[2] And proceeding to the sanctuary of Vulcan, where it was custom for the people to hold their assemblies, they first commended them for their alacrity and zeal in attending en masse, and then advised them to wait quietly till the preliminary decree of the senate should be passed; and they exhorted the kinsmen of the seceders to entertain good hopes of getting back in a short time those who were dearest to them. After that they went to the senate-house, where they not only themselves spoke with reasonableness and moderation, but also asked the rest to deliver opinions that were expedient and humane. And ahead of all the others they called upon Menenius, who, rising up, spoke to the same effect as before, exhorting the senate to make the accommodation, and expressed the same opinion, asking that envoys should speedily be sent to the seceders with full powers in regard to the accommodation.
[1] μετὰ τοῦτον ἀνίσταντο καλούμενοι καθ᾽ ἡλικίαν οἱ τὴν ὑπατικὴν ἐσχηκότες ἀρχήν, οἷς ἅπασιν ἐδόκει τῇ Μενηνίου χρῆσθαι γνώμῃ, τέως καθῆκεν ὁ λόγος εἰς τὸν Ἄππιον. ὁ δ᾽ ἀναστάς, ὁρῶ μέν, ἔφησεν, ὅτι καὶ τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἐστὶ κεχαρισμένον, ὦ βουλή, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὑμῖν ὀλίγου δεῖν πᾶσι κατάγειν τὸν δῆμον, ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἂν αὐτὸς ἀξιοῖ: καὶ μόνος ἐξ ἁπάντων [p. 363] ἐγὼ λείπομαι τῶν ἐναντιωθέντων πρὸς τὰς διαλύσεις ἐκείνοις τ᾽ ἀπεχθὴς διαμένων καὶ ὑμῖν οὐδὲν ἔτι χρήσιμος ὤν.
[68.1] After him the others who had held the office of consul, being called upon according to their age, rose up and all favoured adopting the opinion of Menenius, till it came to the turn of Appius to speak. He, rising up, said: “I see, senators, that it is the pleasure both of the consuls and of almost all the rest of you to bring back the people upon their own terms; and I alone am left of all those who opposed the accommodation, with the result that I continue to be hated by them and at the same time am no longer of any use to you.
[2] οὐ μὴν διὰ ταῦτά γ᾽ ἀποστήσομαι τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγνωσμένων οὐδὲ καταλείψω τὴν τάξιν τῆς πολιτείας ἑκών. ὅσῳ δ᾽ ἂν ἐρημότερος γένωμαι τῶν τὰ αὐτά μοι προελομένων, τοσούτῳ τιμιώτερος ὑμῖν ἔσομαί ποτ᾽ ἐν χρόνῳ, καὶ περιέσται μοι ζῶντι μὲν ἔπαινος, τελευτήσαντι δ᾽ ἡ παρὰ τῶν ἐπιγινομένων μνήμη. εἴη μὲν οὖν, ὦ Καπετώλιε Ζεῦ καὶ θεοὶ πόλεως ἐπίσκοποι τῆς ἡμετέρας ἥρωές τε καὶ δαίμονες, ὅσοι γῆν τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἐφορᾶτε, καλὴ καὶ συμφέρουσα πᾶσιν ἡ τῶν φυγάδων κάθοδος, καὶ ψευσθείην ἐγὼ τῶν ἐλπίδων,
[2] Nevertheless, I shall not on this account depart from my former opinion nor willingly desert my post as a citizen; but the more I am abandoned by those who formerly espoused the same sentiments, the more I shall one day be esteemed by you; while I live, I shall be praised by you, and when I am dead, I shall be remembered by posterity. But do thou, Jupiter Capitolinus, and ye guardian gods of our city, ye heroes and divinities who keep watch over the land of the Romans, grant that the return of the fugitives may be honourable and advantageous to all, and that I may be mistaken in my forebodings regarding the future.
[3] ἃς ὑπὲρ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἔχω χρόνου. ἐὰν δέ τι δεινὸν ἐκ τούτων καταλάβῃ τῶν βουλευμάτων τὴν πόλιν: ἔσται δὲ τοῦτο φανερὸν οὐκ εἰς μακράν: τούτοις μὲν ταχεῖαν ἐπανόρθωσιν αὐτοὶ δοίητε καὶ σωτηρίαν τοῖς πράγμασιν ἀσφαλῆ, ἐμοὶ δ᾽, ὃς οὔτ᾽ ἐν ἄλλῳ καιρῷ πώποτε τὰ ἥδιστα εἱλόμην λέγειν ἀντὶ τῶν ὠφελιμωτάτων οὔτε νῦν προδίδωμι τὸ κοινὸν ἰδίαν καταπραττόμενος ἀσφάλειαν,
[3] But if any misfortune should come upon the commonwealth as a result of these measures — and this will soon be manifest — may ye yourselves speedily correct them and grant safety and security to the commonwealth! And to me, who neither upon any other occasion ever chose to say the things that were most agreeable instead of those that were most profitable, nor am now betraying the state while securing my own safety, may ye be favourable and propitious!
