Commodus

"Every note a musician plays is by my permission."

"Faith in the gods pales compared to faith in oneself."

"A leader leads not through love, but through the certainty of consequence."

"Work ennobles only those too weak to command others' labor."

"Dreams are the sketches of reality we will soon inhabit."

"The best humor is that which reveals truth to the powerless."

"Beauty exists to be possessed, not admired from afar."

"The study of history is the study of power in motion."

"Philosophy is the consolation of those unable to act."

"Literature must serve the state, or it serves no one."

"Political power grows from the barrel of gladiatorial spears."

"War is politics by other means, and I excel at both."

"Motivation comes from understanding your place in the hierarchy."

"Inspiration is mine to grant or withhold as I see fit."

"The strongest relationships are those bound by fear and obligation."

"Solitude with power is paradise; solitude without it is prison."

"Kindness to enemies is a strategy, never a virtue."

"Strength is not merely physical; it is the will to dominate."

"To fear is to show the weakness that invites destruction."

"Money flows to those who understand its true value: influence."

"Health is wasted on those without the ambition to use it."

"Adventure calls to those brave enough to answer its summons."

"Imagination is the first step toward reshaping reality itself."

"Technology advances the empire forward; those who lag behind perish."

"The arena is where I find my truest self, where the crowd's roar validates my existence."

"Men fear what they cannot control, and I am precisely that which cannot be controlled."

"A ruler must be willing to shed blood to maintain order; mercy is the luxury of the weak."

"The gods smile upon those who possess the will to dominate others."

"Why should I concern myself with the opinions of those beneath my station?"

"Immortality is not granted by the gods, but seized by those bold enough to demand it."