Autore: Baier, Thomas
Titolo: Sallusts ‚unmoralische‘ Geschichtsschreibung
Rivista/Miscellanea: Gymnasium: Zeitschrift für Kultur der Antike und Humanistische Bildung, 127,3
Anno edizione: 2020
Pagine: 205-233
Parole chiave: Histoire - Storia - History
Descrizione: In the proems to his monographs, Sallust justifies the usefulness and necessity of historiography. He refers to human nature, which is dominated by cupido gloriae. The task of the historian, he argues, is to help this pursuit of glory come to fruition: writing history is just as important as making history. Following the introduction to the third book of Cicero's De officiis, Sallust justifies the 'otium' of the writer as a continuation of politics by other means. He distinguishes himself from moral historiography in that he does not seek to improve people or possibly restore former conditions on the basis of 'exempla' from the past – that would be futile. Rather, he sees it as his task to tame the out-of-control 'fortuna' through a sober, quasi-amoral diagnosis. His role model is not the 'mos maiorum', but the type of politician who can deal with people as they are, who does not change the circumstances of the time, but masters them. [Author]
Opere:
Sigla autore: Baier 2020
Titolo: Sallusts ‚unmoralische‘ Geschichtsschreibung
Rivista/Miscellanea: Gymnasium: Zeitschrift für Kultur der Antike und Humanistische Bildung, 127,3
Anno edizione: 2020
Pagine: 205-233
Parole chiave: Histoire - Storia - History
Descrizione: In the proems to his monographs, Sallust justifies the usefulness and necessity of historiography. He refers to human nature, which is dominated by cupido gloriae. The task of the historian, he argues, is to help this pursuit of glory come to fruition: writing history is just as important as making history. Following the introduction to the third book of Cicero's De officiis, Sallust justifies the 'otium' of the writer as a continuation of politics by other means. He distinguishes himself from moral historiography in that he does not seek to improve people or possibly restore former conditions on the basis of 'exempla' from the past – that would be futile. Rather, he sees it as his task to tame the out-of-control 'fortuna' through a sober, quasi-amoral diagnosis. His role model is not the 'mos maiorum', but the type of politician who can deal with people as they are, who does not change the circumstances of the time, but masters them. [Author]
Opere:
Sigla autore: Baier 2020
