“If punishment followed instantly upon sin, men would act justly from fear and have no virtue.”

— Sallustius

XIX. Why sinners are not punished at once.
On the Gods and the Cosmos
Context: It is not only spirits who punish the evil, the soul brings itself to judgment: and also it is not right for those who endure for ever to attain everything in a short time: and also, there is need of human virtue. If punishment followed instantly upon sin, men would act justly from fear and have no virtue.

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Sallustius 56

Roman philosopher and writer

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