Help with a famous quote!

Lo

Not sure where to put this request but this seemed to be the right place

I am looking for a quote that went along the lines of:

Head guy says: lets make all the people who disagree with us, wear arm bands

Advisor says: best not do that - then the people will see how many people actually disagree with us and that wouldn't be good

Sorry for the generic, very simplistic version but I have been wracking my brainio trying to figure out where I had seen it (someones sig on here at some point I think) and who said it!

ta muchly for your time

[edit on 28/11/2008 by skibtz]

It is from the Roman Senate, but the exact source is obscure,
One Senator to another 'Perhaps we should make the slaves wear armbands in order to identify them'
The other replied 'Perhaps not for they would see how many they are and rise up agains us'

Two thousand years ago, a Roman Senator suggested that all slaves wear white armbands to better identify them.

"No," said a wiser Senator. "If they see how many of them there are, they may revolt."

Thank you very much

As the 2 above me posted...

Its an VERY OLD quote...

But like many quotes plucked from Antiquity, their orgin is not well know