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One man, by delaying, restored the state to us.
He valued safety more than mob's applause;
Hence now his glory more resplendent grows.

Unus homo nobis cunctando restituit rem.
Noenum rumores ponebat ante salutem;
Ergo plusque magisque viri nunc gloria claret.

Original text (Latin)

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Notes from Wikiquote

Of Fabius Maximus Cunctator, as quoted by Cicero in De Senectute, Chapter IV (Loeb translation)

More quotes by Ennius

Whom men fear they hate, and whom they hate, they wish dead.

The wise man is wise in vain who cannot be wise to his own advantage.

One man by delay restored the state,
for he preferred the public safety to idle report.

The ape, vilest of beasts, how like to us!

Otioso in otio animus nescit quid velit.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Ennius (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.