About the Latin
Sallust cultivated an archaic, compressed style. He prefers the unexpected word to the expected one and cuts connectives, so short sentences can still be dense.
The subject, a plot to overthrow the Republic, is gripping, and the monograph is short enough to finish. That combination has kept it on reading lists for a long time.
How hard is it?
Difficulty 8.3, advanced.
Every reading in the library has a difficulty score, on a scale that runs from about 1 to 11. Beginner texts sit below 3.5 and Advanced texts above 6.8.
Most demanding here: Sentence length, Nonfinite constructions. Lighter than most of the library: Vocabulary variety.
What you can read
The reading, each with help on every word.
Librorum Capsula currently offers the Bellum Catilinae, complete.
Bellum Catilinae
Sallust recounts Catiline’s conspiracy to overthrow the Roman Republic, combining political history, vivid character portraits, and a grim analysis of the moral decay he believed had corrupted Rome.
Where to start
Bellum Catilinae
It is the only Sallust in the catalog so far, and it is complete. Open it and the reader gives you the Latin with a definition for every word, so you can read at the pace that suits you and look up only what you need.
Start reading