Sallust

“ I consider it a thing proved, O soldiers, that words do not add bravery to men, nor that by the speech of its commander can an army become more active from being slothful, or brave from being cowardly. Just as much boldness as there is in any man’s spirit either by nature or disposition, so much is wont to be exhibited in war. Him whom neither glory nor dangers excite, you will in vain exhort. Fear stops up the ears of the mind. ”

“ When the city is taken nothing is left to the conqueror. But by the immortal gods I call upon you who have always had more regard to your houses, villas, statues, and paintings than the republic, if these things, of whatever kind they are which ye are so fond of, you wish to retain, if you wish also to give time to your pleasures, awake at length and take in hand the republic. We are not now treating of the revenue of the state or the ill-usages of our allies; our liberty and our life are at stake. Often, O conscript fathers, I have spoken many words in this assembly. ”

“ We contend for our country, our liberty, and our life. It is superfluous for them to fight for the power of a few, wherefore attack them the more boldly, mindful of your former valour. We might have lived in exile with the utmost disgrace. Some of you might have waited at Rome for other persons’ property, your own goods being lost. But because those things appeared disgraceful and intolerable to brave men, you determined to pursue this course. If you are desirous to get rid of your present condition, you have need of boldness. No one, except he be conqueror, has ever changed war for peace. ”

“ The one we have in common with the gods, and the other with brutes. Wherefore it appears to me more proper to seek for glory by the abilities of the mind rather than by those of mere force; and since that life which we enjoy is short, to make the memory of ourselves as lasting as possible. For the glory of riches and beauty is fickle and frail; virtue is accounted bright and everlasting. But there has been for a long time a great debate amongst mortals, whether the science of war advanced more by the strength of body or by the abilities of the mind. ”

“ For certainly either your fear or their injustice has induced you, Silanus, consul elect, to vote for a new kind of punishment. As to your fear it is superfluous to speak, especially since by the diligence of that most illustrious man, the consul, there are so many guards under arms. And as to the punishment, we may say indeed what is the truth; that in a state of mourning and misery, death is a deliverance from troubles, not a punishment; that puts an end to all human evils, beyond it there is room for neither sorrow nor joy. ”

“ For since the state fell into the power and hands of a few powerful men, to them always belonged kings and tributary tetrarchs, to them people and nations paid tribute; all we the rest, active and brave, noble and ignoble, were reckoned by a mob; without interest, without authority, we were slaves to those to whom, were the state in its right health, we should be subjects of dread. Therefore all interest, power, honour, and riches are in their hands, or where they choose; to us they have left dangers, disappointments, law suits, and poverty. ”

“ Avarice has a longing for money, which no wise man ever desired. This passion, as if it were imbued with deadly poisons, enervates the body and mind of man. It is always boundless, insatiable, is neither diminished by plenty nor want. But after Lucius Sulla, the republic being seized by force of laws, from a good beginning turned out ill—all men began to plunder and spoil—one man coveted a house, another lands, nor had the victors any modesty or moderation, but committed foul and cruel actions against the citizens. ”

“ Is it not better to die with valour than lose with disgrace a miserable and disgraceful life, when you are the laughing stock for another man’s pride? But in truth—Oh the faith of gods and men!—victory is in our hands, our age is young, our mind strong; on the other hand, through their age and riches, all things have grown old to them. ”

“ But when instead of labour, sloth, instead of moderation and equity, lust and pride rush in, men’s fortune is changed with their morals. Thus power is ever shifting from the worse to the better man: and the advantages of ploughing, sailing, and building all obey virtue. But many men abandoned to their belly and sleep, untaught and uneducated, have spent their days like strangers, whose body in truth, contrary to nature, has been their happiness, their soul a burden. ”

“ Our ancestors have frequently, from pity for the common people of Rome, relieved its wants by their decrees. And very lately, in our own memory, in consequence of the greatness of debt, by the wish of every good man, brass was made to pass for silver, weight by weight. The common people themselves have often, either excited by a desire for power, or armed through the pride of magistrates, seceded from the fathers. But we neither seek power nor riches, for the sake of which things wars and contests arise among men, but liberty, which no brave man loses but with his life. ”

“ Boldness is esteemed as a wall of defence. When I consider you my comrades and ponder your deeds, great hope of victory possesses me. Your spirit, your age, your valour encourage me, the necessity moreover which makes even the timid brave. For the narrowness of the place prevents the enemy from being able to surround us. But if fortune envies your bravery, take care that ye do not lose your life unrevenged, nor rather, being taken by butchered like cattle, than fighting like men, leave the enemy a bloody and sorrowful victory. ”

“ But after that Cyrus in Asia, in Greece the Lacedæmonians and Athenians, began to take cities and subdue nations—to look upon the lust of dominion as a ground for war—and to reckon the greatest glory to consist in the greatest dominion; then at length it was found out by danger and trouble, that ability availed most greatly in war. But if the ability of the mind of kings and commanders were as powerful in peace as in war, human affairs would keep themselves in a more calm and settled state. ”

“ Words forsooth will inflame him whom so great and so dreadful a crime did not move. It is not so. And to no man do his own injuries appear little. Many esteem them more than they ought. But different persons have different liberty, O conscript fathers. They who of humble birth pass their life in obscurity, if they commit any error through passion but few know it, their fame and their fortune are equal. They who possessed of great power pass their life in public, all men know their deeds. ”

