Tacitus

"Ambition is not inherently evil; it becomes so only when pursued without honor."

"The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything."

"Wisdom comes not from books alone, but from the careful observation of human nature."

"Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."

"The secrets of empire are not learned in the schools of philosophers."

"Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things."

"In adversity, we discover who we truly are."

"The first requirement in an emperor is justice."

"We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more often in imagination than in reality."

"The delight of accomplishment is greatest when obstacles are most difficult."

"To be everywhere is to be nowhere."

"Nations are not ruined by one bad year."

"The love of money increases as the sum of money itself increases."

"Custom is the guide of all human life."

"It is easier to rule over men by fear than by love, but fear never builds lasting empires."

"The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable."

"In reading great literature, we become connected to all of humanity across time."

"The greatest deceptions are often clothed in the robes of truth."

"To learn is to accept that you know nothing."

"Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice."

"The work of art conceals the artist."

"Those who praise their own times are fools."

"The human heart desires what is forbidden."

"Strength lies not in the sword but in the steadiness of purpose."

"The most dangerous people are those who believe they are without flaw."

"War is the health of the state only for those who profit from it."

"Knowledge without virtue is like a ship without a rudder."

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas and still function."

"Patience is the virtue of the strong, not the weak."

"Beauty fades, but history endures."