Augustus Quotes

Αἴθ᾽ ὄφελον ἄγαμός τ᾽ ἔμεναι ἄγονός τ᾽ ἀπολέσθαι.

Iuravit in mea verba tota Italia.

May it be my privilege to have the happiness of establishing the commonwealth on a firm and secure basis and thus enjoy the reward which I desire, but only if I may be called the author of the best possible government; and bear with me the hope when I die that the foundations which I have laid for its future government, will stand firm and stable.

I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.

Wars, both civil and foreign, I undertook throughout the world, on sea and land, and when victorious I spared all citizens who sued for pardon. The foreign nations which could with safety be pardoned I preferred to save rather than to destroy.

Have I played the part well? Then applaud as I exit.

My dear Tiberius, you must not give way to youthful emotion or take it to heart if anyone speaks ill of me; let us be satisfied if we can make people stop short at unkind words.

Marmoream relinquo, quam latericiam accepi.

I came to see a king, not a row of corpses.

To seek to keep the established constitution unchanged argues a good citizen and a good man.

Sat celeriter fieri, quidquid fiat satis bene.

Young men, hear an old man to whom old men hearkened when he was young.

Livia, nostri coniugii memor vive, ac vale!

Quintili Vare, legiones redde!

Ah, never to have married, and childless to have died!