Tacitus
Tacitus
PubliusCornelius Tacituswas a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero, and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors. These two works span the history of the Roman Empire from the death of Augustus in AD 14 to the years of the First Jewish–Roman War in AD 70. There are substantial lacunae in the surviving texts,...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionHistorian
sorrow shows greater
None make a greater show of sorrow than those who are most delighted.
kindness return
Kindness, so far as we can return it, is agreeable.
grieving becoming
It is not becoming to grieve immoderately for the dead.
men compulsion nature-of-man
It is a part of the nature of man to resist compulsion.
believe deities
It is more reverent to believe in the works of the Deity than to comprehend them.
men talent authority
By punishing men of talent we confirm their authority.
law libertarian commonwealth
Laws were most numerous when the commonwealth was most corrupt
hatred bitter relation
No hatred is so bitter as that of near relations.
evil noble deeds
The task of history is to hold out for reprobation every evil word and deed, and to hold out for praise every great and noble word and deed.
circumstances
The changeful change of circumstances. [Lat., Varia sors rerum.]
Whatever is unknown is magnified.
winning benches opponents
Eloquence wins its great and enduring fame quite as much from the benches of our opponents as from those of our friends.
law numbers government
The injustice of a government is proportional to the number of its laws.
wicked purpose easier
The wicked find it easier to coalesce for seditious purposes than for concord in peace.