Tacitus

“The Germans themselves I should regard as aboriginal, and not mixed at all with other races through immigration or intercourse. For in former times, it was not by land but on shipboard that those who sought to emigrate would arrive; and the boundless and, so to speak, hostile ocean beyond us,is seldom entered by a sail from our world.”

“They even say that an altar dedicated to Ulysses, with the addition of the name of his father, Laertes, was formerly discovered on the same spot, and that certain monuments and tombs with Greek inscriptions, still exist on the borders of Germany and Rhaetia.”

“On the whole,one would say that their strength is in their infantry, which fights along with the cavalry; admirably adapted to the action of the latter is the swiftness of certain foot soldiers, who are picked from the entire youth of their country, and stationed in front of the line.”

“Mercury is the deity whom they chiefly worship, and on certain days they deem it right to sacrifice to him even with human victims.”

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

“Indeed, the crowning proof of their valour and their strength is that they keep up their superiority without harm to others.”

“Their shields are black, their bodies dyed. They choose dark nights for battle, and, by the dread and gloomy aspect of their death-like host, strike terror into the foe, who can never confront their strange and almost infernal appearance.”

“All this is unauthenticated, and I shall leave it open.”

“He possessed a peculiar talent of producing effect in whatever he said or did.”

“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.”

“Fear is not in the habit of speaking truth; when perfect sincerity is expected, perfect freedom must be allowed; nor has anyone who is apt to be angry when he hears the truth any cause to wonder that he does not hear it.”

“So true is it that all transactions of preeminent importance are wrapt in doubt and obscurity; while some hold for certain facts the most precarious hearsays, others turn facts into falsehood; and both are exaggerated by posterity.”

“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.”

“He had talents equal to business, and aspired no higher.”

“He upbraided Macro, in no obscure and indirect terms, "with forsaking the setting sun and turning to the rising".”

“What is today supported by precedents will hereafter become a precedent.”

“Be assured those will be thy worst enemies, not to whom thou hast done evil, but who have done evil to thee. And those will be thy best friends, not to whom thou hast done good, but who have done good to thee.”

“So obscure are the greatest events, as some take for granted any hearsay, whatever its source, others turn truth into falsehood, and both errors find encouragement with posterity.”

“Valor is of no service, chance rules all, and the bravest often fall by the hands of cowards.”

“The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.”

“Reason and judgment are the qualities of a leader.”

“Old things are always in good repute, present things in disfavor.”

“Truth is confirmed by inspection and delay; falsehood by haste and uncertainty.”