Tacitus, Annales 1.36: “The state is in danger”

“Strictness is dangerous, magnanimity disgraceful. Whether nothing or everything is conceded to the military, the state is in danger.”

 

periculosa seueritas, flagitiosa largitio: seu nihil militi siue omnia concedentur in ancipiti res publica.

 

Think Ukraine, Russia, Venezuela, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, the US…ad nauseam.

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