a plebian family, who succeeded in overcoming prejudice to rise to the top of the Roman State as Consul. Although he later became a bloodthirsty revolutionary, his toughness, honesty, and energy contrast with the corruption and decadence that was already infecting Rome's higher orders.

The second part of this history focuses on one of these corrupt aristocrats, the much vilified Catiline, who tried to seize supreme power. Connected to many of the great men of his day, like the young Julius Caesar and the extremely wealthy Crassus, he hatched a plot to cause fires, assassinations, and riots in Rome while his private army conscripted from veterans with bad debts marched on the city. Catiline as a profligate nobleman had vast debts of his own and this was perhaps one of the main motives behind the plot.

Ably opposed by the Consul Cicero, the plot fell apart until Catiline's private army was forced to retreat and then annihilated by the Roman legions in North Italy. Although Catiline was depicted by Cicero as a depraved monster who had even sacrificed and eaten human flesh, Sallust seems more objective. He records Caesar's fine speech calling for clemency for some of the conspirators, and he also records the bravery of Catiline's little army, every man of which fell facing the enemy in a stubborn battle. This leaves the reader feeling that Catiline was perhaps more than just a power-crazed thug.

Dealing honestly with two of the most unpopular 'villains' from the late Republic, Sallust's history successfully aspires to the writer's own notion of intellectual excellence. It is for this reason that his name is still with us today. ... Read more

Product Description
General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1840Original Publisher: Harper ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Has its good points
I bought this book to read alongside Ramsey's text on the Catiline conspiracy for a course that I am taking.I noted that the translation is from 1920 and the writer admits to losing some of Sallust's writing style in the translation.I like the fact that you have the Latin text on the left side and the English translation on the right so that you can compare the two but it is a very interpretive translation.It will do if you simply want to know what Sallust wrote but I would have preferred if it could have preserved some of his style of writing.
He is not quite as plain spoken as Caesar but does not have the run on sentences that make Cicero a difficult read.All in all, it is a decent read but an old fashioned translation.

A fine edition
Sallust is, of course, an essential entry on the reading list of any enterprising student of the Latin historians. As one expects of the Loeb series, this edition of Sallust is very good: J C Rolfe's translation is in his usual impeccable style (but then, who buys a Loeb edition for the translation?), and the Latin text, though sporting a number of careless errors which made me frown -- like 'falssi' for 'falsi' in the Speech to Cæsar -- is generally clean. The Oxford Classical Texts edition, which I obtained and read at the same time, contains a long section of intriguing fragments of Sallust's Histories that the Loeb book does not, and its apparatus criticus is much more comprehensive than Rolfe's. Of course, the Oxford text does not include a translation, so ultimately, the choice between them, for one seeking a definitive edition of Sallust, will come down to individual preference and needs. Both are, in their own respects, excellent.

A Great Recital of the Late Roman Republic's Turbulent Years
Crispus Sallustius (86-34 B.C.) was a plebeian who became a follower of Julius Caesar.He himself admits to having had a turbulent and mischievous youth in which he was expelled from the Senate at one point.This Loeb edition is probably the best purchase as it contains all of Sallust's works in one volume. Loeb is also one of the few publications that offers the reader the work in both its original Latin as well as in English.

Although the letters and speeches are interesting in their own right, the best works by Sallust are regarding the wars against Jurguthra and Catiline.Both seek to show how immorality and corruption, almost in the style of Dostoyevsky, prevails among those who hold or seek to hold the reigns of power.Juguthra was a Numidian/Moorish Prince who sought to take the throne from his brother by cajoling the Roman Senate who honored him for having served in Spain.Jugurthra's thirst for power was his own demise as Rome soon went to war against him for his daring efforts.Sallust approaches Catiline as the symptom of a social malaise resulting from a corrupt aristocracy.Despite this framework to his monogram, Sallust is far less biased of Catiline than Cicero's account in his Catilinarian speeches. Catiline was a patrician whose family had not reached any high office for over two hundred years.He served under Sulla and hoped to attain the consulship after his service with the dictator. As with many aristocrats, Catiline was in heavy debt and failed to win the consulship of 63 which he lost to Cicero and his patrician co-candidate.He hated Cicero for having won the consulship without being anything more than a new man with no ancestral distinction. Feeling that Rome was lost to new men such as Cicero or other lowly plebeians, Catiline organized an intricate conspiracy to carry out a coup with other nobles and even Gauls to set Rome on fire and slaughter the nobility along with Cicero.Cicero foiled his plot and Catiline chose to leave Rome to join his army of disenfranchized Marians, Sullan veterans, and whoever believed in his cause against the wealthy.He engaged in a battle against Roman forces in the north and fought to the death along with most of his followers.

