[44] “If, now, the people, after being treated well, had failed to keep the promises made by me to the senate in their name, my defence to that body must have been that you had violated your word, but that there was no deceit on my part. But since it is the promises made to you by the senate that have not been fulfilled, I am now under the necessity of stating to the people that the treatment you have met with does not have my approval, but that both of us alike have been cheated and misled, and I more than you, inasmuch as I am wronged, not alone in being deceived in common with you all, but am also hurt in my own reputation. For I am accused of having turned over to the poor among you, without the consent of the senate, the spoils taken from the enemy, in the desire to gain a private advantage for myself, and of demanding that the property of the citizens be confiscated, though the senate forbade me to act in violation of the laws, and of having disbanded the armies in spite of the opposition of the senators, when I ought to have kept you in the enemy’s country occupied in sleeping in the open and in endless marching.
[2] ἐν τῇ πολεμίᾳ κατέχειν ὑμᾶς. ὠνείδισται δέ μοι καὶ ἡ τῶν κληρούχων εἰς Οὐολούσκους ἐκπομπή, ὅτι γῆν πολλὴν καὶ ἀγαθὴν οὐ τοῖς πατρικίοις οὐδὲ τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν ἐχαρισάμην, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀπόροις ὑμῶν διένειμα: καὶ ὃ μάλιστά μοι τὴν πλείστην ἀγανάκτησιν παρέσχεν, ὅτι πλείους ἢ τετρακόσιοι ἄνδρες ἐκ τοῦ δήμου τοῖς ἱππεῦσι προσκατελέγησαν ἐπὶ τῆς στρατολογίας βίων εὐπορήσαντες.
[2] I am also reproached in the matter of sending the colonists into the territory of the Volscians, on the ground that I did not bestow a large and fertile country upon the patricians or even upon the knights, but allotted it to the poor among you. But the thing in particular which has occasioned the greatest indignation against me is that, in raising the army, more than four hundred well-to-do plebeians were added to the knights.
[3] εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀκμάζοντί μοι τὸ σῶμα ταῦτα προσέπεσε, δῆλον ἂν ἔργῳ ἐποίησα τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, οἷον ὄντα με ἄνδρα προὐπηλάκισαν: ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ ὑπὲρ ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη γέγονα καὶ οὐ δυνατὸς ἔτι ἀμύνειν ἑαυτῷ εἰμι ὁρῶ τε, ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ἔτι ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ παύσαιτο ἡ στάσις ὑμῶν, ἀποτίθεμαι τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς βουλομένοις τὸ σῶμα ἐμαυτοῦ ποιῶ, εἴ τι οἴονται ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐξηπατῆσθαι, χρήσασθαί μοι ὅτι ἂν δικαιῶσι.
[3] If, now, I had been thus treated when I was in the vigour of my youth, I should have made it clear to my enemies by my deeds what kind of man they had abused; but as I am now above seventy years old and no longer capable of defending myself, and since I perceive that your discord can no longer be allayed by me, I am laying down my office and putting myself in the hands of any who may desire it in the belief that they have been deceived by me in any respect, to be treated in such manner as they shall think fit.”
[1] ταῦτ᾽ εἰπὼν τὸ μὲν δημοτικὸν ἅπαν εἰς συμπάθειαν ὑπηγάγετο, καὶ προὔπεμψαν αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἀπιόντα: τὴν δὲ βουλὴν ἔτι χαλεπωτέραν αὐτῷ γενέσθαι παρεσκεύασεν. εὐθὺς δὲ μετὰ τοῦτο τάδε ἐγίνετο: οἱ μὲν πένητες οὐκέτι κρύφα οὐδὲ νύκτωρ ὡς πρότερον, ἀλλ᾽ ἀναφανδὸν ἤδη συνιόντες ἐβούλευον ἀπόστασιν ἐκ τῶν πατρικίων: ἡ δὲ βουλὴ κωλύειν διανοουμένη τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἐπέταξε μήπω λύειν τὰ στρατεύματα. τῶν γὰρ τριῶν ταγμάτων ἑκάτερος ἔτι κύριος ἦν τοῖς στρατιωτικοῖς ὅρκοις κατειργομένων καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀπολείπεσθαι τῶν σημείων ἠξίου: τοσοῦτον [p. 329] ἴσχυσεν ὁ τῶν ὅρκων ἐν ἑκάστῳ φόβος. πρόφασις δὲ κατεσκευάσθη τῆς στρατείας, ὡς Αἰκανῶν καὶ Σαβίνων συνεληλυθότων εἰς ἓν ἐπὶ τῷ κατὰ Ῥωμαίων πολέμῳ.
