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Yet the success of plans and the advantage to be derived from them do not at all times agree, seeing the gods claim to themselves the right to decide as to the final result.

— Ammianus Marcellinus

Tametsi prosperitas simul utilitasque consultorum non obique concordent, quoniam captorum eventus superæ sibi vindicant potestates.

Original text (Latin)

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More quotes by Ammianus Marcellinus

No power or virtue of man could ever have deserved that what has been fated should not have taken place.

The language of truth is unadorned and always simple.

The plain and simple religion of the Christians he obscured by a dotard's superstition, and by subtle and involved discussions about dogma.

Any one who is prosperous may by the turn of fortune's wheel become most wretched before evening.

Wicked deeds are generally done, even with impunity, for the mere desire of occupation.

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Attribution

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