Bellum Catilinae 8

Cat. 8.1Sed profectō fortūna in omnī rē dominātur;

But surely fortune rules in everything;

Cat. 8.1ea rēs cūnctās ex lubīdine magis quam ex vērō celebrat obscūratque.

she makes all things famous or obscure from caprice rather than from truth.

Note. ex lubīdine magis quam ex vērō: 'from caprice more than from truth'.

Cat. 8.2Athēniēnsium rēs gestae, sīcutī ego aestumō, satis amplae magnificaeque fuēre, vērum aliquantō minōrēs tamen quam fāmā feruntur.

The deeds of the Athenians, as I judge, were grand and splendid enough, but still somewhat smaller than report holds them to be.

Note. Sallust writes as a Roman sensitive to the Greek advantage: Athens had great historians (Herodotus, Thucydides), Rome had few.

Cat. 8.3Sed quia prōvēnēre ibi scrīptōrum magna ingenia, per terrārum orbem Athēniēnsium facta prō maxumīs celebrantur.

But because writers of great talent arose there, the deeds of the Athenians are celebrated throughout the world as the greatest.

Cat. 8.4Ita eōrum quī fēcēre virtūs tanta habētur, quantum eam verbīs potuēre extollere praeclāra ingenia.

So the merit of those who did them is held to be as great as brilliant talents have been able to exalt it in words.

Cat. 8.5At populō Rōmānō numquam ea cōpia fuit, quia prūdentissumus quisque maxumē negōtiōsus erat, ingenium nēmō sine corpore exercēbat, optumus quisque facere quam dīcere, sua ab aliīs bene facta laudārī quam ipse aliōrum narrāre mālēbat.

But the Roman people never had that abundance, because the wisest men were always the busiest; no one exercised his mind without his body; every best man preferred acting to speaking, and preferred that his own good deeds be praised by others rather than to tell of the deeds of others himself.

Note. prūdentissumus quisque … optumus quisque: 'all the wisest … all the best'. facere quam dīcere: Roman action against Greek talk, a favourite contrast.