Chapter 9 Sallustius

Chapter 9 – Sallustius: Mind, Body, & Glory — Latinitium
CHAPTER 9 – SALLUSTIUS: MIND,
BODY, & GLORY
2000 YEARS OF LATIN PROSE
A 21st Century Anthology of Latin Prose
A LATIN ANTHOLOGY FOR THE 21ST
CENTURY
Two thousand years of Latin Prose is a digital anthology of
Latin Prose. Here you will be able to find texts from two
millennia of gems in Latin. In this nineth chapter, we will
learn more about Sallustius, known to many as Sallust. We will
also read a passage from his most famous work Bellum Catilinae.
If you want to learn more about the anthology, you will find the
preface here.
CHAPTER 9: SALLUSTIUS
CONTENTS
1.
The Life and Works of Sallustius
2.
Audio & Video
3. Latin Text
4. Keywords & Commentary
5. English Translation

Chapter 9 – Sallustius: Mind, Body, & Glory — Latinitium
❶
LIFE AND WORKS
In this section you will learn about the life and works of
Sallustius.
SALLUSTIUS
(86-35 B.C)
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, or simply Sallust, was a Roman
politician and historian, probably born in Amiternum in
central Italy.
LIFE OF SALLUSTIUS
Of Sallustius' early years we know very little, hardly anything.
It is not until the 50s B.C. that we have more than speculation
to go on.
PORTAIT OF SALLUSTIUS BY LOUIS-GABRIEL
MONNIER, 1777

Chapter 9 – Sallustius: Mind, Body, & Glory — Latinitium
Prior to 52 B.C. Sallustius might have been a quaestor, though
this has been disputed. In 52 B.C. he became a Tribune of the
Plebs. However, two years later in 50 B.C. he was, along with
some others, driven from the senate. This was perhaps (but
nothing is certain) due to his sympathies towards Julius Caesar,
a man he would support and later thank for his life.
Caesar later appointed Sallustius commander of a legion. Even
though he did not stand out militarywise, he was rewarded for
his support and loyalty by being appointed governor of the
province Africa Nova (the old Kingdoms of Numidia and
Mauretania in northwestern Africa).
Sallustius was not a good governor. If we are to believe historian
Dio Cassius (155-235 A.D.), he was a terrible, oppressive
governor. According to Cassius (lib 43.9), he harassed and
plundered his subjects, confiscated property and took bribes to
line his own pockets. When he returned to Rome, sometime
around 45 or 44 B.C., it was only thanks to Julius Caesar that he
escaped charges.
Sallustius turned away from public life, perhaps after Caesar's
death, though the exact time for his withdrawal is uncertain. He
then spent the rest of his days writing historical literature and
developing his gardens, the Horti Sallustiani.
LIEBIG CARD SET: "GRANDS HISTORIENS ET EPISODES DE LEUR VIE", CA 1900
Sallustius life was a little bit of a contradiction:
On the one hand, we have an active politician whose writings,
that we soon shall turn to, are (amongst other things) famous
for their stern critique of the loose morality of the Roman
aristocracy, and for their concern about Rome's moral

Chapter 9 – Sallustius: Mind, Body, & Glory — Latinitium
.
decline.
On the other hand, we have a man who oppressed the region he
was supposed to govern and was infamous for his loose living.
As an example: Aulus Gellius relates a story from Varro about
the time when Sallustius was caught, red-handed, by Titus
Annius Milo (known from Cicero's speech Pro Milone)
committing adultery. Rumour has it that the woman Sallustius
was sleeping with was none other than Milo's own wife Fausta
Cornelia, daughter of Sulla. Gellius does not point her out;
however, Milo's reaction to Sallustius' indiscretion speaks for
itself: he beat the author with thongs and refused to let him
leave until Sallustius had paid him a sum of money.
"in adulterio deprehensum ab Annio Milone
loris bene caesum dicit et, cum dedisset
pecuniam, dimissum. "
– Aulus Gellis, lib. XVII.xviii
Dio Cassius, though not a contemporary, harshly remarks that
Sallustius did not practice what he preached. (Dio Cass. 43. 9)
WORKS OF SALLUSTIUS
Three of Sallustius' works remain today; Fragments of
the Historiae, Bellum Iugurthinum, and Bellum Catilinae.
The Historiae was a continuation of Cornelius Sisenna's (120-67
B.C.) now lost work, also called Historiae. Sisenna's work was a
history covering the years 90 B.C. to 78 B.C.
Sallustius' Historiae began where Sisenna's work ended, 78 B.C.
and continued to the year 67 B.C. It would have continued
onwards, but Sallustius died before he could finish it.
Today we have parts left from the Historiae; four speeches, two
letters and about 500 fragments.
Bellum Iuguthinum was written around 40 B.C. and deals with
the Jugurthine War (111-105 B.C.) fought between Jugurtha, king
of Numidia and Rome.

Chapter 9 – Sallustius: Mind, Body, & Glory — Latinitium
Bellum Catilinae is the most famous of Sallustius' works and
was perhaps written around 42 B.C. as his first
published work. It is also to this work we shall turn in today's
chapter to sample his writings.
Bellum Catilinae goes through the Catiline Conspiracy of 63 B.C.
that we have already heard a little bit about in this digital
Anthology's Chapter 5: Cicero and his De Catilina.
The conspiracy was that of a plot to
overthrow the Roman Republic and
has been named after the main
conspirator, Lucius Sergius Catilina.
Though the conspiracy happened
during SallustiusÕ life, it is most
likely that he was not in Rome at the
time, but instead was in the service
of the military. His Bellum Catilina is
THE BEGINNING OF SALLUST’S
BELLUM IUGURTHINUM, IN MS.
BIBLIOTECA APOSTOLICA
VATICANA, VATICANUS PALATINUS
LAT. 883, FOL. 21R., 12TH CENTURY.
DE CONJURATIONE CATILINAE,
MANUSCRIPT FROM 1475 not written around the time of the
conspiracy in the 60's B.C. but between 44 and 40 B.C. Thus,
ca. 20 years had passed in between the actual events and the
book.
The passage we shall be looking at today is the beginning
of Bellum Catilina. Sallustius is not one to go straight to the
point, but instead sets the tone of his work with this passage
with thoughts on the mind, body, and glory.
written by Amelie Rosengren, M.A.