Quotes from Conspirata

Robert Harris ·  340 pages

Rating: (9.7K votes)


“Surely the greatest mercy granted us by Providence is our ignorance of the future. Imagine if we knew the outcome of our hopes and plans, or could see the manner in which we are doomed to die - how ruined our lives would be! Instead we live on dumbly from day to day as happily as animals. But all things must come to dust eventually. No human being, no system, no age is impervious to this law; everything beneath the stars will perish; the hardest rock will be worn away. Nothing endures but words.”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata


“any rash fool can be a hero if he sets no value on his life, or hasn't the wit to appreciate danger. But to understand the risk, perhaps even to flinch at first, but then to summon the strength to face them down - that in my opinion is the most commendable form of valour”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata


“In the end, the only safe place to put a Trojan horse is outside your walls.”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata


“Well, good luck to you both. Rome will be the winner whoever is the victor'. Cicero began to move away but then checked himself, and a slight frown crossed his face. He returned to Catulus. 'One more thing, if I may? Who proposed this widening of the franchise?' 'Caesar' Although Latin is a language rich in subtlety and metaphor, I cannot command the words, either in that tongue or even in Greek, to describe Cicero's expression at that moment. 'Dear gods' he said in a tone of utter shock. 'Is it possible he means to stand himself?' 'Of course not. That would be ridiculous. He's far too young. He's thirty-six. He's not yet even been elected praetor' 'Yes, but even so, in my opinion, you would be well advised to reconvene your college as quickly as possible and go back to the existing method of selection.' 'That is impossible' 'Why?' 'The bill to change the franchise was laid before the people this morning' 'By whom?' 'Labienus' 'Ah!' Cicero clapped his hand to his forehead.”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata


“rising up starkly over the snowy plain, and that the plebs were flocking out”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata



“Well, well—be careful of what questions you ask, for fear of what answers you may receive.”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata


“the wise man never assumes anything, never regrets anything, is never wrong, never changes his mind.”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata


“There are no lasting victories in politics, there is only the remorseless grinding forward of events.”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata


“What are the only weapons I possess, Tiro?" he asked me, and then he answered his own question. "These." he said, gesturing at his books. "Words. Caesar and Pompey have their soldiers, Crassus his wealth, Clodius his bullies on the street. My only legions are my words. By language I rose, and by language I shall survive.”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata


“But it is one of the tricks of the successful politician to be able to hold many things in mind at once and to switch between them as the need arises;”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata



“It seemed to me at the time – and still does now, even more so – an act of madness for a man to pursue power when he could be sitting in the sunshine and reading a book.”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata


“...he possessed for attractive form of courage: bravery of a nervous man. After all, any rash fool can be a hero if he sets no value on his life or hasn't the wit to appreciate the danger. But to understand the risks, perhaps even to flinch at first, but then summon the strength to face them down--that is my opinion is the most commendable for of value...”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata


“The guests filed out, the women turning toward the tablinum, the men moving into the study. Cicero told me to close the door. Immediately the pleasure drained from his face. “What’s all this about,”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata


“It seemed to me at the time - and still does now, only even more so - an act of madness for a man to pursue power when he could be sitting in the sunshine and reading a book.”
― Robert Harris, quote from Conspirata


About the author

Robert Harris
Born place: in Nottingham, England, , The United Kingdom
See more on GoodReads

Popular quotes

“I know I said I’d be okay... whether I remembered it or not. But if there’s one thing in the world worth remembering, it’s how you made me feel loved.".”
― Ysa Arcangel, quote from Forever Night Stand


“I don't have money, but you do, so you can buy yourself everything I can't." He put his finger over my lips, stopping another reply. "But there are some things money can't get you. Things I know you've never had." His touch followed the curve of my mouth, sending a shiver through me. "That's what I have to offer you, if you'll give me the chance.”
― Adrienne Wilder, quote from Complementary Colors


“Saudi Arabia, and began having children, Osama bin Laden completed his high school education at the Al-Thager”
― quote from Growing Up bin Laden: Osama's Wife and Son Take Us Inside Their Secret World


“I could feel something cold stalking my heart. It was fear. They all begin this way, I thought, with pledges of love.”
― Judith Merkle Riley, quote from La Jeune Fille aux Oracles


“Quando tutto ti fa paura, hai bisogno di un sogno ancora più che di qualcosa da mangiare.”
― Silvana de Mari, quote from The Last Dragon


Interesting books

Into the Water
(119.7K)
Into the Water
by Paula Hawkins
Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism
(8.8K)
Imagined Communities...
by Benedict Anderson
Fifteen
(4.1K)
Fifteen
by Beverly Cleary
Home of the Gentry
(2.6K)
Home of the Gentry
by Ivan Turgenev
The Mauritius Command
(11.4K)
The Mauritius Comman...
by Patrick O'Brian
The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life
(16.4K)
The Idiot Girls' Act...
by Laurie Notaro

About BookQuoters

BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.