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C. Sallustius Crispus
c. 8635 B.C. Political career
Early phase
Entered the senate after serving as quaestor c. 55 B.C. Served as tribune of the plebs in 52 B.C. (supported Clodius, attached Milo and Cicero)
Was seemingly a populares
Caesarian phase
Elected to a second quaestorship, thus reentering the Senate Served as an officer of Caesar between 49-45 B.C. in the Civil Wars Praetor in 46 B.C. and governor of Africa Nova (Numidia, which Caesar had reduced to a province)
Saved from condemnation for extortion by Caesars influence
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Style
Compressed, difficult style Diction appropriate to theme The use of rhetorical speeches
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Roman Historiography
Looked to Greek historiographical models
Fabius Pictors first Roman history was written in Greek
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Style
Followed model of Thucydides
Short, terse sentences for historical momentum
Archaic diction
Use of speeches
Use of antithesis
Example: good and bad examples
Accuracy?
Not a rigorous pursuit of truth but a dramatic narrative with vivid characters meant to illustrate moral decline Frequently inaccurate chronologies, especially confused in The Jugurthine War
Programmatic section
Purpose to write an account of the war of the Romans and Jugurtha
Hard-fought, alternating victories and defeats First challenge to the arrogance of the nobles . . . The beginning of the struggle that played havoc with all our institutions, human and divine, and reached such a pitch of fury that civil strife was ended only by a war which left Italy a desert.
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Dynastic politics
Micipsa succeeded Masinissa (Roman ally in 2 Punic War) Micipsas adoption of Jugurtha (bastard son of Micipsa brother) Jugurtha had distinguished himself in subsequent Roman wars in Sicily, became a friend of Scipio the Younger Sallusts portrait of Jugurtha: the worthy opponent (Penguin, 3940, 41) Micipsas dying wish (Penguin, 4344)
Succession intrigue
Adherbal, Hiempsal, and Jugurtha divided the kingdom Jugurtha quickly disposed of Hiempsal Adherbal defeated in battle, fled to Africa province and then to Rome
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Politics at Rome
Chapter V: The First Campaigns
Gaius Memmius, tribune elect, forces war
Public outrage over the massacre of Italians L. Calpurnius Bestia, incoming consul, receives Numidia as his province After desultory fighting, he and Scaurus are bribed to accept a token surrender by Jugurtha
Called on Jugurtha to testify in open assembly about the bribes that he had given senators
Another tribune, C. Baebius, vetoed him and forbade Jugurtha to speak
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War Resumes
Chapter V: The First Campaigns
Jugurtha, while at Rome, had his rival Massiva murdered
Everything at Rome has its price (Penguin, 73)
The consul A. Albinus turns Jugurthas agent into an informer in order to start the war again
Albinus campaign fails Jugurtha bribes Roman officers and troops to surround the Roman army and force it to surrender
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Factionalism at Rome
Chapter V: The First Campaigns
C. Mamilius
Organizes a tribunal to try Romans corrupted by Jugurtha
Changing with the political wind, Scaurus has himself chosen as one of the three judges
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Marius split with Metellus over his standing for the consulship
Marius undermines Metellus, starts letter-writing campaign to build up his reputation in Rome After insults, Metellus allows Marius to return to Rome for elections
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Rise of Marius
Chapter IX: The New Consul
Marius speech to the people (Penguin, 118122)
Marius emphasizes his qualifications as a vir militaris I believe that all men are partakers of one and the same nature, and that manly virtue is the only true nobility Jugurtha had previously been saved by the greed, incompetence, and vanity of the nobles
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Marius Campaigns
Chapter XXI
Success of Marius initial campaigns (107 B.C.)
Capture and destruction of Capsa (Penguin, 124127) Partially out of jealousy for Metellus victory at Thala!
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Marius, though absent, was re-elected consul for a second time and given Gaul (southern France) as his province (Penguin, 148)
At that time he was the one hope and resource of the state
Marius went on to be elected a consul a total of seven times (107, 104101, 86)
Eventually, however, the nobles forced him to break with his plebeian supporters and he lost his popularity His last consulship was held during a civil war with his onetime lieutenant, Sulla!
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