Please read the Introduction to Sallust's War with Jugurtha. Pick out what you consider to be the most important/most interesting line from this selection and explain why you think this line is particularly important or interesting. If other students have chosen a different line, explain why *your* line is even more important or more interesting.Thursday, September 11, 2014
The War with Jugurtha
Please read the Introduction to Sallust's War with Jugurtha. Pick out what you consider to be the most important/most interesting line from this selection and explain why you think this line is particularly important or interesting. If other students have chosen a different line, explain why *your* line is even more important or more interesting.
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But if such men will only bear in mind in what times I was elected to office, what men of merit were unable to attain the same honour and what sort of men have since come into the senate, they will surely be convinced that it is rather from justifiable motives than from indolence that I have changed my opinion, and that greater profit will accrue to our country from my inactivity than from others' activity"
ReplyDeleteJugurtha is basically saying that if does nothing the country will be fine, because if he were to do something then the country would be in disarray and further conflict could start from that. Thus in this sense doing nothing is better then doing something
I think the interesting line is in 9, between the 3 and 4. Then the king, upon learning from the general's letter that the reports which had come to his ears were true, was led both by Jugurtha's merits and by his influential position to change his plans and attempt to win the young man by kindness. He adopted him at once11 and in his will named joint heir with his sons.
ReplyDeleteMost people would have just had him killed. I think this was an interesting approach.
Christina Grimme
I chose the line from 35:8. Jugurtha turns back to Rome and announces "A city for sale and doomed to speedy destruction if it finds a purchaser!" This quote is extremely effective because Jugurtha essentially bought his way out of Rome and out of all his heinous crimes in Africa. He had used the power of bribery in the Senate to maximum levels. In one instance a Senator publicly told Jugurtha to keep his mouth silent when the Senate was expecting his testimony. The lack of Roman witness in Africa was a huge factor to the supposed innocence of Jugurtha as well. However the corruption of the Senate is heavily disturbing as most of them are looking out for their pockets rather than the well being of Rome. The tribune Gaius Memmius eloquently put that into perspective in his speech starting at 31. The line by Jugurtha also carries some comedic value as well as he flaunts out of Rome a guilty man but unharmed in what was supposed to be the most advanced city of justice known to man.
ReplyDelete-Jackson Pasco
"Therefore notable beauty and great riches, as well as bodily strength and all other gifts of that kind, soon pass away, but the splendid achievements of the intellect, like the soul, are everlasting."
ReplyDeleteI chose this line because i like the message that it is sending. It is saying no matter what kind of riches you obtain or how strong you get nothing compares to having a strong mind and soul. Your soul will carry on with you after you are done living while your riches and physical strength will be gone.
I thought the line "But if men had as great regard for honourable enterprises as they have ardour in pursuing what is foreign to their interests, and bound to be unprofitable and often even dangerous, they would control fate rather than be controlled by it, and would attain to that height of greatness where from mortals their glory would make them immortal." because it is something that we can see in us and our fellow humans still today. I look around at present times and see politicians as well as common people always making attempts to make a name for themselves or to be remembered by future generations. As the line says, they all seem to be going about this in the absolute wrong way. People who make this attempt always try to do what other people think they should do with the belief that they gave them what they wanted now they will be happy and honor me. However, the people who are remembered for generations are the ones who follow their heart and give to the people things which they didn't know they needed. For example, take a look at modern politicians. Many of them strictly follow the guidance of their affiliated political party making votes in the favor of their political party thinking they will get respect from their peers and can move up the levels of leadership. These people are the people who end their term and become a name on a page attached to a seat and a year. The people who are remembered are the people such as Abraham Lincoln and George Washington who stuck their neck out for what they truly believed is right for their country and shaped the presidency to as we know it today. Therefore, even in death, they control the fate of many presidents who do not follow their precedence. This is why this line is so important.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Remmich
"But if men had as great regard for honourable enterprises as they have ardour in pursuing what is foreign to their interests, and bound to be unprofitable and often even dangerous, they would control fate rather than be controlled by it, and would attain to that height of greatness where from mortals their glory would make them immortal. " That's a great quote because it is as much of a warning as it is idea. We make are own fate that is just how life is. It is because we do things that a stupid and dishonest that me make are path a dark one. Just like in the quote, fate ends up controlling us. Trent Dean
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