Latin Gaius Sallustius Crispus
born 0441; 86 BC, Amiternum, Samnium
died 35/34 BC
Roman historian.
Sallust probably had military experience before taking political office during the strife of the 50s. He began to write after his political career ended 0441; 45 BC, becoming one of the great Latin literary stylists, noted for his narrative writings about political personalities, corruption, and party rivalry. His works, whose influence pervades later Roman historiography, are Catiline's War (4342 BC), dealing with corruption in Roman politics; The Jugurthine War (4140), exploring party struggles in Rome in the late 2nd century BC; and Histories , of which only fragments remain.