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
absence
Conspicuous by his absence.
law numbers government
The injustice of a government is proportional to the number of its laws.
fortune good-fortune
We are corrupted by good fortune. [Lat., Felicitate corrumpimur.]
law kind cycles
In all things there is a kind of law of cycles. [Lat., Rebus cunctis inest quidam velut orbis.]
grieving becoming
It is not becoming to grieve immoderately for the dead.
encouragement errors events
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.
political politics audacity
Crime, once exposed, has no refuge but in audacity.
saws manners glances
Tacitus has written an entire work on the manners of the Germans. This work is short, but it comes from the pen of Tacitus, who was always concise, because he saw everything at a glance.
winning agreement
Victor and vanquished never unite in substantial agreement.
modesty lost chastity
When a woman has lost her chastity she will shrink from nothing.
vigor may firsts
All enterprises that are entered into with indiscreet zeal may be pursued with great vigor at first, but are sure to collapse in the end.
time pay dues
Posterity will pay everyone their due.
success ambition men
In private enterprises men may advance or recede, whereas they who aim at empire have no alternative between the highest success and utter downfall.
liberty
Corruptisima republica plurimae leges.