C. SALLVSTI CRISPI BELLVM CATILINÆ - Sallust's Catiline's War

For all men who strive for themselves to surpass all other animals, it is fitting that they endeavor with the greatest means at their disposal, lest in silence they pass this life as if they were like unto the beasts of the field, which Nature hath formed to be near to the ground and to their bellies obedient. But all of our driving force doth in our mind and body lie - the mind we use for government, the body we more employ in service; the one is in common to us and the gods, the other with the beasts. Because of this, to me it seemeth more properly to seek glory of genius rather than of strength of the body, and, since life itself which we enjoy is brief, to make it so that the memory of us is as long-lasting as possible. For the glory of wealth and beauty is changeable and yea, breakable -- while valor is fame-worthy and considered everlasting.

So for a long while, great was the contest betwixt mortal men, whether by force of the body or by the valor of the mind, the art of war advanced further. For yea, before thou wouldst begin on a thing, thou must needs to make deliberation in which thou wilt hath taken counsel. Thus, in respect to either one's body or mind, should he be in want of the one, he will lack the aid of the other.

And so, at first existed kings -- for among the lands the title of power was first this -- and split they were, for one part of them trained the mind, the others the body. And even at that time, the life of men without greed carried on -- each one's own possessions were for each pleasing enough. But after in Asia did Cyrus, then in Greece the Lacedaemonii and the Athenians began to upon cities and nations impose subjugation, a lust of lordship was considered a reason for war, and they thought the greatest glory was found in the greatest empire; then at last, by risk and trial, the mind was discovered to be very much accomplished in matters of war. But if the valor of the mind of those kings and generals could be in peace so strong as in war, more equally and more steadfastly would human affairs be managed, and not from one ruler to another wouldst thou behold all worldly affairs traded, nor see them altered and thrown into chaos. For empire is easily by those skills maintained by which it at first was acquired. But when instead of toil sloth hath taken over, instead of resilience and fairness there is lust and arrogance, fortune is at the same time as our morals changed. And thus is power ever to each best ruler from the less capable transferred.

Whatever men plow, sail, build -- to valor is everything obedient. But there are many mortals, given over to appetites and sleep, unlearned and uncultured, a life like strangers abroad they spend. Against Nature to these hath forthwith their bodies been for pleasure, their mind a burden. I esteem their life and death joined, since concerning either they are silent. But at last, truly indeed doth he seem to me to live and enjoy his mind, who having become in some business intent, doth he the fame of an exceedingly noteworthy deed or good skill seek. But, among a great bounty of pursuits, Nature doth show one way to one and another to another.

Fine it is to do well by the Republic, and even to speak well of her is scarcely disagreeable. Either by peace or by war can one become famous -- and among those who hath done so and among those who of the deeds of others hath written, many are praised. And yea to me doth it seem that, even if hardly an equal glory follows the writer and the author of the deeds, it nevertheless be among the chiefest of difficulties to write of deeds: first, because the deeds must be by the words given equal share; next, because most readers think whatever wrongs thou wilt hath rebuked to be wicked and envious words; and when the great valor and glory of good men thou recall'st, each reader with an level-minded disposition accepts whatever he thinks easy for himself to do and the things beyond that he concludes them to be as if fictitious, or false.

Well, when I was a young man -- we shall begin here -- just as many were, by a zeal for the Republic was I reared and there were many factors adverse to me. For instead of shame, instead of abstinence, instead of valor were violence, corruption, and greed prevailing. Even though these vices my mind was rejecting, as I was unaccustomed to wicked intrigues, nevertheless amongst such vices was my tender youth held fast, ensnared by ambition. As for me -- when from the evil morals of the rest of them I disassociated myself, in no less way because of a desire for office was Fame and Envy tormenting me, the same way by which they had tormented the rest.

Anyway, when my mind from the many miseries and risks quieted again and my remaining years away at a distance from the Republic I decreed I must have, it was not my plan to in indolence and sloth to pass the time nor indeed in tilling crops or hunting -- servile duties -- to spend my life. But, from this beginning and passionate application had wicked ambition held me back, and so, having to this same passion returned, I have decided that the deeds of the Roman People in sections, as each seems worthy of remembrance, to write down at length, more so even because from hope, fear, and the party factions of the Republic was my mind freed. And so, concerning Catilina's conspiracy, as truthfully as I will be able, I shall bring to a conclusion in a few installments. For as an event from to its beginnings are to be remembered I esteem, because of the newness of its wickedness and danger. Concerning the morals of this man, a few things must be first set forth, after which I shall begin the telling.