The other works are rhetorical speeches or letters attributed to Lepidus, Phillipus, Cotta, Pompey, Macer and Mithridates.Although these are interesting to read, they are not as detailed or encompassing as his 'Wars.'As with the invectives, they are probably to a great extent fabrications of the author's imagination as to what the persons would have said: a style seen as perfectly normal in antiquity.The invectives are also pseudo-speeches but historians tend to think that they were not written by Sallust but merely attributed to him.

In any case, Sallustius is an important author as he is one of the few authors whose works we have who were involved with the politics of the Late Roman Republic and therefore were either first hand witnesses of the events or knew many who were.This Loeb edition is again the best deal one can get for $21 as it has all of Sallust's works in one volume offering the reader the work in both its original Latin as well as in English.Enjoy!
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Product Description
Sallust was one of the first classical historians to move beyond a dry recitation of fact to paint sharp-edged portraits of the moral and political degeneration of the Roman Republic. Sallust's abrupt and distinctive style is the perfect vehicle for his moral urgency, bitter condemnation, and satirical cynicism. William W. Batstone's new translation, which includes the fragmentary Histories, captures the severity of his Latin style. Catiline's Conspiracy describes the bloody rebellion led by the depraved and disaffected Catiline. For Sallust it was especially disturbing because of the unprecedented nature of the crime and the danger it caused. The Jugurthine War offers a graphic depiction of the war against the king of Numidia, highlighting the power struggles in Rome and the brutal battles in Africa. A wide-ranging introduction sets Sallust and his works in their turbulent historical context, and considers their achievements as both history and literature. Batstone also provides shorter introductions to each of the three works as well as comprehensive notes, an up-to-date bibliography, and maps of the Mediterranean, Italy, and Africa. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Review of Translation
If I could I would give this translation 3 and a half stars. Here's why:

This is a good scholarly edition with detailed introductions and many helpful notes. The translator prefaces his discussion of translation with the warning that there are as many theories of translation as there are translators. However, it seems to me that they can be reduced to two main ones. One is to interpret texts by staying as close to the original lexicon as possible; the other is to translate each word into the word that the translator thinks best captures the intended sense of the original. I find this latter type of translation deeply unsatisfying and it is the one followed in this text. It is as thought the translator wants to hold our hand and tell us in what sense to take every word: in doing so they not only level all the landmarks but limit the range of each word's meaning.

Let me cite three examples from the first paragraph of The Jugurthine War.

1) "saying that their short life is ruled rather by chance than by merit [virtute]" (52).

Why use "merit" when the original word was "virtute," as anyone can easily derive the right sense from the word "virtue"?

2) "human nature is lacking in determined effort [industriam]" (52)

why say that when you could say:

"human nature is lacking in industry"

3) "it [the rational soul] does not need the help of chance [fortuna]"

Why use "chance" when you could say "fortune"? Fortune and virtue are two incredibly important words in the history of ideas but here we might not even know that is what is being discussed since we come across "merit" and "chance."

This is largely a matter of preference but since this is a scholarly series I find it disappointing that they don't try to stay closer to the original. Hopefully Agora will keep growing since they, thanks to Leo Strauss, advocate the other theory of interpretation.

