In-folio (31 x 20,5 cm), [46] ff., 60 ll., roman type (somewhat age-toned, some quires foxing or with marginal staining). Modern blindstamped calf ""a l'antique"", spine on 5 raised bands, blue edges. Very good copy
Very rare early edition of Sallust's works, with the text in a larger type and surrounded by commentaries. Manuscript notes on 1st and last page, some marginal annotations (cropped).
Ref. Goff S-79 (4). Polain 4700 (1: Liege). Pellechet/Polain 10132 (2). IGI 8555. BMC V 374-375. Contains the ""Conspiracy of Catiline"" and ""The Jugurthine War"" and some other smaller works, also the life of Sallust. ""The core theme of his work was decline, though his treatment of Roman politics was ""often crude"". In this, he felt a ""pervasive pessimism"" with decline that was ""both dreadful and inevitable"", a consequence of political and moral corruption itself caused by Rome's immense power."" The War with Catiline has shaped and continues to shape our understanding of how republics live and die