[45.1] With these words Valerius aroused the sympathy of all the plebeians, who accompanied him when he left the Forum; but he increased the resentment of the senate against him. And immediately afterwards the following events happened: The poor, no longer meeting secretly and by night, as before, but openly now, were planning a secession from the patricians; and the senate, with the purpose of preventing this, ordered the consuls not to disband the armies as yet. For each consul still had command of his three legions, which were restrained by their military oaths, and none of the soldiers cared to desert their standards, so far did the fear of violating their oaths prevail with all of them. The pretext contrived for leading out the forces was that the Aequians and Sabines had joined together to make war upon the Romans.
[2] ὡς δὲ προῆλθον ἔξω τῆς πόλεως οἱ ὕπατοι τὰς δυνάμεις ἔχοντες καὶ τὰς παρεμβολὰς οὐ πρόσω ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων ἔθεντο, συνελθόντες οἱ στρατιῶται εἰς ἓν ἅπαντες, ὅπλων τε καὶ σημείων ὄντες κύριοι, Σικιννίου τινὸς Βελλούτου παροξύναντος αὐτοὺς ἀφίστανται τῶν ὑπάτων ἁρπάσαντες τὰ σημεῖα: τιμιώτατα γὰρ Ῥωμαίοις ταῦτ᾽ ἐπὶ στρατείας καὶ ὥσπερ ἱδρύματα θεῶν ἱερὰ νομίζονται: λοχαγούς τε ἑτέρους καὶ περὶ πάντων ἄρχοντα τὸν Σικίννιον ἀποδείξαντες, ὄρος τι καταλαμβάνονται πλησίον Ἀνίητος ποταμοῦ κείμενον, οὐ πρόσω τῆς Ῥώμης, ὃ νῦν ἐξ ἐκείνου Ἱερὸν ὄρος καλεῖται.
[2] After the consuls had marched out of the city with their forces and pitched their camps near one another, the soldiers all assembled together, having in their possession both the arms and the standards, and at the instigation of one Sicinius Bellutus they seized the standards and revolted from the consuls (these standards are held in the greatest honour by the Romans on a campaign and like statues of the gods are accounted holy); and having appointed different centurions and made Sicinius their leader in all matters, they occupied a certain mount situated near the river Anio, not far from Rome, which from that circumstance is still called the Sacred Mount.
[3] τῶν δ᾽ ὑπάτων καὶ λοχαγῶν μετακαλούντων αὐτοὺς ἅμα δεήσει καὶ οἰμωγῇ καὶ πολλὰ ὑπισχνουμένων ἀπεκρίνατο ὁ Σικίννιος: τίνα γνώμην ἔχοντες, ὦ πατρίκιοι, οὓς ἀπηλάσατε ἐκ τῆς πατρίδος καὶ ἀντ᾽ ἐλευθέρων δούλους ἐποιήσατε, νῦν μετακαλεῖτε; ποίᾳ δὲ πίστει τὰς ὑποσχέσεις ἡμῖν ἐμπεδώσετε, ἃς πολλάκις ἤδη ψευσάμενοι ἐλέγχεσθε; ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ μόνοι τὴν πόλιν ἀξιοῦτε κατέχειν, ἄπιτε μηδὲν ὑπὸ τῶν πενήτων καὶ ταπεινῶν ἐνοχλούμενοι: ἡμῖν δ᾽ ἀρκέσει πᾶσα γῆ, ἐν ᾗ ἂν τὸ ἐλεύθερον ἔχωμεν, ὁποία ποτ᾽ ἂν ᾖ, νομίζεσθαι πατρίς. [p. 330]
[3] And when the consuls and the centurions called upon them to return, mingling entreaties and lamentations, and making many promises, Sicinius replied: “With what purpose, patricians, do you now recall those whom you have driven from the
ir country and transformed from free men into slaves? What assurances will you give us for the performance of those promises which you are convicted of having often broken already? But since you desire to have sole possession of the city, return thither undisturbed by the poor and humble. As for us, we shall be content to regard as our country any land, whatever it be, in which we may enjoy our liberty.”
[1] ὡς δ᾽ ἠγγέλθη ταῦτα τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει, πολὺς θόρυβος καὶ οἰμωγὴ ἦν καὶ διὰ τῶν στενωπῶν δρόμος, τοῦ μὲν δήμου καταλιπεῖν τὴν πόλιν παρασκευαζομένου, τῶν δὲ πατρικίων ἀποτρέπειν ἀξιούντων καὶ βίαν τοῖς μὴ βουλομένοις προσφέρειν: βοή τε περὶ τὰς πύλας καὶ πολὺς ἀνακλαυθμὸς ἦν λόγοι τε κατ᾽ ἀλλήλων ἐχθροὶ καὶ ἔργα πολεμίων ἐγίνοντο οὐκέτι διακρίνοντος οὐδενὸς οὔτε ἡλικίαν οὔτε ἑταιρίαν οὔτε ἀξίωσιν ἀρετῆς.