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Product Description
This first new edition of Sallust in over thirty years is based on a fresh study and collation of the manuscripts as well as careful consideration of the indirect tradition. Besides the well-known Catiline and Jugurtha, the volume contains more than seventy of the longer or more interesting fragments of the Histories and also the spurious Epistulae ad Caesarem and Invectivae. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good but pricey
Sallust has long been one of my favorite writers. His crisp clear style makes reading a joy. I especially like the Bellum Iugurthinum. It is full of interesting history and anecdotes. The world that was North Africa in Sallust's time was very colorful and vibrant, so very different from today. Reading the text gives one a deeper understanding of how Romans interacted with the wider world and how the Romans themselves behaved and lived. There are many fascinating insights about Roman army life.
My only complaint about this edition is the price. Bellvm Ivgvrthinvm: Complete Edition (Latin Edition) is a much more affordable edition. ... Read more

Product Description
This reader aims to introduce advanced Latin students to the works of Sallust, unique among Roman historians for several reasons. Because he uses standard vocabulary and uncomplicated syntax, Sallust is an accessible author at this level. Unlike other Roman historians whose subject matter was a distant past, Sallust writes about events that occurred in his lifetime. His roller-coaster career afforded him a unique opportunity to critique the inner mechanisms of contemporary Roman politics from the vantage of an outsider.

Complete with introduction, text, commentary, vocabulary, and bibliography, this volume contains selections (556 lines) from the Bellum Catilinae, the Bellum Iugurthinum, and the Historiae. Selections include character sketches, conspiracy and its betrayal, ethnography, a political speech, and a description of a lavish banquet. Students are prepared for an eventual reading of the monographs in their entirety and become acquainted with the fragmentary Historiae. This reader teaches the rudiments of Latin prose by reinforcing transferable skills that can be applied to other prose authors. While attention is given to Sallusts distinctive style, emphasis is placed on general structures so that students achieve comprehension and appreciation of Latin prose as a distinct-and majestic-art form in its own right.

Special Features

* Introduction to Sallusts life, work, and style
* Latin text selections (556 lines) from Sallusts Bellum Catilinae (232 lines: 3.3-4.2; 4.3-5.8, 15; 22-25; 27.2-29; 40-41; 53-54), the Bellum Iugurthinum (304 lines: 6-7; 17-19; 84-86), and Historiae (20 lines: 2.70)
* Grammatical and historical commentary printed at the back of the book

For over 30 years Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers has produced the highest quality Latin and ancient Greek books. From Dr. Seuss books in Latin to Plato's Apology, Bolchazy-Carducci's titles help readers learn about ancient Rome and Greece; the Latin and ancient Greek languages are alive and well with titles like Cicero's De Amicitia and Kaegi's Greek Grammar. We also feature a line of contemporary eastern European and WWII books.

Some of the areas we publish in include:

Selections From The Aeneid
Latin Grammar & Pronunciation
Greek Grammar & Pronunciation
Texts Supporting Wheelock's Latin
Classical author workbooks: Vergil, Ovid, Horace, Catullus, Cicero
Vocabulary Cards For AP Selections: Vergil, Ovid, Catullus, Horace
Greek Mythology
Greek Lexicon
Slovak Culture And History ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Sallust Reader
From her opening line in the preface to the end of the book, Pagan confidently and competently outfits her readers and guides them through the dazzling world of that brilliant artist-historian, Sallust.Pagan's words come from the heart and ring out."...I am amazed at the clarity..." "...the brilliance of his language..." "...one is struck by the frightfully honest content..." - well, I had no choice - compelled by Pagan's overpowering enthusiasm and respect for Sallust I had to see for myself justwhat all the excitement is about.

I find I love Sallust and I love this book!Sallust's style, subject matter, and his sense of virtus and morality combine to create a compelling, dramatic narrative.He lived through the events he wrote about.He was a tribune and had a seat in the senate.Sallust was an "outside-insider" - that is, he had a seat in the senate but was not from a noble family.He deeply loved the Republic and knew he was watching it die. As I read about the debates in the senate I was struck by how familiar the arguments were - we are still hearing some of them today.Anyone interested in today's politics should read Sallust.

