Gaius Sallustius Crispus (0086–0035)

Interesantisimo libro con dos historias que Sallust vivio en su epoca.

La conspiracion de Cataline y la rebelion de Jugurthine.

Es interesante como de diferente seria la historia si cualquiera de estos eventos hubiera ocurrido de otra manera. Cataline no estuvo tan lejos de ganar sus batallas, otros lo hicieron antes y otros lo harian despues.

De la misma manera, Roma podia haber decidido evitar la guerra con Jugurthine o el podia no haberla forzado, con lo que quiza hoy toda esa zona (Argelia) seria bastante distinta.… (more)

Sallust is surely one of the most fascinating fellows of the ancient world. Here's a taste of his biography: he attacked Cicero in 52 (failed), was kicked out of the senate in 50. He backed Caesar (smart), but when Caesar sent him to help Antonius, he, well, failed. Two years later he was sent to deal with a mutiny and, as you can probably guess, failed. His punishment for repeated failure was being made a governor in 46. One year later, enormously rich, he quit. In 44 he was tried for extortion (acquitted). Having failed so egregiously at literally everything (but consistently failing up) he thought he'd take up history writing, and became one of the most influential historians and stylists of the ancient world. We all know someone like Sallust, the type of person who could beat their bosses with a lead pipe and be given a promotion the next day.

Luckily, Sallust really was a pretty good writer. Batstone's translation smooths off the extreme difficulty of Sallust's style, but keeps the pithiness (compare: every other historian before Sallust, all of whom wrote eighteen thousand volume monsters; Tacitus apparently learned from Sallust). The two major histories (I exclude The Histories, since they're in here for completeness and scholarly respectability; I can't imagine too many people reading those fragments with pleasure) each include fascinating philosophical prologues and a wonderful old-man odor of crankiness. The people are always far more interesting in Sallust's depiction than they are in, e.g., Cicero; Catiline seems like a pretty reasonable guy gone wrong, as does Jugurtha. And in general it's nice to read a Roman who doesn't have time for the pretensions of the aristocrats of the senate. The comparison with today casts an interesting light on all the neoclassical buildings that dot America's administrative districts.

Also, this is a very good edition if, like me, you don't know that much about the events Sallust is writing about. Batstone has encouraged me to read more about the late Republic, which is the best thing one can say about an editor/translator.… (more)