L. Catilina, born of noble stock, was a man with great strength of both mind and body, but was of a wicked and depraved genius. To him, from boyhood were civil wars, slaughters, rapine, civil strife all welcome, and in that mindset his youth he trained. His body he endured to hunger, cold, and wakefulness beyond a degree believable to anyone. A reckless mind, pliable, chameleon-like, at his whim he could copy and conceal himself, for others' possessions he strove, with his own he was lavish -- he burned hot for these desires. He had enough eloquence, less wisdom. His wasteful mind was lusting after unmeasurable, unbelievable, and altogether too lofty things -- always. After the Dictatorship of L. Sulla, the greatest lust had infested him, a lust of seizing the Republic. And he would obtain it by any means, provided that he win for himself kingship, and he held all else as if the cheapest wool. Driving onward, ever more and more onward day after day was his fierce mind because of the lack of his family fortune and the guilt of his crimes, each one which had made him in his muscles stronger, those crimes which I have above mentioned. Inciting him especially were the broken morals of the citizenry, which the worst and wicked ills, opulence and greed, disharmonious to each other, were driving into ruin.

The affair itself to urge me on it seemeth, since the current times hath of the morality of the citizenry informed me, and so I look further and do briefly examine the constitution of our ancestors at both home and on the march, by which means they managed the Republic and how great they left her, to how she gradually changed from the most beautiful and best to the worst and most shameful.

The City of Rome, as I myself have it, the Trojans established and held, those who with Æneas as a leader fled from their unsettled ancestral home and were wandering, and with these Trojans joined the Natives, a rustic race of people without laws, without power, free and unbound. After these peoples under one set of city-walls came together, with separate origins, an uncommon language, some living by another moral code -- it is unbelievable in relating this telling how easily they unified. And so in a short time, the scattered and wandering crowd had been by harmony made a state.
 
But after the matters concerning their citizens, morals, and farms had grown prosperous enough and seemed thriving enough, just as the greater part of mortal men have experienced, envy from opulence arose. And so, neighboring kings and people attempted war against them, while a few of their friends offered aid -- for the rest were by fear stricken, and from dangers they stayed absent. But the Romans at home and on the march did strive to hasten, prepare -- each encouraged the other, to the enemy they made their way, and their freedom, country, and family they protected by means of arms. After then, when dangers they had thrown off with their valor, to allies and friends they were bearing aid, and more by giving good works than by receiving them did they procure friendships. A government based on laws, they had a monarchy as their kind of government. Chosen men, whose bodies by years were made weak, yet their genius was by wisdom strong, and they were giving counsel to the Republic -- these men were either because of their age or their diligence likened unto Fathers and so named. Then after the kingly power, which at the outset had existed for the safeguarding of the freedom and the growing of the Republic, into arrogance and tyranny transformed, and so with their plan changed, they gave annual power and two generalships for themselves; by such a way least able -- or so they thought -- could a man's mind grow arrogant by exposure to license.

But at that period of time, each man began to extol himself more, and more his genius did he show off to the public eye. For in the eyes of kings are good men rather than the evil more suspicious, and ever to them is another man's valor fearful. But how much the state -- it is unbelievable to relate this -- grew shortly once freedom was acquired. Such longing for glory had advanced: now, for the first time, did the youth, as soon as they could endure war, in the camp through toil were they learning military experience, and more in the weapons of splendor and war chargers than in whores and feastings did they have longing. Thus to such men was no toil unaccustomed, no place at all was harsh or unforgiving, no armed enemy was daunting -- valor had mastered all. But glory's greatest contest occurred amongst themselves: for each was hastening for himself to wound an enemy, scale a defensive wall, to be seen while performing some great deed -- they thought these things to be riches; these things to be good reputation and great nobility. For praise they were fanatic, in money they were generous -- they wished for remarkable glory, honest wealth. I am able to recall in which places the greatest forces of the enemy had the Roman People with a small force routed, which cities fortified by natural defenses they captured by fighting -- except, that this telling would farther draw us from our initial objective.

But assuredly Fortune in every respect is mistress: for all things due to her caprice more than due to truth doth she make famous and faded. The Athenians' exploits, as I esteem them, were certainly significant and glorious -- but, somewhat lesser nevertheless than how they are related in their telling. But because in that land arose great geniuses of writers, through the whole world are the Athenians' deeds made famous as the greatest. Thus, the valor of those who did the deeds is considered as great as valor eminent geniuses with words could extol. But n'er did the Roman People ever have this gift, for each most foresightful citizen was very greatly engaged in work, for none were their mind training apart from the body, and each man, the best of the state, preferred to act rather than to speak, and to have his own good deeds praised by others than he himself tell of theirs.

And so, at home and on the march were good values cultivated: there was the greatest harmony, the least greed. Order and goodness was among them strong not because of laws, but due to nature. Quarrels, strife, and deceit with the enemy they employed, while citizen with citizens engaged in valor. In religious observance they were mighty, at home they were frugal, and among their friends they were loyal. Adopting these two stances, fearlessness in war, and -- when peace happened -- equality, they were of both themselves and the Republic they taking care. Of these affairs I myself have these, the greatest proofs, which in war was ofter punishment inflicted upon those who, contrary to a command, had fought the enemy, and those who had more slowly, when recalled from battle, retreated, than those who had dared to abandon their standards or, once routed, to abandon their post. But in peace, by favors more than by fear were they giving commands, and, to forgive received slights than to revenge them they preferred.