"A Sallust Reader" features selections from "Bellum Catilinae," "Bellum Iugurthinum," and "Historiae."It begins with a concise, useful introduction.I must confess I often skip through the introduction to a book, but this one flows so well and steps along so lively, it is a great read!Pagan has picked up Sallust's "Brevitas" and made good use of it.It is also very accessible.Pagan's comments are to-the-point, succinct, easily understood, and engaging.She not only easily guides readers through complex grammatical sentence structure, she makes it an adventure.The selections Pagan has taken from Sallust and woven together with her commentary make for a fast-paced, gripping narrative.Her comments are refreshingly balanced in this day of political agendas, informative, interesting, and bespeak a professional steeped in her discipline and in love with Sallust.This book is a "must have" for anyone beginning to explore the writings of Sallust.

Day late for my class, not a dollar short.
Have you ever had a book show up two weeks after you needed it? Last semester I taughtCicero's First Catilinarian. But I wish I had more about Catiline. Enter A Sallust Reader two weeks too late.

The introduction helps get students acquainted with an author who isn't as read as he could be. Background on Sallust's life, his works and his style of writing are well worth the read for Latin and history students alike.

For Latin students, Sallust's Bellum Catalinae represents an interesting bit of reading. Sallust lived through the events he described and was quite possibly in Rome at the time. This is as close to a third-party primary source as it gets in antiquity. And what a ride! Pagán's selections for the Catilinarian section of the book are wonderful. They get right to the heart of why Catiline was an awful guy and tell the story briskly. Her notes are full enough for less advanced students, but include enough information to make them interesting for even those students who read fluently. My only gripe is that they are segregated in the back of the book.

What's more, is that this book isn't just for advanced Latin students. Motivated history students who are dealing with this bit of Roman history or the Jugurthine war will find plenty of red meat in this book, above and beyond their trusty Penguin translation.

I'd rate this book as a must add for anyone teaching Cicero's First Catilinarian.

Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers is a seminal source of materials for the study of Latin
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers is a seminal source of materials for the study of Latin. Two of their newest contributions include John Henderson's "A Plautus Reader: Selections from Eleven Plays" and Victoria E. Pagan's "A Sallust Reader: Selections from Bellum Catilinae, Bellum Iugurthinum, and Historiae". The comedic playwright Plautus and the Roman historian Sallust are significant in studying the culture and history of Rome and serve as ideal sources in the study of Latin for modern students. Enhanced with grammatical and historical notes, maps and photos, and vocabulary, both "A Plautus Reader" and "A Sallust Reader" will prove invaluable additions to personal, professional, and academic library Latin Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
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With this classic book, Sir Ronald Syme became the first historian of the twentieth century to place Sallust--whom Tacitus called the most brilliant Roman historian--in his social, political, and literary context. Scholars had considered Sallust to be a mere political hack or pamphleteer, but Syme's text makes important connections between the politics of the Republic and the literary achievement of the author to show Sallust as a historian unbiased by partisanship. In a new foreword, Ronald Mellor delivers one of the most thorough biographical essays of Sir Ronald Syme in English. He both places the book in the context of Syme's other works and details the progression of Sallustian studies since and as a result of Syme's work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Definitive Primary Source On the History OfRepublican Roman
I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history.
When most people think of the men responsible for causing the revolutionary changes in Roman politics and military prowess they think of leaders such as: Julius Caesar 110-44 BCE, Pompey 106-48 BCE, Mark Antony 83-30 BCE, and Octavian 63 BCE-14 CE, whom the Senate named Augustus in 27 BCE.However, all four of these men learned how to use the army, and especially its veterans, to further their political aims from one of Rome's earlier ambitious generals, Gaius Marius 157-86 BCE.Marius made sweeping reforms in army recruitment in 107 BCE so that he would have enough men to fight in the Numidian War.Most of what is known about Marius comes from Sallust, a historian who spent a good part of his life as a politician.He served as a senator, tribune of the plebians, and as a provincial governor.All of these experiences gave him a unique insight into Roman history.One of the twentieth century's most eminent historians of Roman history, Sir Ronald Syme, resurrected Sallust's reputation as a balanced historian.It was Syme's work on Sallust, published in 1964, that made historians take a fresh look at Sallust's scholarship.Syme found that Sallust had a negative view of Marius and believed him to be too politically ambitious.Marius broke with Roman tradition and recruited troops from the ranks of the poor, who owned no land.Marius felt forced to do this because of a manpower shortage due to Rome's involvement in many years of warfare.Marius' action at the time caused him to be hailed as a hero of the people, standing up against the Roman nobility.Sallust saw this as a great deviation from Roman tradition."Indeed, to a man grasping at power, the most needy are the most serviceable, persons to whom their property (as they have none) is not an object of care, and to whom every thing lucrative appears honorable."Marius' military reforms were put into proper context for understanding how the consequences of his recruiting from the ranks of the poor had on the political future of Rome."Often these men found a new home in the legions, adding to the increasing element of `professionals', and infusing a spirit of callousness and indifference, which was to have serious consequences later."

