Oxford University Press Catiline's Conspiracy, The Jugurthine War, Histories

The Roman historian Sallust lived through troubled times. He deplored the moral and political decline of the Republic, and in his two monographs he set out to exemplify the reasons for the years of civil strife. Catiline's Conspiracy is an account of the rebellion against the state led by the disaffected Catiline. For Sallust it was `especially memorable because of the unprecedented nature of the crime and the danger it caused'. Rome's fight against the king of Numidia in The Jugurthine War is a graphic depiction of power struggles in Rome and brutal battles in Africa that eventually resulted in the capture of Jugurtha.Sallust's abrupt and distinctive style is the perfect vehicle for his moral urgency, bitter condemnation, and satirical cynicism. This new translation, which also includes Sallust's fragmentary Histories, captures his effects in an accessible English idiom, and provides a comprehensive introduction to his work as history and literature. Sallust was one of the first classical historians to move beyond a dry recitation of fact to paint sharp-edged portraits of the moral and political degeneration of the Roman Republic. Sallust's abrupt and distinctive style is the perfect vehicle for his moral urgency, bitter condemnation, and satirical cynicism. William W. Batstone's new translation, which includes the fragmentary Histories, captures the severity of his Latin style. Catiline's Conspiracy describes the bloody rebellion led by the depraved and disaffected Catiline. For Sallust it was especially disturbing because of the unprecedented nature of the crime and the danger it caused. The Jugurthine War offers a graphic depiction of the war against the king of Numidia, highlighting the power struggles in Rome and the brutal battles in Africa. A wide-ranging introduction sets Sallust and his works in their turbulent historical context, and considers their achievements as both history and literature. Batstone also provides shorter introductions to each of the three works as well as comprehensive notes, an up-to-date bibliography, and maps of the Mediterranean, Italy, and Africa.