[2] For the senate has voted you an honourable and advantageous return, and has decreed an amnesty for all that has happened. They have also sent us as envoys, men whom they knew to be the greatest friends of the people and deservedly honoured by you, giving us full powers with respect to the accommodation, so that we may not judge of your sentiments by appearances or conjectures, but may learn from you yourselves upon what terms you think fit to put an end to the sedition, and, if there is any moderation in your demands and they are not impossible or precluded by some irreparable dishonour attached to them, we may grant them to you without waiting for the opinion of the senate or exposing the negotiations to long delays and to the jealousy of your adversaries.
[3] ταῦτα δὴ τῆς βουλῆς ἐψηφισμένης δέχεσθε ἄσμενοι τὰς χάριτας αὐτῶν, ὦ δημόται, μετὰ πάσης προθυμίας καὶ σπουδῆς, ἐν μεγάλῳ τιθέμενοι τὴν τοσαύτην εὐτυχίαν καὶ πολλὴν τοῖς θεοῖς χάριν εἰδότες αὐτῆς, εἰ πόλις ἡ Ῥωμαίων ἡ τοσούτων ἄρχουσα ἀνθρώπων, καὶ συνέδριον, ὃ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἔχει πάντων τῶν ἐν ταύτῃ καλῶν, οὐκ ὂν αὐτοῖς πάτριον οὐδενὶ τῶν ἀντιπάλων εἴκειν, ὑμῖν μόνοις ὑποκατακλίνονται τῆς ἀξιώσεως ἑκόντες, καὶ οὔτε ἀκριβολογεῖσθαι περὶ τῶν καθηκόντων ἑκατέροις ἠξίωσαν ὡς ὑποδεεστέροις κρείττονες, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτοὶ πρότεροι περὶ [p. 368] διαλύσεως ἐπρεσβεύσαντο, οὔτε τὰς αὐθάδεις ὑμῶν ἀποκρίσεις, ἃς ἐποιήσασθε πρὸς τοὺς προτέρους πρέσβεις, πρὸς ὀργὴν ἐδέξαντο, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπέμειναν ὑμῶν τὸ σοβαρὸν τοῦτο καὶ μειρακιῶδες τῆς αὐθαδείας βάρος, ὥσπερ ἂν παίδων ἀφρόνων χρηστοὶ πατέρες: καὶ πάλιν ἑτέραν πρεσβείαν ἀποστέλλειν ᾤοντο δεῖν καὶ τῶν δικαίων μειονεκτεῖν καὶ πάντα ὑπομένειν, ὦ πολῖται, τὰ
[3] Since, then, the senate has passed this decree, do you receive their favours, plebeians, joyfully, with the greatest alacrity and enthusiasm, setting a high value upon so great good fortune and returning profound thanks therefor to the gods, in that the Roman commonwealth, which rules over so many people, and the senate, which has the command of all the blessings therein, though it is an established custom with them to yield to none of their adversaries, nevertheless willingly yield some of their dignity in favour of you alone. For they neither thought fit to enter into such a minute discussion of the rights of each side as might be expected from superiors when treating with their inferiors, but instead took the initiative themselves in sending envoys to propose an accommodation, nor did they receive with anger the haughty answers you gave to their former envoys, but endured this insolent and puerile exhibition of your arrogance as good parents would endure that of their foolish children; and they thought they ought to send another embassy and accept less than their full rights, and to submit to anything, citizens, that is reasonable.
[4] μέτρια. ἐπὶ δὴ τοσαύτης βεβηκότες εὐτυχίας μὴ μέλλετε λέγειν, ὦ δημόται, τίνων χρήζετε μηδ᾽ ἐντρυφᾶτε ἡμῖν, καταλυσάμενοι δὲ τὴν στάσιν ἄπιτε χαίροντες εἰς τὴν γειναμένην τε καὶ θρεψαμένην ὑμᾶς πόλιν, ᾗ τροφεῖά τε καὶ χάριτας οὐ χρηστὰς ἀπεδίδοτε, καταλιπόντες αὐτὴν τὸ γοῦν ἐφ᾽ ὑμῖν εἶναι ἔρημον καὶ μηλόβοτον. εἰ δὲ παρήσετε τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον, εὔξεσθε πολλάκις ὅμοιον εὑρεῖν ἕτερον.
[4] Now that you have met with so great good fortune, do not delay, plebeians, to tell us what you desire and do not mock at us. But when you have put an end to the sedition, return with joy to your country which gave you your birth and rearing, blessings for which you made her a sorry recompense and return when you left her, as far as in you lay, to be desolate and a pasture for flocks. But if you let this opportunity slip, you will wish time and again for another.”