“ Citizens contended with citizens concerning virtue. In the worship of the gods they were magnificent, at home frugal, and faithful to their friends. By these two arts, boldness in war, and by equity when peace had followed, they managed themselves and the republic. Of which things I have these as the greatest proofs, that in war punishment was more often inflicted on those who had fought against the enemy contrary to orders, and who when recalled had been too slow in retreating, than on those who had ventured to desert their standards, or when beaten to quit their posts. ”

“ And to me revolving many things in my mind, it was evident that the signal virtue of a few citizens did all, and therefore it came to pass, that poverty excelled riches, small numbers a multitude. But when the state was corrupted by luxury and sloth, yet still the republic by its own vastness sustained the vices of its commanders and magistrates, and just as in the case of a mother worn out, for a long time there was no one in truth at Rome distinguished for his virtue. ”

“ Between the good and the bad there is no difference. All the rewards of virtue ambition possesses. Nor is it wonderful, (whilst you each of you severally take counsel for your own interest) , when at home you are slaves to pleasure, here to money or favour: therefore it happens that an attack is made on the abandoned state. But I pass by these things. Citizens of the highest quality have conspired to burn their country, and invite to the war the nation of the Gauls, most hostile to the Roman name. The leader of the enemy is over our head with his army. ”

“ When you have strung your mind then it is powerful. If passion possesses the mind, it rules, the mind has no power. I could bring a long list, O conscript fathers, of kings and nations who being excited by anger or pity have consulted badly. But I prefer to recount those things which our ancestors contrary to the passion of their minds have done rightly and orderly. In the Macedonian war which we waged with king Perses, the state of the Rhodians, great and magnificent, which had increased by the support of the Roman people, proved treacherous and hostile to us. ”

“ Most of those who have given their opinions before me, have elegantly and nobly bewailed the calamity of the state, and have enumerated what the cruelties of war are, and the things which happen to the conquered—that the virgins and boys are ravished, children torn from the embraces of their mothers, all which things are allowed the conquerors; the temples and houses are spoiled, slaughter and burning take place, and lastly all things are filled with blood and grief. But by the immortal gods, to what did that speech tend? ”

“ Two armies of the enemy, the one from the city the other from Gaul are opposing us. To remain any longer in these places, even though our mind was very anxious that way, want of corn and other things prevent. Whithersoever we choose to go, the way must be opened by the sword. Wherefore I exhort you to be of a brave and ready mind, and when you shall engage, remember that you carry in your right hands, riches, honour, glory—moreover, your liberty and your country. If we conquer, all things will be safe to us, nay in abundance ”

“ A few young men have made a mistake through their ambition, and you would even send them away with their arms. Truly that mildness and mercy, if they can get arms, will turn to your destruction. Yea that you do most thoroughly, but through sluggishness and feebleness of mind, one man waiting for one and another for another, ye are delaying, trusting I suppose to the immortal gods, who have frequently saved this state in the greatest dangers. But not by vows and womanish supplications is the aid of the gods procured. By watching, by action, by carefully counselling, all things turn out well. ”

“ We have long since indeed lost the true names for things, because to give away other persons’ goods is called liberality; and boldness in wicked actions, fortitude; therefore the state is placed in the greatest extremity. Let them forsooth, since it is now the custom, be generous out of the fortunes of our allies; let them show pity to the plunderers of the treasury; let them not however present them with our blood, and whilst they spare a few villains go to destroy all good men. Well and elegantly has Caius Cæsar just spoken in this assembly concerning life and death ”

“ At another time and by another consul, in whose hands there may be also an army, something false may be believed as true. And when upon this precedent, by a decree of the senate, the consul shall have drawn his sword, who shall fix bounds to him or who shall overrule him? Our ancestors, O conscript fathers, never wanted either counsel or courage. Nor did pride prevent them from copying the customs of others, provided they were valuable. Arms and military weapons they borrowed from the Samnites, and most of the ornaments of their magistrates from the Tuscans. ”

“ Therefore their valour who have done these things is accounted as great, as the finest genius could extol them by language. But the Roman people never had that advantage, because each man who was the wisest was most engaged in the service of the state. No one cultivated the mind without the body. Each one who was the best, preferred to act than to speak, that his own good deeds should be praised by others, than himself to write those of others. ”

“ But no less a desire of wantoning, gluttony, and other fashion had come on, women exhibited their shame in the open air, for the sake of feasting they ransacked every place by sea and land, and slept before there was any desire of sleep, they waited not for hunger nor thirst, nor cold nor fatigue, but anticipated all these things through their luxury. These things inflamed the youth, when their property had failed, to crimes: the mind when stained by evil practices was not easily free from lusts, and so was the more entirely given up in every way to getting and spending. ”

“ The youth moreover, who by the labour of their hands had borne up with poverty in the country, being excited by public and private bribery, preferred ease in the town to unpleasant labour. These and all others the republic’s trouble nourished. Wherefore it is the less to be wondered, that needy men of bad morals but the greatest hopes, should act for the republic as they did for themselves. Moreover those men whose fathers had been proscribed by Sulla’s success, and whose goods had been stolen and their rights curtailed, awaited the issue of the war with no other feelings. ”

“ They decree moreover that the consuls should hold a levy, that Caius Antonius should hasten to follow Catiline with an army, and Cicero should be the protection of the city. The empire of the Roman people at that time seemed to me to be in far the most miserable condition, whose arms, when all things being subdued from the rising to the setting of the sun, obeyed, and when at home ease and riches, which men consider the chiefest things, were flowing in; there were nevertheless citizens who were obstinately bent on destroying themselves and the state. ”