Sallust's scholarship on party politics leading up to and during Rome's Civil War 49-45 BCE, highlighted the consequences of Marius' military reforms."It was Marius who introduced the personal army as a decisive factor in Roman politics.Marius established the role of the general in politics, exemplified by the subsequent careers of Sulla and Pompey, a role that led through Caesar to monarchy."He understood how generals needed to maintain their political standing in Rome's burgeoning empire.With their new landless recruits, generals had to promise them the bonus of land for their service, which bought their recruit's loyalty, not to Rome but to their generals."When the senate was not compliant, they took to appealing to the people through the tribunes who proposed laws rewarding the soldiers.To win victory at the polls the generals began to send their soldiers to Rome to vote or, if necessary, to use violence."Historians used the example of Marius to show how Pompey and Caesar, both great Roman generals vying for power a generation after Marius, emulated his political tactics with the people and the military to further their ambitions.Between 70-54 BCE, Pompey and Caesar bribed senators and sent their soldiers to Rome "ostensibly to vote."When Pompey stood for election of the consulship in 55 BCE, it marked the first time in Roman history that the violence and bloodshed caused anarchy at the polls.

Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.

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In his Bellum Catilinae, C. Sallustius Crispus or Sallust (86-35/34 B.C.) recounts the dramatic events of 63 B.C., when a disgruntled and impoverished nobleman, L. Sergius Catilina, turned to armed revolution after two electoral defeats. Among his followers were a group of heavily indebted young aristocrats, the Roman poor, and a military force in the north of Italy. With his trademark archaizing style, Sallust skillfully captures the drama of the times, including an early morning attempt to assassinate the consul Cicero and two emotionally charged speeches, by Julius Caesar and Cato the Younger, in a senatorial debate over the fate of the arrested conspirators. Sallust wrote while the Roman Republic was being transformed into an empire during the turbulent first century B.C.
The Bellum Catilinae is well-suited for second-year or advanced Latin study and provides a fitting introduction to the richness of Latin literature, while also pointing the way to a critical investigation of late-Republican government and historiography. Ramsey's introduction and commentary bring the text to life for Latin students. This new edition (updated since the 2007 printing) includes two maps and two city plans, an updated and now annotated bibliography, a list of divergences from the 1991 Oxford Classical Text of Sallust, and revisions in the introduction and commentary. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A helpful commentary
Sallust's Bellum Catilinae contains the Latin text of Sallust's work on the conspiracy of Catiline along with a concise introduction and commentary by J.T. Ramsey.

The introduction begins with a brief overview of the life and works of Sallust, discusses Sallust's contribution to Roman historiography, introduces his general style of writing and has a few words on the textual tradition of the Bellum Catilinae. Ramsey then gives a short account of the conspiracy of Catiline, followed by a timeline of events. Finally, the introduction concludes with an analysis Sallust's narrative.

The Latin text is based on the text in Ernout's 1958 Bude edition with a few modifications.

The commentary mostly has notes on the grammar and syntax of the text, but also on style and sometimes even discusses questions of textual criticism, it often explains important concepts and, where needed, gives the reader further information on historical matters. The commentary, however, is not at all historical or philological in nature, but rather designed to be of aid to readers who's main concern is to be able to read and understand the Latin text. In my opinion, Ramseys notes do a fine job of this and are generally very helpful.