[4] εὐμενεῖς εἴητε καὶ μειλίχιοι. θεοῖς μὲν δὴ ταῦτα εὔχομαι, λόγων γὰρ οὐδὲν ἔτι δεῖ: γνώμην δ᾽, ἣν καὶ πρότερον ἀποφαίνομαι, τοὺς μὲν ἐν τῇ πόλει διαμένοντας τῶν δημοτικῶν ἀφίεσθαι χρεῶν, τοῖς δ᾽ ἀποστάταις πολεμεῖν ἁπάσῃ προθυμίᾳ, τέως ἂν ἔτι διαμένωσιν ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις. [p. 364]
[4] These are the prayers I address to the gods; for speeches are of no further use. The opinion I express is the same as before, namely, to relieve of their debts the people who remain in the city, but to make war upon the seceders with the utmost vigour as long as they remain in arms.”
[1] ταῦτ᾽ εἰπὼν ἐπαύσατο. ἐπεὶ δ᾽ αἱ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων γνῶμαι τῇ Μενηνίου προσέθεντο, καὶ καθῆκεν ὁ λόγος ἐπὶ τοὺς νεωτέρους, ὀρθῆς οὔσης ἁπάσης τῆς βουλῆς ἀνίσταται Σπόριος Ναύτιος, οἰκίας ἐν τοῖς πάνυ λαμπροτάτης διάδοχος: ὁ γὰρ ἡγεμὼν αὐτῶν τοῦ γένους Ναύτιος ἀπὸ τῶν σὺν Αἰνείᾳ στειλάντων τὴν ἀποικίαν, ὃς ἦν Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερεὺς Πολιάδος καὶ τὸ ξόανον ἀπηνέγκατο τῆς θεᾶς μετανιστάμενος, ὃ διεφύλαττον ἄλλοι παρ᾽ ἄλλων μεταλαμβάνοντες οἱ τοῦ γένους ὄντες τοῦ Ναυτίων: ὃς ἐδόκει καὶ διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀρετὴν λαμπρότατος εἶναι τῶν νέων, καὶ οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν τῆς ὑπατικῆς ἐξουσίας τεύξεσθαι.
[69] Having said this, he ended. When the opinions of the older senators agreed with that of Menenius and it came to the turn of the younger members to speak, the whole senate being on tip-toe with suspense, Spurius Nautius rose up, the heir of a most illustrious family. For Nautius, the founder of the line, was one of those who took out the colony with Aeneas, being a priest of Athena Polias; and when he removed from Troy, he brought with him the wooden statue of that goddess, which the family of the Nautii guarded thereafter, receiving it in succession one from another. This man was esteemed the most illustrious of all the younger senators for his own merits as well, and it was expected that he would soon obtain the consulship.
[2] ἀρξάμενος δ᾽ ἀπολογεῖσθαι κοινὴν ἀπολογίαν ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων τῶν νέων, ὡς οὔτε φιλονεικίᾳ τῇ πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας οὔτε αὐθαδείᾳ χρησαμένων, ὅτε τὴν ἐναντίαν ἔσχον ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ βουλῇ προαίρεσιν, ἀλλ᾽ εἴπερ ἄρα ἡμάρτανον διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν γνώμῃ σφαλέντων, τελευτῶν ἔφη τὸ πιστὸν τούτου παρέξεσθαι τὴν μεταβολήν. συγχωρεῖν γοῦν αὐτοῖς ὡς ἄμεινον φρονοῦσιν ἐπιψηφίζεσθαι πᾶν, ὅ τι ἂν ἡγῶνται τῷ κοινῷ συμφέρειν, ὡς οὐδὲν σφῶν γε πρὸς ταῦτ᾽ ἐναντιωσομένων, ἀλλὰ
[2] He began by making a gene
ral defence of all the younger senators, declaring that neither a spirit of rivalry towards their elders nor arrogance had induced them to adopt a position opposed to that of the others at the last meeting of the senate, and if they had committed any error, it had been a mistake in judgment due to their youth; and in conclusion he said that they would now give proof of this by changing their opinion. They consented at any rate that the others, as men of better judgment, should decree whatever they thought most conducive to the welfare of the state, assuring them that they, at least, would offer no opposition in this matter, but would follow the advice of their elders.
