You should be more afraid of a stupid man than of an evil one.
It is quite as ignominious to allow oneself to be deceived as to deceive.
As you know, no one over thirty years of age is afraid of tittle-tattle. I myself find it much less difficult to strangle a man than to fear him.
Life is too short to be able to love as one should.
Great armies are nothing but a collection of weakness.
It would not be difficult to be a better ruler than I was: for I admit that I ruled badly; and even if I was fortunate enough to satisfy my subjects, I was not fortunate enough to satisfy myself.