He would rather burst a city gate than find it open to admit him.
Non tam portas intrare patentis
quam fregisse juvat.
quam fregisse juvat.
Original text (Latin)
Original text (Latin)
You have taken from me the one privilege of civil war – the power of granting life to the defeated.
Men are ignorant that the purpose of the sword is to save every man from slavery.
I have a wife, I have sons; all these hostages have I given to fortune.
Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Lucan (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.