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In private enterprises men may advance or recede, whereas they who aim at empire have no alternative between the highest success and utter downfall.

Tacitus

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Tacitus
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Gallia Bracata
Publius Cornelius Tacitus
Gaius Cornelius Tacitus
P. Cornelius Tacitus
C. Cornelius Tacitus
Cornelius Tacitus
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Things are not to be judged good or bad merely because the public think so.
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We are corrupted by good fortune. [Lat., Felicitate corrumpimur.]
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Things forbidden have a secret charm.
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Greater things are believed of those who are absent.
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Power acquired by guilt was never used for a good purpose. [Lat., Imperium flagitio acquisitum nemo unquam bonis artibus exercuit.]
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Rulers always hate and suspect the next in succession. [Lat., Suspectum semper invisumque dominantibus qui proximus destinaretur.]
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Even for learned men, love of fame is the last thing to be given up.
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Be assured those will be thy worst enemies, not to whom thou hast done evil, but who have done evil to thee. And those will be thy best friends, not to whom thou hast done good, but who have done good to thee.
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We accomplish more by prudence than by force. [Lat., Plura consilio quam vi perficimus.]
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Bottling up his malice to be suppressed and brought out with increased violence.
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The principal office of history I take to be this: to prevent virtuous actions from being forgotten, and that evil words and deeds should fear an infamous reputation with posterity.
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Even honor and virtue make enemies, condemning, as they do, their opposites by too close a contrast.
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Valor is the contempt of death and pain.
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It belongs to human nature to hate those you have injured.
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Candor and generosity, unless tempered by due moderation, leads to ruin.
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Miseram pacem vel bello bene mutari. Even war is preferable to a shameful peace.
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So obscure are the greatest events, as some take for granted any hearsay, whatever its source, others turn truth into falsehood, and both errors find encouragement with posterity.
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If you would know who controls you see who you may not criticise.
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Our magistrates discharge their duties best at the beginning and fall off toward the end. [Lat., Initia magistratuum nostrorum meliora, ferme finis inclinat.]
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We see many who are struggling against adversity who are happy, and more although abounding in wealth, who are wretched.
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