Favorite Quotes from Ancient History?

[guy]

 

• Namque pauci libertatem, pars magna iustos dominos volunt.
  • Only a few prefer liberty, the majority seek nothing more than fair masters.

Histories IV.69.18

Gaius Sallustius Crispus (Sallust)

 

As I get older, this quote resonates with me more and more. 

 

Sallust (85-35 BCE) was a novus homo, politician, bitter rival of Cicero, and an opportunist. He befriended Julius Caesar, acquiring great wealth as a result of his friendship. He was also one of ancient Rome's greatest historians.

 

I am not certain how Sallust developed his skeptical philosophy about liberty, however. Being a supporter of Caesar, he acquired great personal wealth (most probably unscrupulously) from his tenure as governor of the province of Africa Nova at Numidia. This allowed Sallust to escape to an involuntary but luxurious retirement in Rome where Sallust could dedicate himself to writing his famous works on Roman history, including accounts about the Cataline War, the Jugurthine War, and finally the Historiae (Histories).

Interesting quote:

Quote

For his good service, Caesar placed Sallust in Africa Nova (Numidia) as its first governor for 45 BCE. Cassius Dio relates the following description of Sallust’s tenure there: 

(Caesar), taking over the Numidians, reduced them to the status of subjects, and delivered them to Sallust, nominally to rule, but really to harry and plunder. At all events this officer took many bribes and confiscated much property, so that he was not only accused but incurred the deepest disgrace, inasmuch as after writing such treatises as he had, and making many bitter remarks about those who fleeced others, he did not practice what he preached. Therefore, even if he was completely exonerated by Caesar, yet in his history, as upon a tablet, the man himself has chiseled his own condemnation all too well.[3] 

Dio cannot resist pointing out that Sallust’s exploitation of the province is out of alignment with Sallust’s own attack on the weakened morals and, specifically, on the greed of wealth that he appears to have perpetrated himself. We know that, upon his return to Rome, Sallust had the wealth sufficient for his lavish gardens, the Horti Sallustiani,[4] which would appear to be another strike against Sallust’s complete moral rectitude in his governance of Africa Nova. 

http://canterburyproject.wikispaces.com/Africa+in+Sallust's+Bellum+Jugurthinum

 

 

 

This quote has been inspirational to both early 17th century English republicans and modern libertarians,  movements associated with a skeptical view of authoritarian and arbitrary government. I wonder, however, how many of these folks realize that its author was a beneficiary of the type of corruption that this quote seems to condemn.

 

 

guy also known as gaius

 

Addendum:

I was interested to see that Sallust's Gardens (where he did much of his writing after his comfortable retirement from government) still exists.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardens_of_Sallust

 

 

Edited July 28, 2018 by guy

[guy]

I am always disturbed by this brutal and powerful quote by Cassius Dio describing Roman history after the death of the stoic Emperor Marcus Aurelius:

[O]ur history now descends from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust ....

Now some context:

Cassius Dio was a Roman statesman and historian of Greek descent (155-235 AD). He was also a senator under Commodus. Cassius Dio, therefore, got to witness many events and historical figures upclose. 

He made this quote in his extensive "Roman History,"  writing about the death of Marcus Aurelius, the last of the "Five Good Emperors." With the death of the thoughtful and measured Aurelius, his psychopathic son Commodus game to power.

The quote in its entirety:

Quote

As a result of his close application and study he was extremely frail in body, though in the beginning [Marcus Aurelius] had been so vigorous that he used to fight in armour, and on the chase would strike down wild boars while on horseback; and not only in his early youth but even later he wrote most of his letters to his intimate friends with his own hand.  However, he did not meet with the good fortune that he deserved, for he was not strong in body and was involved in a multitude of troubles throughout practically his entire reign. But for my part, I admire him all the more for this very reason, that amid unusual and extraordinary difficulties he both survived himself and preserved the empire. Just one thing prevented him from being completely happy, namely, that after rearing and educating his son [Commodus] in the best possible way he was vastly disappointed in him. This matter must be our next topic; for our history now descends from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust, as affairs did for the Romans of that day.

 

guy also known as gaius

 

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/e/roman/texts/cassius_dio/72*.html

Edited August 13, 2018 by guy