Et facere et pati fortia Romanum est

Et facere et pati fortia Romanum est is a Latin phrase meaning "It is the attribute of a Roman to perform as well as to suffer mighty things."

According to legend, a certain Mucius Cordus attempted to kill the Etruscan king Lars Porsena, who was besieging Rome.

When the Etruscans caught him, he said “Romanus sum civis” (I am a Roman citizen) and continued with "et facere et pati fortia Romanum est".

To prove his point, he held his right hand without flinching in a fire that the king had ordered to torture him.

Cicero was later famously to use the phrase civis romanus sum in a different context.