Paul L. Maier > Quotes

“Who set Rome on fire? The man we must admire. For killing his wife, and taking the life of mother and brother and so many others, while plucking his damnable lyre.”
― Paul L. Maier, The Flames of Rome

“It is better to let people think you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
― Paul L. Maier, The Constantine Codex

“no man is ever a complete failure. He can always serve as a horrible example!”
― Paul L. Maier, The Flames of Rome

“There was no sound, and this compounded the unreality of the situation. In the course of a raucous evening, nothing is louder than silence.”
― Paul L. Maier, Pontius Pilate

“I brought you eyewitness reports about Jesus’ healings and the phenomenon of raising the dead, and you only opened your bag of logical tricks and came up with some threadbare explanation which was far more fantastic than the event it was supposed to explain.”
― Paul L. Maier, Pontius Pilate: A Novel

“Fear the people, then, Excellency. They consider John a prophet."
Salome now tilted her head upward and stared directly into the eyes of Antipas in an unmistakeably challenging expression. Her mien spoke eloquently what remained unspoken: "I dare you to break your word, Tetrarch Herod Antipas, in front of all your guests."
Pilate, at the outer edge of that stare, caught the smirk of success spelled out by Salome's limpid blue eyes and firmly pressing, perfect lips. But he did not intervene. He had overheard Chuza's advice to Antipas, and it was obviously correct. Only a fool would fail to heed it, and the Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea was no fool.
But Pilate was a Roman, a practical man who could temper absolutes to suit circumstances, as Rome herself had been doing for the last seven hundred years. Here in the East, however, absolutes were not so easily adjusted, and the spoken word was thought to have a power all its own.”
― Paul L. Maier, Pontius Pilate

“Splendid work, Malchus!" the high priest commended. "Oh... I'm sorry about the ear, but we'll need you at the trial as evidence that they were armed and gave resistance. Now, go and see the doctor."
Still dazed and in semi-shock, Malchus slowly removed his hand and showed Caiaphas a normal right ear, attached where it should be. "Yeshu," he said, "picked it up... put it back... healed—"
"Fool!" Caiaphas slapped him. "We have no time for your idle lies. Get hold of yourself! Now take this over to the Herodian palace." He thrust a note into the servant's hand and sent him out, muttering, "A little excitement, and the knave hallucinates.”
― Paul L. Maier, Pontius Pilate

“rising star”
― Paul L. Maier, The Flames of Rome

“The man seems to wield enormous authority over the people.”
― Paul L. Maier, Pontius Pilate: A Novel