[1] παυσαμένου δὲ τοῦ Οὐαλερίου παρελθὼν ὁ Σικίννιος οὐκ ἐξ ἑνὸς ἔφη δεῖν λόγου τὸ συμφέρον ἐξετάζειν τοὺς εὖ βουλευομένους, ἀλλ᾽ ὑποτίθεσθαι τὸν ἐναντίον αὑτοῖς λόγον, ἄλλως τε καὶ περὶ τηλικούτων πραγμάτων σκοποῦντας: ἠξίου τε λέγειν πρὸς ταῦτα τοὺς βουλομένους ἅπασαν αἰδῶ καὶ εὐλάβειαν ἀποθεμένους: οὐ γὰρ ἐπιτρέπειν τὰ πράγματα σφίσιν εἰς τὰς τοιαύτας ἀνάγκας κατακεκλεισμένοις οὔτ᾽ ὄκνῳ οὔτ᾽
[72.1] When now Valerius had done speaking, Sicinius came forward and said that those who deliberated wisely ought not to examine the expediency of any measure from a single point of view, but should suggest to themselves the opposite view as well, particularly when affairs of so great moment were under consideration. Then he asked any who pleased to answer these proposals, laying aside all modesty and caution; for their situation, now that they were reduced to such distress, did not permit of their yielding to either hesitation or undue modesty.
[2] αἰσχύνῃ εἴκειν. σιωπῆς δὲ γενομένης ἐπειδὴ πάντες εἰς ἀλλήλους ἀπέβλεπον ἐπιζητοῦντες τὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ [p. 369] λέξοντα, ἐφαίνετο δ᾽ οὐδείς: ὁ γὰρ Σικίννιος τοῖς αὐτοῖς πολλάκις ἐχρῆτο λόγοις: παρέρχεται κατὰ τὰς ὑποσχέσεις Λεύκιος Ἰούνιος ἐκεῖνος ὁ βουλόμενος ἐπικαλεῖσθαι Βροῦτος καὶ τυχὼν ἐπισημασίας παρὰ τοῦ
[2] When there was silence, they all looked at one another to find out who would prospect for the common cause; but none appeared, though Sicinius repeated the same request several times. At last Lucius Junius, the man who wanted Brutus to be added to his name, came forward in accordance with his promise, and being received with general applause from the crowd, delivered a speech of the following tenor:
[3] πλήθους ἀθρόας τοιαύτην διέθετο δημηγορίαν: τὸ δέος ὑμᾶς, ὦ δημόται, τὸ τῶν πατρικίων ἐντετηκὸς ἔτι ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἐκπλήσσειν ἔοικε, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τεταπεινωμένοι φέρειν τοὺς λόγους εἰς μέσον, οἷς εἰώθατε χρῆσθαι πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ὀκνεῖτε. οἴεται δ᾽ ἴσως ἕκαστος ὑμῶν τὸν πλησίον ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ λέξειν, καὶ πάντας μᾶλλον, εἴ τι κινδύνευμά ἐστιν, ὑπομενεῖν, αὐτὸς δ᾽ ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ βεβηκώς, ὅ τι ἂν ἐκ τοῦ τολμηροῦ χρηστὸν περιγένηται, τούτου τὸ μέρος ἕξειν ἀδεῶς: κακῶς εἰδώς. εἰ γὰρ ἅπαντες τοῦτο ὑπολάβοιμεν, ἡ καθ᾽ ἕνα ὑμῶν ἕκαστον ἀτολμία κοινὴ πᾶσιν ἔσται βλάβη, καὶ ἐν ᾧ τὸ ἴδιόν τις ἀσφαλὲς ἀποσκοπεῖ
[3] “It seems, plebeians, that the dread of the patricians is still so firmly rooted in your minds that it holds you in terror, and, humbled on that account, you shrink from uttering in public the arguments that you are wont to use to one another. For each one openly, perhaps, thinks that his neighbour will plead the common cause and that all the other
s rather than he will undergo any danger there may be, while he himself, standing in a place of safety, will enjoy, free from fear, his share of the benefit arising from the boldness of the other. But in this he is mistaken; for if we should all hold this opinion, the cowardice of each one of you will prove a common injury to all, and while every man consults his own safety, he will be destroying the common safety of all.
[4] τὸ μετὰ πάντων κοινὸν ἀπολεῖ. ἀλλ᾽ εἰ καὶ μὴ πρότερον ἔγνωτε, ὅτι λέλυται τὸ δέος ὑμῶν καὶ τὸ ἐλεύθερον ἅμα τοῖς ὅπλοις βεβαίως ἔχετε, νῦν γ᾽ ἤδη μάθετε διδασκάλοις χρησάμενοι τούτοις. οἱ γὰρ ὑπερήφανοι καὶ βαρεῖς οὐκ ἐπιτάττοντες ὑμῖν ὡς πρότερον ἥκουσιν οὐδ᾽ ἀπειλοῦντες, ἀλλὰ δεόμενοι καὶ παρακαλοῦντες, ἐπὶ τὰ ὑμέτερα ὑμᾶς κατιέναι, καὶ ὡς ἐλευθέροις [p. 370] ἐξ ἴσου ἤδη ἄρχονται ὁμιλεῖν. τί οὖν ἔτι καταπέπληχθε αὐτοὺς καὶ σιωπᾶτε, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐλεύθερα φρονεῖτε καὶ διαρρήξαντες ἤδη ποτὲ τοὺς χαλινοὺς λέγετε εἰς τὸ κοινόν, ἃ πεπόνθατε πρὸς αὐτῶν; ὦ σχέτλιοι,
[4] But even if you did not know before that you are freed from this dread and that you have your liberty secure as long as you have your arms, learn it now at least, taking these men as your teachers. For these arrogant and stern men have not come with orders for you, as before, or with threats, but begging and beseeching you to return to your homes, and now begin to deal with you as with free men upon equal terms.
