Sallust's Bellum Catilinae

By Sallust

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195320859
• ISBN13: 9780195320855
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

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.