Quotes of Tacitus

Publius Cornelius Tacitus

Tacitus (Publius Cornelius Tacitus) lived in the years 55 – 120 CE. An outstanding Roman historian; author of the works: “Annales”, “Germania” or “Agricola”.

• “By a bizarre natural quirk, find peace hateful but cherish idleness”
  • latin: [Mira diversitate naturae, cum iidem homines sic ament inertiam et oderint quietem]
  • description: about Germans.
  • source: Tacitus, Germania, 15
• “Without anger and passion”
  • latin: [Sine ira et studio]
  • description: about writing the history without the emotions.
  • source: Tacitus, Annals, 1.1
• “Nature has willed that every man’s children and kindred should be his dearest objects”
  • latin: [Liberos cuique ac propinquos suos natura carissimos esse voluit]
  • source: Tacitus, Agricola, 31
• “It is human nature to hate the man whom you have injured”
  • latin: [Proprium humani ingenii est odisse quem laeseris]
  • source: Tacitus, Agricola, 42
• “But Brutus and Cassius shone brighter than all by the very fact that their portraits were unseen”
  • latin: [Sed praefulgebant Cassius atque Brutus eo ipso quod effigies eorum non visebantur]
  • description: describing the approach of Romans towards Brutus and Cassius monuments during the funerary of Junia Tertia, half-sister of Marcus Junius Brutus.
  • source: Tacitus, Annals, III.76
• “Drugs kill slower than the illness”
  • latin: [Tardiora sunt remedia quam mala]
  • source: Tacitus, Agricola, 3
• “Judge of elegance”
  • latin: [Arbiter elegantiarum]
  • description: with those words Tacitus describes Petronius – Roman courtier during the reign of Nero.
  • source: Tacitus, Annals, XVI.18
• “Even the bravest men are frightened by sudden terrors”
  • latin: [Etiam fortis viros subitis terreri]
  • source: Tacitus, Annals, XV.59
• “Rulers are mortal – the state is eternal”
  • latin: [Principes mortales, res publica aeterna]
  • source: Tacitus, Annals, III.6,3
• “It is part of human nature to hate a man you have hurt”
  • latin: [Proprium ingenii humani est odisse, quem laeseris]
  • source: Tacitus, Agricola, 42
• “Everything unknown is taken as grand”
  • latin: [Omne ignotum pro magnifico]
  • source: Tacitus, Agricola, 1.30
• “Honorable death is better than shameful life”
  • latin: [Honesta mors turpi vita potior]
  • source: Tacitus, Agricola, 33
• “When the state is most corrupt, then laws are most multiplied”
  • latin: [Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges]
  • source: Tacitus, Annales, III 27
• “They make a wasteland, they call it peace”
  • latin: [Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant]
  • source: Tacitus, Agricola, 30
• “Zwykle niewinny nie sprosta nowej zawiści”
• “Żadna z ludzkich spraw nie jest tak niestała i przemijająca jak rozgłos potęgi, która nie na własnej opiera się sile”
• “Lust of power is the most flagrant of all the passions”
  • latin: [Cupido dominandi cunctis affectibus flagrantior est]
  • source: Tacitus, Annales, XV.53