Jugurtha

Gaius Sallustius CrispusProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 232K words
Chapters: 24

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Jugurtha by SallustAuthor: Sallust, 86 BCE-34 BCE,Language: Finnish, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Aug 23, 2009

Editor's review

Sallust's Jugurtha is a rare monographic history in Roman historiography, centered on individuals and power politics, recounting the war between Rome and the Numidian king Jugurtha. The author was himself immersed in Roman politics; his narrative is concise and forceful, skilled at portraying motives and factional strife, and especially cold-eyed in its observation of corruption, ambition, and the costs of war. This edition is a Finnish translation released as an ebook by Project Gutenberg, classified under classical languages and literature, and serves as a free introductory reading text of a classical historical original. Readers can use it to understand the narrative tradition in which late Republican foreign wars and domestic politics intertwine, and may read it alongside Sallust's The Catilinarian Conspiracy to observe the consistency of his historiographical method. As a public-domain ebook, the layout is text-centered, with no modern translation notes or maps, so readers should prepare their own historical background materials.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in late Roman Republican history and foreign wars
Readers who want free access to translated classical historical originals
Readers learning Finnish who wish to engage with translations of classical texts
Those studying Sallust's narrative method and political ideas

Not a good fit for

Beginners expecting modern annotations, maps, and introductions
Readers unfamiliar with Roman Republican history who are unwilling to consult reference materials
Readers who only want Chinese or English translations

Reading tips

First understand the timeline of the Jugurthine War and Roman political factions, then enter the text.
Read alongside Sallust's The Catilinarian Conspiracy and compare his techniques of character portrayal.
Jot down the characters and factional relationships as they appear to avoid confusion over names.
After each section, summarize the causes and consequences in your own words to check whether you have grasped the author's intent.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What language is the main text in?

According to the Project Gutenberg entry, the book is in Finnish and classified under classical languages and literature; the main text is a Finnish translation, not Chinese or English. Before reading, please confirm that you are comfortable with a Finnish text.

Can I understand it without notes or maps?

You can read it, but you will need extra preparation. It is advisable to first look up the basic background of the Jugurthine War, the geography of Numidia, and the political landscape of the late Roman Republic; reading with a map and a character list will make comprehension smoother.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to Roman history?

It is not very suitable for absolute beginners. It is a translation of a classical historical original lacking modern introductions and annotations, and is better suited to readers who already have a basic framework of Roman Republican history and wish to engage further with the primary narrative.

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About the author

Gaius Sallustius Crispus Author · Roman

Sallust (c. 86 BCE–34 BCE), whose full name was Gaius Sallustius Crispus, was a historian of ancient Rome born at Amiternum in Sabine territory. He served as tribune of the plebs and as governor of Africa, and after retiring from public life devoted himself to writing, producing works such as The Conspiracy of Catiline and The Jugurthine War. Drawing on major political and military events in Roman history, he wrote compact narratives in a terse, forceful style, skilled at portraying personal motives and factional conflict. Regarded as a great Latin stylist, Sallust deeply influenced later Roman historiography. Public information about him is limited, and many details of his life are uncertain; scholars chiefly rely on his surviving works to understand his thought and style.