Sallust

This new and original translation of Sallust's "Conspiracy of Catiline" and "War of Jugurtha" uses a fresh, modern English idiom that preserves the flavor of the historian's famous epigrammatic style. Fully outfitted for comprehension and efficient referencing, this special edition contains the following features:

1. Almost 300 detailed, scholarly footnotes

2. Extended introduction describing the political and military systems of the Roman republic

3. Maps, diagrams, and photographs

4. Topical organization charts

5. Chronological tables

6. Textual commentary

7. Detailed index

Considered the first of the great Roman historians, Sallust has been read for centuries for his penetrating character studies, timeless moral insights, and matchless rhetoric. His profiles of flawed men led inexorably to ruin by excessive ambition or character defects resonate with us today more powerfully than ever.

Intrigue...murder...the lust for power...and the fatal hubris that leads men to their dooms. These are some of the historian's gripping themes.

Deeply concerned with the moral decay and corruption he saw around him, Sallust's pragmatic views of historical forces, personalities, and the psychology of power were aided by his own direct participation in the highest levels of Roman politics. "The Conspiracy of Catiline" tells the dramatic story of renegade senator Lucius Catiline's attempt to seize power in Rome during the waning days of the republic. "The War of Jugurtha" recounts the rise and ultimate destruction of the headstrong Numidian king Jugurtha, who waged an insurgent war against Rome from 112 to 106 B.C.

And as the fates of men play themselves out on the stage of history, strength of character and the will of Fortune will be the ultimate arbiters of human destiny.

Quintus Curtius can be found at qcurtius.com

Review

"'For glory derived from riches and appearances is transitory and brittle, but masculine virtue is pure and eternal."

It is my first contact with Sallust. The first great Roman Historian, he's a writer from an era when facts were not dissociated from wisdom and the aim of education was moral rectitude. What more could we ask for in these days, since the youth has no compass to guide their lives with?

The writing brings the history to life and you can lose yourself among the romans, listening to speeches and deeply getting to know what was going on. At times, indeed it feel like a superb time machine.

Quintus' translation and commentaries greatly add to the work, providing the necessary background. If I could sum up the book in 3 adjectives, it'd be: grandiose, educational and timeless.

--Paulo Ribeiro