Sallust
Sallust
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, usually anglicised as Sallust, was a Roman historian, politician, and novus homo from a provincial plebeian family. Sallust was born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines and was a popularis, an opponent of the old Roman aristocracy, throughout his career, and later a partisan of Julius Caesar. Sallust is the earliest known Roman historian with surviving works to his name, of which Catiline's War, The Jugurthine War, and the Historiesare still extant. Sallust was primarily...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionHistorian
desire few majority men satisfied
Few men desire liberty; the majority are satisfied with a just master.
courage safety enemy
To hope for safety in flight, when you have turned away from the enemy the arms by which the body is defended, is indeed madness. In battle those who are most afraid are always in most danger; but courage is equivalent to rampart.
light quality obscurity
The glory of ancestors sheds a light around posterity; it allows neither good nor bad qualities to remain in obscurity. [Lat., Majorum gloria posteris lumen est, neque bona neque mala in occulto patitur.]
balance-and-harmony decay harmony-in-music
Harmony makes small things grow; lack of it makes great things decay.
responsibility fate men
Each man the architect of his own fate.
intellectual fleeting wealth
The fame that goes with wealth and beauty is fleeting and fragile; intellectual superiority is a possession glorious and eternal.
animal effort silence
All persons who are enthusiastic that they should transcend the other animals ought to strive with the utmost effort not to pass through a life of silence, like cattle, which nature has fashioned to be prone and obedient to their stomachs.
passion men interest
No mortal man has ever served at the same time his passions and his best interests.
courage brave
Necessity makes even the timid brave.
anger mind firsts
All those who offer an opinion on any doubtful point should first clear their minds of every sentiment of dislike, friendship, anger or pity.
running bravery risk
In battle it is the cowards who run the most risk; bravery is a rampart of defense.
honesty envy toil
They envy the distinction I have won; let them therefore, envy my toils, my honesty, and the methods by which I gained it.
littles
Do as much as possible, and talk of yourself as little as possible
friendship true-friend like-and-dislike
To like and dislike the same things that is indeed true friendship.