Explanation: Roman Emperors are sometimes thought of as monarchs - and while they certainly held incredible power, the position of the Roman Emperor was envisioned as a magistrate in the Roman government - powerful, yes, but not innately special. In-line with this ideology, the Emperor Decius, when his only son and heir, Herennius Etruscus, was killed during skirmishing before the Battle of Abritus, rallied the Roman troops with the stated line.

The thinking being, he and his son were only part of something greater; victory or defeat did not depend on those who were exalted by wealth, but on the exertion of the citizenry in the defence of THEIR common government!

... the Romans would lose the ensuing battle, and be utterly butchered in the swamps by Germanic tribesmen. But it was a good line!