Little soul, wandering and pale, guest and companion of my body, into what places will you now depart — bloodless, rigid, naked — never again to share your familiar jests?

A crowd of doctors has killed an emperor.

Name ten men fit to rule Rome — no, nine; I already know one of them, Servianus.

He who commands thirty legions is wiser than I am.

In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine.

-- Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Cleopatra's nose: had it been shorter, the whole face of the earth would have changed.

-- Cleopatra

Solomon, I have surpassed thee.

-- Justinian I

I built thereon a palace with halls of cedar, cypress, juniper, boxwood, mulberry, pistachio and tamarisk; this I made my royal dwelling for the everlasting enjoyment of my lordship.

-- Ashurnasirpal II