C. Sallustius Crispus, Bellum Catilinae 2.1–2

Continuing his preface, Sallust traces how early kings were divided between intellectual and physical pursuits, and how the conquests of Cyrus in Asia and the Lacedaemonians and Athenians in Greece ultimately proved that intellect, not strength, has the greatest power in war.

 

Tier 1

Nomen primum imperi rex in terris fuit. In principio reges divisi sunt. Alii reges ingenium exercebant, alii reges corpus exercebant:

Tum vita humana sine cupiditate acta est; cuique homini res suae satis placebant.

Postquam vero Cyrus in Asia, et Lacadaemonii Atheniensesque in Graecia, urbes et subigere coeperunt,

et coeperunt habere cupiditatem dominandi causam belli, et coeperunt putare maximam gloriam esse in maximo imperio,

tandem inventum est et argumento et experientia ingenium posse optimum in bello.

Written by Robert Amstutz