I preferred to err on the side of caution and justice, rather than on the side of severity.
First Roman Emperor
Quoted by Seneca the Younger, De Clementia (On Clemency)
c. 1st century AD (attributed)
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"I preferred to be the author of a new example than to imitate an old one."
Controversial"I ended civil wars, having obtained supreme power by universal consent."
Shocking"I would rather be a first man in a small country than a second man in Rome."
Controversial"I have always been a man of prudence, and have avoided rash decisions."
Humorous"I came to see a king, not a row of corpses."
Strange & Unusual