[3] πεισομένων τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις. ὅμοια δὲ τούτῳ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων νέων ἀποφηναμένων ἐκτὸς ὀλίγων τινῶν πάνυ τῶν Ἀππίου συγγενῶν ἐπαινέσαντες τὴν εὐκοσμίαν αὐτῶν οἱ ὕπατοι καὶ παρακαλέσαντες εἰς πάντα [p. 365] τὰ κοινὰ τοιούτους ἑαυτοὺς παρέχειν πρεσβευτὰς εἵλοντο δέκα τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, ἐκτὸς ἑνὸς ἅπαντας ὑπατικούς. οἱ δ᾽ ἀποδειχθέντες ἦσαν οἵδε: Ἀγρίππας Μενήνιος Γαΐου υἱὸς Λαινάτης, Μάνιος Οὐαλέριος Οὐολούσσου υἱὸς ... Πόπλιος Σερουίλιος Ποπλίου υἱὸς ... Πόπλιος Ποστούμιος Κοίντου υἱὸς Τούβερτος, Τῖτος Αἰβούτιος Τίτου υἱὸς Φλαούιος, Σέρβιος Σολπίκιος Ποπλίου υἱὸς Καμερῖνος, Αὖλος Ποστούμιος Ποπλίου υἱὸς Βάλβος, Αὖλος Οὐεργίνιος Αὔλου υἱὸς Καιλιμοντανός.
[3] And when all the other younger members made the same declaration, except a very small number who were related to Appius, the consuls commended their dignified behaviour and exhorted them to conduct themselves in the same manner in all public matters; after which they chose as envoys ten men who were the most distinguished of the older senators, all but one being former consuls. Those appointed were the following: Agrippa Menenius Lanatus, the son of Gaius, Manius Valerius [Volusus], the son of Volusus, . . ., Publius Servilius [Priscus], the son of Publius, . . ., Publius Postumius Tubertus, the son of Quintus, Titus Aebutius Flavus, the son of Titus, Servius Sulpicius Camerinus, the son of Publius, Aulus Postumius Balbus, the son of Publius, and Aulus Verginius Caelimontanus, the son of Aulus.
[4] μετὰ ταῦτα τῆς βουλῆς διαλυθείσης οἱ μὲν ὕπατοι προελθόντες εἰς ἐκκλησίαν τὸ δόγμα τῆς βουλῆς ἀνέγνωσαν καὶ τοὺς πρεσβευτὰς παρήγαγον: ἁπάντων δ᾽ ἀξιούντων τὰς ἐντολάς, ἃς ἔδωκαν αὐτοῖς, μαθεῖν, εἶπον ἐν τῷ φανερῷ, πράττειν, ὅτῳ ἂν τρόπῳ δύνωνται, φιλίαν τῷ δήμῳ συνθέσθαι πρὸς τοὺς πατρικίους ἄτερ δόλου καὶ ἀπάτης καὶ καταγαγεῖν τοὺς φεύγοντας ἐπὶ τὰ σφέτερα ἐν τάχει.
[4] After this, the senate being dismissed, the consuls went to the assembly of the people, and having ordered the decree of the senate to be read, presented the envoys. And as everyone desired to be informed of the instructions which the senate had given them, the consuls declared openly that they had ordered them to reconcile the people to the patricians by any means they could without fraud or deceit and to bring the fugitives home speedily.
[1] ταύτας οἱ πρέσβεις παρ᾽ αὐτῶν λαβόντες τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐθημερὸν ἐξῄεσαν. φθάσασα δὲ τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτῶν ἡ φήμη διήγγειλε τοῖς ἐπὶ στρατοπέδου [p. 366] πάντα τὰ ἐν τῇ πόλει γενόμενα, καὶ αὐτίκα πάντες ἐκλιπόντες τὸ ἔρυμα ὑπήντων ἔτι καθ᾽ ὁδὸν οὖσι τοῖς πρεσβευταῖς. ἦν δέ τις ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ πάνυ ταραχώδης καὶ στασιαστὴς ἀνήρ, ὀξὺς τῇ γνώμῃ προιδεῖν τι τῶν ἐσομένων ἐκ πολλοῦ, καὶ εἰπεῖν ὅ τι νοήσειεν ὡς λάλος καὶ κωτίλος οὐκ ἀδύνατος, ὃς ἐκαλεῖτο μὲν Λεύκιος Ἰούνιος, ὁμώνυμος τῷ καταλύσαντι τοὺς βασιλεῖς, ἐκπληρῶσαι δὲ τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν βουλόμενος ἠξίου καὶ Βροῦτος ἐπικαλεῖσθαι. τοῖς δ᾽ ἄρα πολλοῖς γέλως ἐπὶ τῇ κενοσπουδίᾳ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰσήρχετο, καὶ ὅτε βουληθεῖεν ἐπισκώπτειν αὐτὸν Βροῦτον ἐπεκάλουν.
