Author Bio: Gaius Sallustius Crispius (ca. 86-35 BCE) - Better known by his common name Sallust, he solidified a respectable place in history by defying the Old Roman ideals of the time. He rebelled against the antiquated model in politics as a senator and in history as a historian. His unorthodox take on the more popular aristocracy of the time could have been attributed to his heritage. He came from a working class family of Plebeians and became the first senator of his family as well.
Speaker: Sallust: see previous description above.
Date/Context: Since no information was directionally given on the specific year in which this piece was written, I concluded that It was probably written after the reforms of Gaius and Tiberius, but before the start of the Civil Wars in 49 BCE. I picked this time frame because Sallust is only beginning to notice the crack between both classes before it transforms into a chasm around the Civil War.
Summary: In this short passage, Sallust speaks about the prosperous time of Rome and how its widespread wealth encouraged a lack of further cultivation and therefore led to a period of decline. Sallust uses this case study as a philosophical teaching point for the hereditary arrogance in the upper class of Rome and in the process he foreshadows the means of the Great Empire’s demise. In this specific period, a rift grew between the upper and lower classes because the nobles exploit their power and the commoners took advantage of their libery. He illustrates this fission with a case about Gaius and Tiberius, when they used their noble power to uncover illegal interactions that the ill-favored Gracchi had made. Gaius and Tiberius were later slain for compromising Gracchi’s affairs. However, this is only one example on how the nobles abused their power. Some sought dominance through banishment and unbridled killing of commoners. Lastly, Sallust somewhat pleads with the population of Rome to mend this schism by peaceful means.
Key Quotations:
“When the minds of the people were relieved from that dread, wantonness, and arrogance naturally arose, vices which are fostered by prosperity.”“It is a spirit which has commonly ruined great nations, when one party desires to triumph over another by any and every means and to avenge itself on the vanquish with excessive cruelty”
Lara, you did a great job in capturing the essence of Sallust's work! Your background information is very good at explaining Sallust's socioeconomic status growing up as well as his unorthodox role in politics/history. I think that you could have also included that Sallust was a proponent of improving the accuracy/narrative techniques of many of his historical subjects. In terms of summary, you explain the document perfectly. Your recapitulation is clear, coherent, and concise. However, while you mention the divide between the greed of the upper class and the abuse of liberties in the lower class, I think that both of these factors go hand in hand; by explaining the moral degeneracy of both the rich and the poor, Sallust accounts for the breakdown of Roman ideals and Roman unity as a whole. Also, I like how you dig deep in the end of your summary and infer from the text that Sallust is warning the people of the dangers that come with moral corruption. Your quotations exhibit Sallust's work nicely, but I have one other quote that I think would work too: "It is the spirit which has commonly runed great nations, when one party desires to triump over another by any and every means and to avenge itself on the vanquished and excessive cruelty." Overall, great job!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jake!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Jake!! :)
ReplyDeleteGood! This document provides insight into the shift from oligarchy to republic. Sallust is a noted critic of Rome during the period.
ReplyDelete