Gaius Sallustius Crispus, usually
anglicised as
Sallust (; 86 – c. 35 BC), was a
Roman historian, politician, and
novus homo from a provincial
plebeian family. Sallust was born at
Amiternum in the country of the
Sabines and was a
popularis, opposer of the
old Roman aristocracy throughout his career, and later a partisan of
Julius Caesar. Sallust is the earliest known Roman historian with surviving works to his name, of which we have
Catiline's War (about the conspiracy in 63 BC of
L. Sergius Catilina),
The Jugurthine War (about Rome's war against the Numidians from 111 to 105 BC), and the
Histories (of which only fragments survive). Sallust was primarily influenced by the Greek historian
Thucydides and amassed great (and ill-gotten) wealth from his governorship of Africa.