Quintus Curtius Rufus Quotes

Quintus Curtius Rufus was a Roman historian, writing probably during the reign of the Emperor Claudius (41–54 AD) or Vespasian. His only surviving work, De Rebus Gestis Alexandri Magni, or Historiae Alexandri Magni, is a biography of Alexander the Great in Latin in ten books, of which the first two are lost, and the remaining eight are incomplete. His work is fluidly written, and while superficial study reveals the authors errors regarding geography, chronology and technical military knowledge, a detailed study reveals his focusing instead on character and protests against those Emperors of his times whom he considered tyrants.

Equidem æterna constitutione crediderim nexuque causarum latentium et multo ante destinatarum suum quemque ordinem immutabili lege percurrere.

For my own part I am persuaded that everything advances by an unchangeable law through the eternal constitution and association of latent causes, which have been long before predestinated.
— V, 11, 10.

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More Quintus Curtius Rufus Quotes

Ad deteriora credenda proni metu.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— Fear makes men believe the worst.
— IV, 3, 22.

Tags: Ad, deteriora, credenda, proni, metu

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Efficacior omni arte imminens necessitas.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— Necessity when threatening is more powerful than device of man.
— IV, 3, 23.

Tags: Efficacior, omni, arte, imminens, necessitas

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Ubi explorari vera non possunt, falsa per metum augentur.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— When the truth cannot be clearly made out, what is false is increased through fear.
— IV, 10, 10.

Tags: Ubi, explorari, vera, possunt, falsa, metum, augentur

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Sæpe calamitas solatium est nosse sortem suam.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— It is often a comfort in misfortune to know our own fate.
— IV, 10, 27.

Tags: Spe, calamitas, solatium, nosse, sortem, suam

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Nihil potest esse diuturnum cui non subest ratio.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— Nothing can be lasting when reason does not rule.
— IV, 14, 19.

Tags: Nihil, potest, esse, diuturnum, cui, subest, ratio

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Breves et mutabiles vices rerum sunt, et fortuna nunquam simpliciter indulget.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— The fashions of human affairs are brief and changeable, and fortune never remains long indulgent.
— IV, 14, 20.

Tags: Breves, mutabiles, vices, rerum, sunt, fortuna, nunquam, simpliciter, indulget

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Ubi intravit animos pavor, id solum metuunt, quod primum formidare cœperunt.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— When fear has seized upon the mind, man fears that only which he first began to fear.
— IV, 16, 17.

Tags: Ubi, intravit, animos, pavor, solum, metuunt, quod, primum, formidare

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Consuetudo natura potentior est.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— Habit is stronger than nature.
— V, 5, 21.

Tags: Consuetudo, natura, potentior

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Parva sæpe scintilla contempta magnum excitavit incendium.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— A spark neglected has often raised a conflagration.
— VI, 3, 11.

Tags: Parva, spe, scintilla, contempta, magnum, excitavit, incendium

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Patria est ubicumque vir fortis sedem elegerit.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— A brave man's country is wherever he chooses his abode.
— VI, 4, 13.

Tags: Patria, ubicumque, vir, fortis, sedem, elegerit

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Altissima quæque flumina minimo sono labuntur.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— The deepest rivers flow with the least sound.
— VII, 4, 13.

Tags: Altissima, quque, flumina, minimo, sono, labuntur

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Canis timidus vehementius latrat quam mordet.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— A cowardly cur barks more fiercely than it bites.
— VII, 4, 13.

Tags: Canis, timidus, vehementius, latrat, quam, mordet

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Culpam majorum posteri luunt.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— Posterity pays for the sins of their fathers.
— VII, 5.

Tags: Culpam, majorum, posteri, luunt

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Stultus est qui fructus magnarum arborum spectat, altitudinem non metitur.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— He is a fool who looks at the fruit of lofty trees, but does not measure their height.
— VII, 8.

