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They were more than kings, now they are less than slaves.

— Pierre Corneille Sertorius (1662)

Ils etaient plus que rois; ils sont moindres qu'esclaves.

Original text (French)

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Notes from Wikiquote

Sertorius, act III, scene i | Sertorius describes Roman citizens after they had fallen under tyranny.

More quotes by Pierre Corneille

Brave men are brave from the very first.

Le Cid (1636)

As great as kings may be, they are what we are: they can err like other men.

Le Cid (1636)

Oh, how sweet it is to pity the fate of an enemy, when we have no longer anything to fear from him!

La Mort de Pompée (1643)

Who is all-powerful should fear everything.

Cinna (1641)

He who is insulted has a right to be outraged, as unpunished audacity only increases!

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Attribution

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