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
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.
religious religion superstitions
Christianity is a pestilent superstition.
hate men mind
It is a characteristic of the human mind to hate the man one has injured.
confidence
There can never be a complete confidence in a power which is excessive.
safe
That cannot be safe which is not honourable.
ends careless
Keen at the start, but careless at the end.
neighbour
I am my nearest neighbour.
law precedent found
It is found by experience that admirable laws and right precedents among the good have their origin in the misdeeds of others.
violence malice
Bottling up his malice to be suppressed and brought out with increased violence.