Sallust, Catiline’s War 8

Atheniensium res gestae, sicuti ego aestumo, satis amplae magnificaeque fuere, verum aliquanto minores tamen quam fama feruntur. sed quia provenere ibi scriptorum magna ingenia, per terrarum orbem Atheniensium facta pro maxumis celebrantur. ita eorum, qui fecere, virtus tanta habetur, quantum eam verbis potuere extollere praeclara ingenia.

The achievements of the Athenians, as far as I can judge, were ample and distinguished enough, although they were in fact somewhat less than they are said to be by reputation. But because the great talents of the writers were produced in Athens, the Athenians’ deeds are celebrated throughout the world as the greatest. Thus the courage of those who have performed deeds is considered to have reached the heights to which illustrious talents have been able to elevate it in words.

[Sallust], Speech to Caesar on the Republic 1.2

sed res docuit id verum esse quod in carminibus Appius ait: fabrum esse suae quemque fortunae.

But experience has taught us the truth of what Appius said in his poems, that ‘Every man is the craftsman of his own fortune’.

Sallust, Catiline’s War 15.1-2

Watch out for young Lotharios; they’ll probably end up trying to overthrow the Republic…

iam primum adulescens Catilina multa nefanda stupra fecerat, cum virgine nobili, cum sacerdote Vestae, alia huiusce modi contra ius fasque. postremo captus amore Aureliae Orestillae, cuius praeter formam nihil umquam bonus laudavit, quod ea nubere illi dubitabat timens privignum adulta aetate, pro certo creditur necato filio vacuam domum scelestis nuptiis fecisse.

Already when he was a youth Catiline had committed many unspeakable debaucheries – with a noble maiden, with a priestess of Vesta, and other affairs of this sort, contrary to the law and the dictates of the gods. Finally he was seized by love for Aurelia Orestilla, whom no good man ever praised for anything but her beauty. Because she hesitated to marry him, being afraid of his stepson (who had reached adulthood), it is believed for certain that he made the house empty for his wicked marriage by killing this son.