[46.1] When these things were reported to those in the city, there was great tumult and lamentation and running through the streets, as the populace prepared to leave the city and the patricians endeavoured to dissuade them and offered violence to those who refused to obey. And there was great clamour and wailing at the gates, and hostile words were exchanged and hostile acts committed, as no one paid heed any longer to either age, comradeship, or the respect due to virtue.
[2] ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ οἱ ταχθέντες ὑπὸ τῆς βουλῆς φρουρεῖν τὰς ἐξόδους: ἦσαν γὰρ δὴ ὀλίγοι καὶ οὐχ ἱκανοὶ ἔτι ἀντέχειν: ἐκβιασθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου κατέλιπον τὴν φυλακήν, τότε ἤδη τὸ δημοτικὸν πολὺ ἐξεχεῖτο, καὶ τὸ πάθος ἦν ἁλώσει πόλεως ἐμφερές, οἰμωγή τε τῶν ὑπομενόντων καὶ κατάμεμψις ἀλλήλων ἐγίνετο ἐρημουμένην τὴν πόλιν ὁρώντων. μετὰ τοῦτο βουλαί τε συχναὶ καὶ κατηγορίαι τῶν αἰτίων τῆς ἀποστάσεως ἐγίνοντο. ἐν δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ καιρῷ καὶ τὰ πολέμια ἔθνη ἐπετίθεντο αὐτοῖς προνομεύοντα τὴν γῆν ἄχρι τῆς πόλεως. οἱ μέντοι ἀποστάται τὸν ἀναγκαῖον ἐπισιτισμὸν ἐκ τῶν πλησίον ἀγρῶν λαμβάνοντες, ἄλλο δ᾽ οὐδὲν τὴν χώραν κακουργοῦντες, ἔμενον ὑπαίθριοι καὶ τοὺς προσιόντας ἐκ τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῶν πέριξ φρουρίων ὑπελάμβανον συχνοὺς ἤδη γινομένους.
[2] When those appointed by the senate to guard the exits, being few in number and unable any longer to resist them, were forced by the people to desert their post, then at last the populace rushed out in great multitudes and the commotion resembled the capture of a city; there were the lamentations of those who remained behind and their mutual recriminations as they saw the city being deserted. After this there were frequent meetings of the senate and accusations against those who were responsible for the secession. At the same time the enemy nations also attacked them, plundering their territory up to the very city. However, the seceders, taking the necessary provisions from the fields that lay near them, without doing any other mischief to the country, remained in the open and received such as resorted to them from city and the fortresses round about, who were already coming to them in great numbers.
[3] οὐ γὰρ μόνον οἱ τὰ χρέα καὶ τὰς καταδίκας καὶ τὰς προσδοκωμένας ἀνάγκας διαφυγεῖν προαιρούμενοι συνέρρεον [p. 331] ὡς αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὅσοις ὁ βίος ἦν ἀργὸς ἢ ῥᾴθυμος ἢ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις χορηγεῖν οὐχ ἱκανὸς ἢ πονηρῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων ζηλωτὴς ἢ φθονερὸς ταῖς ἑτέρων εὐτυχίαις ἢ δι᾽ ἄλλην τινὰ συμφορὰν ἢ αἰτίαν ἀλλοτρίως διακείμενος τῇ καθεστώσῃ πολιτείᾳ.
[3] Not only those who were desirous of escaping their debts and the sentences and punishments they expected, flocked to them, but many others also who led lazy or dissolute lives, or whose fortunes were not sufficient to gratify their desires, or who were devoted to vicious practices, or were envious of the prosperity of others, or because of some other misfortune or reason were hostile to the established government.
[1] τοῖς δὲ πατρικίοις ἐν μὲν τῷ παραυτίκα ταραχὴ ἐνέπεσε πολλὴ καὶ ἔκπληξις, καὶ ὡς αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα τῶν ἀποστατῶν ἅμα τοῖς ἀλλοεθνέσι πολεμίοις ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ἡξόντων δέος. ἔπειθ᾽ ὡς ἐξ ἑνὸς παρακελεύσματος ἁρπάσαντες τὰ ὅπλα σὺν τοῖς οἰκείοις ἕκαστοι πελάταις, οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τὰς ὁδοὺς ἃς ἥξειν ἐνόμιζον τοὺς πολεμίους παρεβοήθουν, οἱ δ᾽ ἐπὶ τὰ φρούρια φυλακῆς ἕνεκα τῶν ἐρυμάτων ἐξῄεσαν, οἱ δ᾽ ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις τῆς πόλεως πεδίοις ἐστρατοπεδεύοντο: ὅσοι δὲ διὰ γῆρας ἀδύνατοι τούτων τι δρᾶν ἦσαν ἐπὶ
[47.1] At first great confusion and consternation fell upon the patricians, who feared that the seceders would at once come against the city together with the foreign enemies. Then, as if at a single signal, snatching up arms and attended each by his own clients, some went to defend the roads by which they expected the enemy would approach, others marched out to the fortresses in order to secure them, while still others encamped on the plains before the city; and those who by reason of age were unable to anything of the kind took their places upon the walls.