[70.1] The envoys, having received these instructions from the senate, when out of the city the same day. But the news of everything that had passed in the city reached those in the camp ahead of them, and presently all the plebeians left the encampment and met the envoys while they were still upon the road. Now there was in the camp a very turbulent and seditious man who had a shrewd mine for foreseeing something of the future far in advance, and he was not lacking in ability to express his thoughts, being a great talker and babbler. He had the same name, Lucius Junius, as the man who had overthrown the kings, and desiring to make the similarity of their names complete, he wished also to be called Brutus. To most people, it seems, he was a laughing-stock because of his vain pretentiousness, and when they wished to make sport of him, they called him by the nickname Brutus.
[2] οὗτος ὁ ἀνὴρ τὸν ἡγεμόνα τοῦ στρατοπέδου Σικίννιον διδάξας, ὡς οὐκ ἄμεινον εἴη τῷ δήμῳ ῥᾳδίως ἑαυτὸν ἐπιτρέπειν τοῖς προτεινομένοις, ἵνα μὴ ἀπ᾽ ἐλάττονος ἀξιώσεως ἀτιμοτέραν εὕρηται τὴν κάθοδον, ἀλλ᾽ ἐναντιοῦσθαι μέχρι πολλοῦ καὶ τραγῳδίαν τινὰ ἐπιθεῖναι τοῖς πράγμασι προσποιητόν, ὑποσχόμενός τ᾽ αὐτὸς ἀναλήψεσθαι τὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ δήμου λόγον τά τ᾽ ἄλλα ὑποθέμενος, ἃ χρὴ πράττειν ἢ λέγειν, ἔπεισε τὸν Σικίννιον. καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ὁ μὲν Σικίννιος συγκαλέσας εἰς ἐκκλησίαν τὸν δῆμον ἐκέλευσε τοὺς πρεσβευτὰς ὑπὲρ ὧν ἥκουσι λέγειν.
[2] This man now showed Sicinius, who was the commander of the camp, that it was not to the best interest of the people to submit readily to the proposals that were offered, lest by beginning with too moderate a demand, they might find their return home less honourable, but to oppose them for a long time and to inject into the negotiations an element of play-acting; and after promising to take upon himself the defence of the people and suggesting everything else that was to be done and said, he prevailed upon Sicinius. Thereupon Sicinius, assembling the people, asked the envoys to state their reason for coming.
[1] παρελθὼν δὲ Μάνιος Οὐαλέριος, ὅσπερ ἦν αὐτῶν πρεσβύτατός τε καὶ δημοτικώτατος, ἐπιμαρτυρήσαντος αὐτῷ τὴν προθυμίαν τοῦ πλήθους εὐμενεστάταις φωναῖς καὶ προσηγορίαις, ἐπειδὴ σιωπῆς ἔτυχε [p. 367] τοιούτοις ἐχρήσατο λόγοις: οὐδὲν ὑμᾶς ἔτι τὸ κωλῦόν ἐστιν, ὦ δημόται, κατιέναι πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ ὑμέτερα καὶ διηλλάχθαι πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας.
[71.1] Then Manius Valerius, who was the oldest of the envoys and most in sympathy with the common people, came forward, while the crowd testified their affection for him by the friendliest expressions and appellations; and when he had secured silence, he spoke as follows:
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“Nothing now hinders you, plebeians, from returning to your homes and being reconciled to the senators.
[2] ἐψήφισται γὰρ ἡ βουλὴ καλὴν καὶ συμφέρουσαν ὑμῖν κάθοδον, καὶ γνώμην πεποίηται μηδενὸς τῶν γεγονότων μνησικακεῖν: ἡμᾶς τε οὓς ἐγίγνωσκε φιλοδημοτάτους ὄντας καὶ πρὸς ὑμῶν τὰ δίκαια τιμωμένους πρεσβευτὰς ἀπέσταλκεν αὐτοκράτορας ἀποδείξασα τῶν διαλύσεων, ἵνα μὴ δόξαις μηδ᾽ εἰκασμοῖς χρώμενοι περὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας γνώμης, ἀλλὰ παρ᾽ αὐτῶν ὑμῶν ἀκούσαντες, ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἀξιοῦτε καταλύσασθαι τὴν διχοστασίαν, ἂν ᾖ μέτριόν τι τῶν αἰτημάτων καὶ μήτε τῷ ἀδυνάτῳ μήτε ὑπ᾽ ἄλλης αἰσχύνης ἀνηκέστου κωλύηται, συγχωρῶμεν ὑμῖν μηκέτι τὴν τοῦ συνεδρίου γνώμην ἐκδεχόμενοι, μηδ᾽ εἰς χρόνους μακροὺς καὶ φθόνους ἀντιπάλων ἀναβάλλοντες τὰ πράγματα.
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 569