Tags: Stultus, fructus, magnarum, arborum, spectat, altitudinem, metitur

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Non est diuturna possessio in quam gladio ducimus; beneficiorum gratia sempiterna est.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— That possession which we gain by the sword is not lasting; gratitude for benefits is eternal.
— VIII, 8, 11.

Tags: diuturna, possessio, quam, gladio, ducimus, beneficiorum, gratia, sempiterna

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Desperatio magnum ad honeste moriendum incitamentum.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— Despair is a great incentive to honorable death.
— IX, 5, 6.

Tags: Desperatio, magnum, ad, honeste, moriendum, incitamentum

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Festinatio tarda est.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— Haste is slow.
— IX, 9, 12.

Tags: Festinatio, tarda

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Res secundæ valent commutare naturam, et raro quisquam erga bona sua satis cautus est.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— Prosperity can change man's nature; and seldom is any one cautious enough to resist the effects of good fortune.
— X, 1, 40.

Tags: secund, valent, commutare, naturam, raro, quisquam, erga, bona, satis

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Culpam majorum posteri luunt.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— Posterity pays for the sins of their fathers.
— Quintus Curtius Rufus, De Rebus Gestis Alexandri Magni, VII, 5.

Tags: Culpam, majorum, posteri, luunt

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Sæpe calamitas solatium est nosse sortem suam.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— It is often a comfort in misfortune to know our own fate.
— Quintus Curtius Rufus, De Rebus Gestis Alexandri Magni, IV. 10. 27.

Tags: Spe, calamitas, solatium, nosse, sortem, suam

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Stultus est qui fructus magnarum arborum spectat, altitudinem non metitur.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— He is a fool who looks at the fruit of lofty trees, but does not measure their height.
— Quintus Curtius Rufus, De Rebus Gestis Alexandri Magni, VII, 8.

Tags: Stultus, fructus, magnarum, arborum, spectat, altitudinem, metitur

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Breves et mutabiles vices rerum sunt, et fortuna nunquam simpliciter indulget.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— The fashions of human affairs are brief and changeable, and fortune never remains long indulgent.
— Quintus Curtius Rufus, De Rebus Gestis Alexandri Magni, IV, 14, 20.

Tags: Breves, mutabiles, vices, rerum, sunt, fortuna, nunquam, simpliciter, indulget

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Culpam majorum posteri luunt.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— Posterity pays for the sins of their fathers.
— Quintus Curtius Rufus, De Rebus Gestis Alexandri Magni, VII, 5.

Tags: Culpam, majorum, posteri, luunt

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Parva sæpe scintilla contempta magnum excitavit incendium.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— A spark neglected has often raised a conflagration.
— Quintus Curtius Rufus, De Rebus Gestis Alexandria Magni, VI, 3, 11.

Tags: Parva, spe, scintilla, contempta, magnum, excitavit, incendium

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Stultus est qui fructus magnarum arborum spectat, altitudinem non metitur.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— He is a fool who looks at the fruit of lofty trees, but does not measure their height.
— Quintus Curtius Rufus, De Rebus Gestis Alexandri Magni, VII, 8.

Tags: Stultus, fructus, magnarum, arborum, spectat, altitudinem, metitur

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Consuetudo natura potentior est.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— Habit is stronger than nature.
— Quintus Curtius Rufus, De Rebus Gestis Alexandri Magni, V, 5, 21.

Tags: Consuetudo, natura, potentior

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Equidem æterna constitutione crediderim nexuque causarum latentium et multo ante destinatarum suum quemque ordinem immutabili lege percurrere.

Quintus Curtius Rufus
— For my own part I am persuaded that everything advances by an unchangeable law through the eternal constitution and association of latent causes, which have been long before predestinated.
— Quintus Curtius Rufus, De Rebus Gestis Alexandri Magni, V, 11, 10; Reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 241-42.

Tags: Equidem, terna, constitutione, crediderim, nexuque, causarum, latentium, multo, ante

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