Complex sentence: As was common with many young politicians at the start of the "cursus honorem", Crassus had employed "popularis" overtones in his prosecution of Carbo; but over time, he became an increasingly staunch defender of conservative values.
Split into simpler sentences: As was common with many young politicians at the start of the "cursus honorum", Crassus had employed "popularis" overtones in his prosecution of Carbo. But over time, he became an increasingly staunch defender of conservative values.