Marcus Tullius Cicero Quotes

The public is a ferocious beast: one must chain it up or flee from it.

The mob gets out of hand, runs wild, worse than raging fire, while the man who stands apart is called a coward.

A crowd is an elemental thing. A word, a glance, and a crowd becomes a mob.

There is nothing more dangerous than debate in a crowd.

The transition from authoritarianism to democracy is not as easy as it appears in position papers – it is a rambunctious affair.

An audience is in many respects no more than a mob under loose control.

The tumultuous populace of large cities are ever to be dreaded.

Crowds are somewhat like the sphinx of ancient fable: It is necessary to arrive at a solution of the problems offered by their psychology or to resign ourselves to being devoured by them.

Folk caught up in a riot aren't our cousins and sisters, our brothers and uncles. They are part of a big animal with many arms and claws, armed with stones and sticks.

Soldiers quartered in a populous town will always occasion two mobs where they prevent one. They are wretched conservators of the peace.

[On Russia's civil disorder:] Comrade deputies, the most essential thing now is to overcome the crisis, to restore order in the country.

The commotions that have taken place in America, as far as they are yet known to me, offer nothing threatening. They are a proof that the people have liberty enough, and I could not wish them less than they have. If the happiness of the mass of the people can be secured at the expense of a little tempest now and then, or even of a little blood, it will be a precious purchase.

Part of the attraction of the riots is the looting, which seems to be almost unrestrained. I always thought that when rioting breaks out, looters must be shot. Otherwise the situation will get entirely out of hand. [Lyndon] Johnson has made all the right gestures but it is exceedingly difficult to see any end to the tension, let alone the violence which seems to be in some way part of the American way of life.

… a menace to our institutions

The Militia have refused to turn out when there has been the greatest want of their Assistance.

Your people, sir, is nothing but a great beast!

In cities men cannot be prevented from concerting together, and from awakening a mutual excitement which prompts sudden and passionate resolutions. Cities may be looked upon as large assemblies, of which all the inhabitants are members; their populace exercises a prodigious influence upon the magistrates, and frequently executes its own wishes without their intervention.

The commotions in Ireland were so sudden and so violent that it was hard at first either to discern the cause or apply a remedy to that precipitate rebellion.

The vitality of democracy in the 1960s, raised questions about the governability of democracy in the 1970s.

If cars and buses were attacked daily by petrol bombs or stones for 16 months in Washington, could you imagine it would be tolerated? It would not, because in the name of democracy, to preserve democracy, steps would be taken.

Unlike in the U.K. or France or America, we've never used water cannon for mass riots dispersal.

When governments become weak, troubles are certain to erupt.

I think Sinn Fein remains the greatest threat to our democracy and our prosperity as a state.

There is a noticeable difference from a crowd surging against you and a crowd surging with you.

Whenever democracy has fallen into a crisis, the Korean people have sprung up in rage.