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[Illustration: Numidia (Map)]

Classical Series.Edited By Drs. Schmitz And Zumpt.

C. Sallustii Crispi

De Bello Catilinario et Jugurthino.

Preface.

The text of Sallust, notwithstanding the many and excellent editionswhich have been published, has not yet acquired a form that can beregarded as generally adopted and established; for the number ofmanuscripts is great, and their differences have led critical editors toform different opinions as to which, in each case, is the correctreading, or at least the one most worthy of acceptation. This differenceof opinion manifested itself especially after the edition of GottleibCorte (Leipzig, 1724, 4to.), who in many passages abandoned the vulgateas constituted by Gruter and Wasse, and on the authority of a fewmanuscripts, altered the text of Sallust, on the mere supposition thathis style was abrupt. Corte’s recension was adopted by many, and oftenreprinted; while others, especially Haverkamp, in his valuable and verycomplete edition (Hague, 1742, 2 vols. 4to.), returned to the vulgate.The latest critical editors of Sallust — Gerlach (Basel, 1823, &c. 3 vols.4to., and a revised text, Basel, 1832, 8vo.) and Kritz (Leipzig, 1828,&c. 2 vols. 8vo.) — though declaring against the arbitrary proceedings ofCorte, yet very often differ in their texts from each other. Betweenthese two stands the edition of the learned critic, J. C. Orelli (Zürich,1840), whose text forms the basis of the present edition. But besidesabandoning his artificial and antiquated orthography, and restoring thatwhich is adopted in most editions of Latin classics, we have felt obligedin many instances to give up Orelli’s reading, and to follow theauthority of the best manuscripts, especially the Codex Leidensis (markedL in Haverkamp’s edition). For our explanatory notes we are much indebtedto the edition of Kritz, though we have often been under the necessity ofdiffering from him.

C. G. Zumpt.

Berlin, May, 1848.

Introduction.

Caius Sallustius Crispus, according to the statement of the ancientchronologer Hieronymus, was born in B. C. 86, at Amiternum, in thecountry of the Sabines (to the north-east of Rome), and died four yearsbefore the battle of Actium — that is, in B.C. 34 or 35. After having nodoubt gone through a complete course of law and the art of oratory, hedevoted himself to the service of the Roman republic at a time when Romewas internally divided by the struggle of the opposite factions ofthe optimates, or the aristocracy, and the populares, or thedemocratical party. The optimates supported the power of the senate, andof the nobility who prevailed in the senate; while the populares wereexerting themselves to bring all public questions of importance beforethe popular assembly for decision, and resisted the influence ofillustrious and powerful families, whose privileges, arising from birthand wealth, they attempted to destroy. Sallust belonged to the latter ofthese parties. In B.C. 52 he was tribune of the people, and took anactive part in the disturbances which were caused at Rome in that year bythe open struggles between Annius Milo, one of the optimates, who wascanvassing for the consulship, and P. Clodius, who was trying to obtainthe praetorship. Milo slew Clodius on a public road: he was accused bythe populares, and defended by the optimates; but the judges, who couldnot allow such an act of open violence to escape unpunished, condemned,and sentenced him to exile. Pompey alone, who was then consul for thethird time, was capable of restoring order and tranquillity. The positionof a tribune of the people was a difficult one for Sallust: he was tosome extent opposed to Milo, and consequently also to Cicero, who pleadedfor Milo; but there exists a statement that he gave up his opposition;and he himself, in the introduction to his ‘Catiline,’ intimates that hishonest endeavours for the good of the state drew upon him only ill-willand hatred. Two years later (B.C. 50), he was ejected from the senate bythe censor Appius Claudius, one of the most zealous among the optimates.The other censor, L. Piso, did not protect either Sallust, or any of theothers who shared the same fate with him, against this act of partiality.Rome was at that time governed by the most oppressive oligarchy, whichwas then mainly directed against Julius Caesar, who, as a reward forhis brilliant achievements in extending the Roman dominion in Gaul,desired to be allowed to offer himself in his absence as a candidate forhis second consulship — a desire which the people were willing to comply