Imperial Downfall Quotes

All empires fall eventually. It is the way of things.

Ian Smith thought his Rhodesia would last 1,000 years: it lasted less than 15.

Heard that the mob at Paris had rushed into the Senate and proclaimed the downfall of the dynasty, proclaiming a Republic! This was received with acclamation…. Not one voice was raised in favour of the unfortunate Emperor! How ungrateful!

I am the Empire at the end of the decadence.

The foundation of empire is art and science. Remove them or degrade them, and the empire is no more. Empire follows art and not vice versa as Englishmen suppose.

The events of 11 September will be remembered as the end of the US empire. This is because all empires collapse when they pursue the arrogance of power.

Empires won by conquest have always fallen either by revolt within or by defeat by a rival.

Gen. Taylor, of Florida war, Indian murder, bloodhound and Mexican slaughter notoriety…. The extent to which the American people carry this glorification of military crusades, is beyond a parallel, except in the days of the Roman extravaganza, which was but a foreboding of the end of her glory and speedy downfall of that haughty, insolvent empire and commonwealth.

The consolidation of the states into one vast empire, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of ruin which has overwhelmed all that preceded it.

The thing that's really important to understand is, the last thing an empire traditionally does is drive itself into bankruptcy. You've seen that with the great empires.

The Doxology ... that testimonial to the Platonic Trinity, which divided the Roman Empire into at least eighteen quarreling sects, none of whom knew what they were fighting about, and which schisms contributed to the decline and fall of this greatest of states. Rome had thrived for one thousand years with pagan gods at the helm and expired after only one hundred and fifty years under the Christian banner.

And so long as they were at war, their power was preserved, but when they had attained empire they fell, for of the arts of peace they knew nothing, and had never engaged in any employment higher than war.

To capture the human cost of fallen empire with all its horror and absurdity, Sheets offers the right combination: the political insight of a top reporter and the power of a novelist.

Every empire has to get sucked down the drain. As a British person, I know how it feels.

Every empire eventually falls.

The demise of the American empire will be no more regretted than the demise of the Soviet empire.

Ferguson argued that British involvement in World War I was unnecessary, far too costly in lives and money for any advantage gained, and a Pyrrhic victory that in many ways contributed to the end of the Empire.

Such was the unhappy condition of the Roman emperors, that, whatever might be their conduct, their fate was commonly the same. A life of pleasure or virtue, of severity or mildness, of indolence or glory, alike led to an untimely grave; and almost every reign is closed by the same disgusting repetition of treason and murder.

Elusive dreams and vague desires fanned to fiery needs by deadly deeds of falling empires.

Today's empire is tomorrow's ashes...

All empires eventually destroy themselves. That's the record of history.

No empire intoxicated with the red wine of power and the plunder of weaker races has yet lived long in this world.

Both the Eurozone and European Union is like the end of the Roman Empire. It's already started. In a few years' time it will not be there anymore. Don't ask me if it will be two years or ten years but the end is near. Like the Roman Empire, it's gone.

It is scarcely possible that the eyes of contemporaries should discover in the public felicity the latent causes of decay and corruption. This long peace, and the uniform government of the Romans, introduced a slow and secret poison into the vitals of the empire. The minds of men were gradually reduced to the same level, the fire of genius was extinguished, and even the military spirit evaporated.