I recommend this book to those who wish to experience the pleasure of reading Sallust in Latin. Ramseys commentary will almost certainly make it an easier task as well as enrich the experience. ... Read more

Product Description
Pleasure gardens, or horti, offered elite citizens of ancient Rome a retreat from the noise and grime of the city, where they could take their leisure and even conduct business amid lovely landscaping, architecture, and sculpture. One of the most important and beautiful of these gardens was the Horti Sallustiani, originally developed by the Roman historian Sallust at the end of the first century B.C. and later possessed and perfected by a series of Roman emperors. Though now irrevocably altered by two millennia of human history, the Gardens of Sallust endure as a memory of beauty and as a significant archaeological site, where fragments of sculpture and ruins of architecture are still being discovered. In this ambitious work, Kim Hartswick undertakes the first comprehensive history of the Gardens of Sallust from Roman times to the present, as well as its influence on generations of scholars, intellectuals, and archaeologists. He draws from an astonishing array of sources to reconstruct the original dimensions and appearance of the gardens and the changes they have undergone at specific points in history. Hartswick thoroughly discusses the architectural features of the garden and analyzes their remains. He also studies the sculptures excavated from the gardens and discusses the subjects and uses of many outstanding examples. ... Read more

Product Description
This series is designed for the increasing number of readers who approach the authors of the ancient world with little or no knowledge of Latin or Greek, or even, in some cases, of the Classical World.Commentaries have long been available for those who read the authors in the original language; the series provides similar material for those reading them in particular, readily available, translations, especially students of Classical Cvilization/ Studies at GCSE, A-level and University, the core of whose courses is the study of ancient literature in translation.Students of Ancient History should also find useful the commentary on some of their source materials.

Each volume in the series will include the following:an introduction to the author and his work, with reference to scholarly views; a commentary providing explanation of detail, historical background, and a discussion of difficult or key passages; periodic summaries of situation or content; bilbliography, glossaries, maps and illustrations where relevant. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The Bellum Jugurthinum is the second historical monograph (the other is the Catilina) written by C. Sallustius Crispus (probably 86-35 B.C.), a senator, Caesarian general and historian whose political and literary career spanned the violent years which saw the end of the Roman Republic. The Bellum Jugurthinum describes an earlier war fought in North Africa at the end of the 2nd century B.C. against Jugurtha, an ambitious native prince who tried to win sole power in Numidia by challenging his family's traditional dependence on Rome.

The main aims of this commentary are to elucidate Sallust's narrative and to clarify his historiographical principles and methods. Such topics as the chronology and topography of the war, Numidian customs and their royal family, Sallust's sources, the conditions of political life in contemporary Rome, and Sallust's personal views are therefore given ample treatment. Textual, linguistic and literary problems are discussed in so far as they relate to historical and historiographical understanding of Sallust's account.

Sallust was indebted to Greek and Roman predecessors, as the commentary indicates. But he also set a new fashion in Roman historiography, as much by his sense of the realities of Roman public life as by the manner of his writing - a style which was later adopted and developed by Tacitus, the great historian of imperial Rome. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This selection of passages from Sallust's Bellum Iugurthinum, reissued now after many years out of print, consists of the following chapters: V-VI, XII-XIII, XV-XVI, XX-XXVI, XXVII-XXXI, XXXIX-XLI, XLIII-LV, LXIII-LXIV, LXXIII, LXXX-XCII.4, XCV-CII.4, CXI-CXIV.

These are arranged in three main narrative sections: the Numidian Civil War and the appeal to Rome; limited intervention; and outright war. There is a substantial introduction on both Africa and Rome, giving the history and context of the war. Linking passages fill in between the selected passages of the Latin text. Finally, there are detailed notes on the text and a vocabulary. ... Read more

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The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Rich in titles on English life and social history, this collection spans the world as it was known to eighteenth-century historians and explorers. Titles include a wealth of travel accounts and diaries, histories of nations from throughout the world, and maps and charts of a world that was still being discovered. Students of the War of American Independence will find fascinating accounts from the British side of conflict.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
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British Library

T093522



Glasguae : in aedibus Roberti Urie, 1749. iv,250p. ; 8° ... Read more