Ancient Historians · Part 16 · Rome · B2
Sallust: Catiline and Jugurtha
Part 16 of Ancient Historians: Sallust was a Roman politician who was expelled from the Senate, accused of robbing the province he governed, and grew enormously rich, and then retired to write histories about the moral decline of Rome. His two short books tell of Catiline, the bankrupt nobleman who plotted to seize Rome, and of Jugurtha, the African king who bribed the Roman Senate and said: “A city for sale, and soon to perish, if it finds a buyer.” Describing character (was known for, had a reputation for, was said to be, a man who…), and the language of morality, corruption and hypocrisy, with Philo, Sophia, Marcos and Demetria.
Tonight’s historian died only about thirty-five years ago, so some old men in Rome still remember him. He wrote beautifully about virtue, honesty and the corruption of Roman politics. And he was, by all accounts, one of the most corrupt politicians of his time.
A preacher who does not practise what he preaches. We have a word for that.
So do the Romans, Philo. But his books are brilliant: short, sharp, full of unforgettable portraits of villains. Tonight we practise describing people’s characters, and the language of corruption, which Sallust knew from the inside.
Rome and North Africa, 112–63 BCE, written about 41 BCE
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, Sallust (86–35 BCE), was a Roman politician from a wealthy family outside Rome. He was expelled from the Senate in 50 BCE, officially for immorality, joined Julius Caesar in the civil war, and was made governor of the new province of Africa. When he returned, he was accused of extortion, robbing the province, but Caesar protected him, and he became immensely rich, with famous gardens in Rome. After Caesar’s murder in 44 BCE, he retired from politics…
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