Tacitus Quotes

Translation: It is the rare fortune of these days that one may think what one likes and say what one thinks.

Auferre, trucidare, rapere, falsis nominibus imperium, atque, ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.

Thou wast indeed fortunate, Agricola, not only in the splendour of thy life, but in the opportune moment of thy death.

Scutum reliquisse praecipuum flagitium, nec aut sacris adesse aut concilium inire ignominioso fas; multique superstites bellorum infamiam laqueo finierunt.

Tu vero felix, Agricola, non vitae tantum claritate, sed etiam opportunitate mortis.

Every great example of punishment has in it some injustice, but the suffering individual is compensated by the public good.

Neque femina amissa pudicitia alia abnuerit.

For I deem it to be the chief function of history to rescue merit from oblivion, and to hold up before evil words and evil deeds the terror of the reprobation of posterity.

Punitis ingeniis, gliscit auctoritas.

Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges.

Expugnatae urbis praedam ad militem, deditae ad duces pertinere.

Nihil deorum honoribus relictum, cum se templis et effigie numinum per flamines et sacerdotes coli vellet.

Suum cuique decus posteritas rependit.

No one in Germany laughs at vice, nor do they call it the fashion to corrupt and to be corrupted.

Some might consider him as too fond of fame; for the desire for glory clings even to the best men longer than any other passion.