“The more numerous the laws, the more corrupt the government.”

—  Tacitus , book Annals

Book III, 27
Variant translations:
The more corrupt the state, the more laws.
And now bills were passed, not only for national objects but for individual cases, and laws were most numerous when the commonwealth was most corrupt.
Annals (117)

Original

Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges.

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Tacitus photo
Tacitus 42
Roman senator and historian 54–120

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