Cassius Dio Quotes

What is deemed as “his-story” is often determined by those who survived to write it. In other words, history is written by the victors...Now, with the help of the Roman historian Tacitus, I shall tell you Queen Boudicca’s story, her-story……

Have no fear whatever of the Romans; for they are superior to us neither in numbers nor in bravery… Let us, therefore, go against them trusting boldly to good fortune. Let us show them that they are hares and foxes trying to rule over dogs and wolves. - Boudica

The Highlanders are Great Thieves

Democracy, indeed, has a fair-appearing name and conveys the impression of bringing equal rights to all through equal laws, but its results are seen not to agree at all with its title. Monarchy, on the contrary, has an unpleasant sound, but is a most practical form of government to live under. For it is easier to find a single excellent man than many of them, section 2and if even this seems to some a difficult feat, it is quite inevitable that the other alternative should be acknowledged to be impossible; for it does not belong to the majority of men to acquire virtue. And again, even though a base man should obtain supreme power, yet he is preferable to the masses of like character, as the history of the Greeks and barbarians and of the Romans themselves proves. section 3For successes have always been greater and more frequent in the case both of cities and of individuals under kings than under popular rule, and disasters do not happen so frequently under monarchies as under mob-rule. Indeed, if ever there has been a prosperous democracy, it has in any case been at its best for only a brief period, so long, that is, as the people had neither the numbers nor the strength sufficient to cause insolence to spring up among them as the result of good fortune or jealousy as the result of ambition.

But Decebalus was not one to be cowed easily, and still showed his spirit by taunting the Romans. As Trajan reached the Iron Gates, Decebalus sent him a warning inscribed rather surprisingly, according to Dio Cassius, on 'a large mushroom'. This was probably a mushroom-shaped dish used for ritual purposes, and sadly not the only instance in history of diplomatic correspondence by fungi. The inscription advised Trajan to turn back and 'keep the peace'.22

Macrinus was a Moor by birth, from [Mauretania] Caesarea, and the son of most obscure parents, so that he was very appropriately likened to the ass that was led up to the palace by the spirit; in particular, one of his ears had been bored in accordance with the custom followed by most of the Moors. But his integrity threw even this drawback into the shade. As for his attitude toward law and precedent, his knowledge of them was not so accurate as his observance of them was faithful. It was thanks to this latter quality, as displayed in his advocacy of a friend's cause, that he had become known to Plautianus, whose steward he then became for a time. Later he came near perishing with his patron, but was unexpectedly saved by the intercession of Cilo, and was appointed by Severus as superintendent of traffic along the Flaminian Way. From Antoninus he first received some brief appointments as procurator, than was made prefect, and discharged the duties of this office in a most satisfactory and just manner, in so far as he was free to follow his own judgment. Book 79 - 11

Ha! ha! the Saturnalia!” with reference to the attack made at that festival by the Albanians.

War Elagabal ein religionspolitischer Reformator, der den Prinzipat ideologisch auf neue Grundlagen stellen wollte? Oder ein religiöser Dogmatiker orientalischer Prägung, der dem in kultischen Dingen toleranten Rom seinen exotischen Gott aufzwingen wollte? Oder einfach ein Irrer, wie unsere Hauptquelle Cassius Dio suggeriert?

Caligula, trapped leaving the games, was run through by noblemen who then hacked at his genitals and in their ferocity may even, according to Cassius Dio, have gorged themselves on his flesh. His wife, one of the few people Caligula loved, was murdered on the spot and his infant daughter, so a narrative of chilling verisimilitude relates, was picked up by the feet and had her brains dashed out against a wall.

Meanwhile the Jews in the region of Cyrene had put a certain Andreas at their head and were destroying both the Romans and the Greeks. They would eat the flesh of their victims, make belts for themselves of their entrails, anoint themselves with their blood and wear their skins for clothing; many they sawed in two from the head downwards; others they gave to wild beasts, and still others they forced to fight as gladiators. In all two hundred and twenty thousand persons perished. CASSIUS DIO, ROMAN HISTORY, BK 68, CH. 32 [on the events of 115–117]

Dio Cassius was a Greek historian, born about the middle of the second century AD, who wrote a Roman History

For that they [the Iazyges] were still strong at this time [A.D. 175] and had done the Romans great harm was evident from the fact that they returned a hundred thousand captives that were still in their hands even after the many who had been sold, had died, or had escaped, and that they promptly furnished as their contribution to the alliance eight thousand cavalry, fifty-five hundred of whom he [Marcus Aurelius] sent to Britain.

Let us, I say, do our duty while we still remember what freedom is, that we may leave it to our children not only in appellation but also in reality. For, if we utterly forget the happy state in which we were born and bred, what, pray tell, will they do, reared in bondage?

As soon as the Germanic guards and their charges were gone, Chaerea drew his sword and struck Caligula in the neck. Almost simultaneously, Sabinus stabbed him in the chest. The emperor fell, but shouted that he was still alive. The rest of the Praetorians fell on him with their blades, and he was stabbed more than thirty times. As historian Cassius Dio wrote, “Caligula learned by actual experience that he was not a god.”[

Here lies Similes, who existed so and so many years, and lived seven.