Catiline

Some may ask, what is the matter with this united and happy people? Some say it is the cause of political usurpers, tyrants, oppressors, etc., but has not the Lord an oppressed and suffering people among them? Does the Lord condescend to hear their cries and see their tears in consequence of oppression? Will he let the oppressors rest comfortably and happy always? Will he not cause the very children of the oppressors to rise up against them and ofttimes put them to death? God works in many ways his wonders to perform.

I will not here speak of the destructions which the Lord brought upon Egypt in consequence of the oppression and consequent groans of the oppressed, of the hundreds and thousands of Egyptians whom God hurled into the Red Sea for afflicting his people in their land, of the Lord's suffering people in Sparta, or Lasademon, the land of the truly famous Lycurgus, nor have I time to comment upon the cause which produced the fierceness with which Sylla usurped a title and absolutely acted as dictator of the Roman people, the conspiracy of Catiline, the conspiracy against the murder of Caesar in the Senate house, the spirit with which Mark Antony made himself master of the commonwealth, his associating Octavius and Lepidus with himself in power, their dividing the provinces of Rome among themselves, their attack and defeat on the plains of Philippi, of the last defenders of their liberty Brutus and Cassius, the tyranny of Tiberius, and from him to the final overthrow of Constantinople by the Turkish Sultan Muhammad II AD 1453.

I say I shall not take up time to speak of the causes which produce so much wretchedness and massacre among those heathen nations, for I am aware that you know too well that God is just as well as merciful.

I shall call your attention a few moments to that Christian nation, the Spaniards, while I shall leave almost unnoticed that avaricious and cruel people, the Portuguese, among whom all true-hearted Christians and lovers of Jesus Christ must evidently see the judgments of God displayed.

And, and, um, y- you're right that the book starts indeed with Sallust.

It starts with the war against Catiline, which is one of his most famous writings.

And the reader, um, the reader could be forgiven for thinking that, you know, writing as a historian, uh, it start with the beginning, and, uh, I'm paying my due to historical chronology.

Uh, Sallust's war against Catiline is, um, you know, it's, it's the first book of history, quote-unquote, in the modern sense, at least in the Latin or, or Roman tradition.

And it's, uh, a reconstruction of a political conspiracy that, that was threatening the Roman Republic towards its end around 63 BC and perhaps even a bit earlier.

So starting with Sallust, uh, you know, suggests the importance that the notion of conspiracy, uh, as played in our historical consciousness, it's a fundamental concept of historiography.

I actually started for the opposite reason, for showing how, um, how dependent we are today on the past and on unquestioned assumptions about the past.

And I started with...

And you're right that the book starts indeed with Salus.

It starts with the war against Catiline, which is one of his most famous writings.

And the reader could be forgiven for thinking that writing as a historian starts with the beginning and I'm paying my due to historical chronology.

Sallust's War Against Catiline is, you know, it's the first book of history, quote-unquote, in the modern sense, at least in the Latin or Roman tradition.

And it's a reconstruction of a political conspiracy that was threatening the Roman Republic towards its end around 63 BC and perhaps even a bit earlier.

So starting with Sallust, suggest the importance that the notion of conspiracy has played in our historical consciousness.

But that's not the reason why I started with him.

I actually started for the opposite reason, for showing how dependent we are today on the past and on unquestioned assumptions about the past.

And you're right that the book starts indeed with Salus.

It starts with the war against Catiline, which is one of his most famous writings.

And the reader could be forgiven for thinking that writing as a historian, I start with the beginning and I'm paying my due to historical chronology.

Salus' war against Catiline is the first book of history, quote unquote, in the modern sense, at least in the Latin or Roman tradition.

And it's a reconstruction of a political conspiracy that was threatening the Roman Republic towards its end around 63 BC and perhaps even a bit earlier.

So starting with Sallust suggests the importance that the notion of conspiracy has played in our historical consciousness.

I actually started for the opposite reason.

for showing how dependent we are today on the past and on unquestioned assumptions about the past.

It, or it came into debate around the time of Caesar and Cato.

So the Catiline Conspiracy in 63 BC, the Senate held captured conspirators who had plotted to overthrow the Republic.

The question before the Senate was whether Roman citizens could be put to death without a trial for treason.

Oh, wow.