Author: SALLUST.
Title: C. Crispii Sallustii De conivratione Catilinæ historia. Eivsdem De Bello Ivgvrthino. Portij Latronis Declamatio contra L. Catilinam. Fragmenta quædam ex libris Historiarum C. Crispi Sallustij. Ex uestuiss.codicibus Omnia emendatiora: & ad fine, uariæ lectiones annotatæ.
Description: Parisiis. Ex officina Rob. Stephani typographia Regis. 1544. 8vo, 164 100 mms., pp. 208 [209 - 239 Index, 240 blank], printer's ornament on title-page, contemporary calf ruled in blind on covers, with central gilt ornament and gilt fleurs de lys at corners of blind rectangle; leaf before title-page defective, several leaves sprung, corners and top of spine a bit worn, but a good copy. "A vigorous account of the notorious conspiracy of Catiline in 63 B.C. to overthrow the civil power in Rome, Sallust's Catiline is one of the best histories in Latin literature. The narrative is vivid and consistent, and the sketches of character are admirable in their power and conciseness. Although the author obviously hated the democratic party with which Catiline was connected, and had no great admiration for Cato or Cicero, his work is wonderfully impartial. Sallust's conception of history, indeed, as is exemplified also in his Jugurthine War, was very modern. He attempts to bring before his readers not only the incidents of history, but also their causes; further, he invariably seeks to establish the connexion between events that a contemporary would have treated as isolated facts" (Outline of Great Books). The first edition of the Catalina was published in Venice in 1470. This edition is prefaced by a life of Sallust written by P. Crinito, pp. 3 - 7. This is just one of almost one hundred editions of Sallust's works published in the first half of the 16th century.

Keywords: history politics prose


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