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The Cause of Rome's Political Troubles
According to Sallust, the cause of Rome's political troubles ranged from the way people
were easily led into faction and kept by their leaders, the error caused by parties when choosing
their leaders, the blinded confidence of citizens in the most popular leader’s public corruption.
He maintained that, among the corrupt people, the passionate and desperate leaders are usually
the most popular, leading to oppression and dissolution of the state. Sallust used Catiline in
painting the picture of a very corrupt man. He illustrated Catiline as the most corrupt man in
Rome as he performed evil and unlawful acts since he was young. He corrupted his friends and is
seen as having the possibility of having been insane. In Sallust's view, Catiline was never at
peace with other gods or his fellow men (Sallust, Catiline's Conspiracy, 5.4 (translated by
William W. Batstone, pg. 7).
Sallust's idea that leaders such as Catiline revelled in civil wars, pillage, murder, and
political debate, making them reckless, cunning, treacherous, and able to undertake any pretence,
was quite compelling. We find out that initially, men were motivated by ambition instead of
avarice which was a more admirable vice than the former. Wealth was once considered virtue of
glory and honour and had the privilege of power. At the same time, poverty was taken as a
disgrace (Sallust, Catiline's Conspiracy, 5.2 (translated by William W. Batstone, pg. 12). The
difference between the poor and the rich made them covet what belonged to the other in search
of glory and honour, which led them to conquer neighbouring territories and to amass so much
Student's Name
Professor's Name
Course
Date
The Cause of Rome's Political Troubles
According to Sallust, the cause of Rome's political troubles ranged from the way people
were easily led into faction and kept by their leaders, the error caused by parties when choosing
their leaders, the blinded confidence of citizens in the most popular leader’s public corruption.
He maintained that, among the corrupt people, the passionate and desperate leaders are usually
the most popular, leading to oppression and dissolution of the state. Sallust used Catiline in
painting the picture of a very corrupt man. He illustrated Catiline as the most corrupt man in
Rome as he performed evil and unlawful acts since he was young. He corrupted his friends and is
seen as having the possibility of having been insane. In Sallust's view, Catiline was never at
peace with other gods or his fellow men (Sallust, Catiline's Conspiracy, 5.4 (translated by
William W. Batstone, pg. 7).
Sallust's idea that leaders such as Catiline revelled in civil wars, pillage, murder, and
political debate, making them reckless, cunning, treacherous, and able to undertake any pretence,
was quite compelling. We find out that initially, men were motivated by ambition instead of
avarice which was a more admirable vice than the former. Wealth was once considered virtue of
glory and honour and had the privilege of power. At the same time, poverty was taken as a
disgrace (Sallust, Catiline's Conspiracy, 5.2 (translated by William W. Batstone, pg. 12). The
difference between the poor and the rich made them covet what belonged to the other in search
of glory and honour, which led them to conquer neighbouring territories and to amass so much