[2] τοῖς τείχεσιν ἐτάξαντο. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοὺς ἀποστάτας κατέμαθον οὔτε τοῖς πολεμίοις προστιθεμένους οὔτε τὴν χώραν δῃοῦντας οὔτε ἄλλο βλάπτοντας οὐδὲν ὅ τι καὶ λόγου ἄξιον, τοῦ δέους ἐπαύσαντο: καὶ μεταθέμενοι τὰς γνώμας, ἐφ᾽ οἷστε διαλλαγήσονται πρὸς αὐτούς, ἐσκόπουν: καὶ ἐλέχθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν ἡγουμένων τοῦ συνεδρίου λόγοι παντοδαποὶ καὶ πλεῖστον ἀλλήλων διάφοροι, μετριώτατοι δὲ καὶ πρεπωδέστατοι ταῖς παρούσαις τύχαις, οὓς οἱ πρεσβύτατοι αὐτῶν ἔλεξαν διδάσκοντες, ὡς οὐδεμᾷ κακίᾳ πεποίηται τὴν ἀπόστασιν ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ὁ δῆμος, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀναγκαίων συμφορῶν βιασθείς, τὰ δ᾽ ὑπὸ τῶν συμβούλων ἐξηπατημένος, [p. 332] ὀργῇ δὲ μᾶλλον ἢ λογισμῷ τὰ συμφέροντα κρίνων, οἷα ἐν ἀμαθεῖ πλήθει γίγνεσθαι φιλεῖ: ἔπειθ᾽ ὅτι συνοίδασιν αὑτοῖς κακῶς βεβουλευμένοις οἱ πλείους καὶ ζητοῦσιν ἀναλύσασθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας εὐσχήμονας ἀφορμὰς λαμβάνοντες: τὰ γοῦν ἔργα δρῶσιν ἤδη μετεγνωκότων, καὶ εἰ λάβοιεν ἐλπίδα χρηστὴν περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος χρόνου, ψηφισαμένης αὐτοῖς ἄδειαν τῆς βουλῆς καὶ διαλλαγὰς ποιησαμένης εὐπρεπεῖς, ἀγαπητῶς τὰ σφέτερα δέξονται.
[2] But when they heard that the seceders were neither joining the enemy, laying was
te the country, nor doing any other mischief worth speaking of, they gave up their fear, and changing their minds, proceeded to consider upon what terms they might come to an agreement with them. And speeches of every kind, directly opposed to one another, were made by the leading men of these; but the most moderate speeches and those most suitable to the existing situation were delivered by the oldest senators, who showed that the people had not made this secession from them with any malicious intent, but partly compelled by irresistible calamities and partly deluded by their advises, and judging of their interest by passion rather than reason, as is wont to happen with an ignorant populace; and furthermore, that the greater part of them were conscious of having been ill advised and were seeking an opportunity of redeeming their offences if they could find plausible excuses for doing so. At any rate their actions were those of men who had already repented, and if they should be given good hope for the future by a vote of the senate granting them impunity and offering an honourable accommodation, they would cheerfully take back what was their own.
[3] ἠξίουν τε ταῦτα παραινοῦντες μὴ χείρους ὀργὴν εἶναι τῶν κακιόνων τοὺς κρείττονας, μηδ᾽ εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἀναβάλλεσθαι τὸν χρόνον τὰς διαλλαγάς, ὅτε ἢ νοῦν ἔχειν ἀναγκασθήσεται τὸ ἀνόητον, ἢ τῷ μείζονι κακῷ τοὔλαττον ἰᾶσθαι ὅπλων παραδόσει καὶ σωμάτων ἐπιτροπῇ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἀφαιρεθὲν αὐτὸ ὑφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ: ταῦτα γὰρ ἐγγὺς εἶναι τοῦ ἀδυνάτου: μετρίως δὲ χρησαμένους ἀρχηγοὺς τῶν συμφερόντων βουλευμάτων γενέσθαι καὶ προτέρους ἐκείνων ἐπὶ τὰς διαλλαγὰς χωρεῖν ἐνθυμουμένους, ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἄρχειν καὶ ἐπιτροπεύειν τοῖς πατρικίοις ὑπάρχει,
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 562