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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
informative
medium-paced
An accessible translation of Sallust's Bellum Catilinae, along with a very detailed and informative introduction. A fun read.
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Picked up during the Yale fall sale.
Far too enjoyable, had a blast. All of the upsides of ancient history - unique characters, carved into memory like marble, yet remembered slightly differently person to person, source to source, yet dealt with entirely in absolutes. Sallust also likely the greatest narrator considering the irony of his history before becoming a historian. Guy's talking about how Caesar and Cato were the only two good men of his generation while, before writing this, he participated in indirectly ruining one and relied upon the other's dictatorial powers to pardon him from excessive corruption and extortion.
Still really good narratives and speeches written in this, the translator's introduction alone has some brain food and discussions on legacy.
Far too enjoyable, had a blast. All of the upsides of ancient history - unique characters, carved into memory like marble, yet remembered slightly differently person to person, source to source, yet dealt with entirely in absolutes. Sallust also likely the greatest narrator considering the irony of his history before becoming a historian. Guy's talking about how Caesar and Cato were the only two good men of his generation while, before writing this, he participated in indirectly ruining one and relied upon the other's dictatorial powers to pardon him from excessive corruption and extortion.
Still really good narratives and speeches written in this, the translator's introduction alone has some brain food and discussions on legacy.
tense
funny
informative
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
An easy to read translation of Sallust’s fascinating history. A quick read, but an incredibly valuable one at the same time. I was particularly struck by the distinction between ceaser and Cato’s speeches. Looking forward to making deep, slightly obnoxious references to this work!
challenging
informative
tense
fast-paced
A translation of Sallust's War with Catiline chronicles the rise and fall and hubris of a disgruntled aristocrat who becomes enraged enough after loosing multiple election attempts that he seeks to stage a coups against Cicero, harnessing populist anger towards the aristocracy promising debt relief, grain subsidy, and a restoration of patriotic honor.
The American concept of history is so short, that the rise and fall of empires is worth revisiting for cautionary wisdom. The conspiratorial finagling's of one group of corrupt aristocrats attempting to usurp another group of corrupt aristocrats by playing off the exasperations and vulnerabilities of an increasingly impoverished working class, is indeed a story arc that seems as relevant as ever.
Osgood's introductory essay and annotations are most helpful for establishing context, so the reader need not be steeped in their ancient Roman history to appreciate the events. Including the Latin on the opposing pages was particularly interesting. My only complaint was the chosen format of this book--this edition released as a small-sized hardback barely a hand's length tall, which was physically annoying to wield.
The American concept of history is so short, that the rise and fall of empires is worth revisiting for cautionary wisdom. The conspiratorial finagling's of one group of corrupt aristocrats attempting to usurp another group of corrupt aristocrats by playing off the exasperations and vulnerabilities of an increasingly impoverished working class, is indeed a story arc that seems as relevant as ever.
Osgood's introductory essay and annotations are most helpful for establishing context, so the reader need not be steeped in their ancient Roman history to appreciate the events. Including the Latin on the opposing pages was particularly interesting. My only complaint was the chosen format of this book--this edition released as a small-sized hardback barely a hand's length tall, which was physically annoying to wield.