[5] τί δεδοίκατε; μή τι πάθητε ἡγεμόνι τῆς ἐλευθεροστομίας ἐμοὶ χρώμενοι; κινδυνεύσω γὰρ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν εἰπεῖν τὰ δίκαια μετὰ παρρησίας ἐγὼ πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ οὐδὲν ἀποκρύψομαι. καὶ ἐπειδὴ Οὐαλέριος οὐδὲν ἔφησεν εἶναι τὸ κωλῦον ἀναστρέφειν ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα τῆς βουλῆς διδούσης τὴν κάθοδον καὶ προσεψηφισμένης τὸ μὴ μνησικακεῖν, ταῦτ᾽ ἀποκρινοῦμαι πρὸς αὐτόν, ἅπερ ἐστὶν ἀληθῆ καὶ ἀναγκαῖα εἰρῆσθαι.
[5] Why, then, are you any longer in awe of them and why are you silent? Why do you not assume the spirit of free men, and having now broken at last the curb which held you, tell all men what you have suffered at their hands? Unhappy men, of what are you afraid? That you will suffer some harm if you follow my lead in giving free rein to the tongue? For I shall expose myself to the danger of declaring to them frankly the justice of your cause, concealing nothing. And since Valerius has said that nothing hinders you from going back to your homes, the senate having given you leave to return and having decreed you an amnesty besides, I shall give him this answer — that which is the very truth and must needs be told.
[1] ἡμᾶς, ὦ Οὐαλέριε, πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα τὰ κωλύοντά ἐστιν ἀποθεμένους τὰ ὅπλα ἐφ᾽ ὑμῖν γενέσθαι, τρία δὲ τὰ μέγιστα καὶ τὰ φανερώτατα. πρῶτον μέν, ὅτι ἐγκαλοῦντες ἡμῖν ὡς ἡμαρτηκόσιν ἥκετε καὶ ἐν εὐεργεσίας οἴεσθε μέρει διδόναι τὴν κάθοδον: ἔπειθ᾽, ὅτι οὐδὲν ὑποδηλοῦτε παρακαλοῦντες ἐπὶ τὰς διαλλαγάς, ἐφ᾽ οἷς αὐτὰς δικαίοις καὶ φιλανθρώποις ποιησόμεθα: τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον, ὅτι βέβαιον ἡμῖν, ὧν ἂν ὑπόσχησθε, οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ἐξαπατῶντες τε καὶ φενακίζοντες ἡμᾶς διατετελέκατε.
[73.1] “As for us, Valerius, there are many other reasons that hinder us from laying down our arms and putting ourselves in your power, but these three are the most important and the most obvious: First, because you have come to accuse us as if we had offended, and when you give us leave to return you count it as a favor to us; next, because when you invite us to an accommodation you do not give any hint upon what terms of justice and humanity we are to enter into it; and lastly, because there is no certainty of your fulfilling your promises to us, since time and again you have consistently deceived and deluded us.
[2] ἐρῶ δ᾽ ὑπὲρ ἑκάστου χωρὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ δικαίου ἀρξάμενος: καὶ γὰρ ἰδίᾳ τε καὶ ἐν κοινῷ λέγοντας ἀπὸ τοῦ δικαίου χρὴ ἄρχεσθαι. ἡμεῖς τοίνυν εἰ μέν τι ἀδικοῦμεν ὑμᾶς, οὐδὲν δεόμεθα οὔτ᾽ ἀδείας οὔτ᾽ ἀμνηστίας: καίτοι γε [p. 371] οὐκ ἀξιοῦμεν οὐδὲ κοινωνεῖν ἔτι τῆς πόλεως, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιμενοῦμεν, ὅποι ποτ᾽ ἂν ἡμᾶς ἄγῃ τὸ χρεών, τῇ τύχῃ καὶ δαίμοσιν ἐπιτρέψαντες ἡγεμόσιν. εἰ δ᾽ ἀδικούμενοι πρὸς ὑμῶν ταύτης ἠναγκάσμεθα τῆς τύχης πειραθῆναι, ἐν ᾗ ἔσμεν, τί οὐχ ὁμολογεῖτε κακοὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὶ γενόμενοι συγγνώμης δεῖσθαι καὶ ἀμνηστίας; νῦν δ᾽, ἣν αἰτεῖσθε, ταύτην διδόναι λέγετε, καὶ ἧς ἀφεῖσθαι ζητεῖτε ὀργῆς, ταύτης ὡς ἀφιέντες μεγαληγορεῖτε, συγχέοντες τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας φύσιν καὶ τὴν τῶν δικαίων ἀξίωσιν ἀναστρέφοντες.
[2] I shall speak to each of these points separately, beginning with the matter of justice; for it is the duty of all who speak either in private or in public to begin with justice. Well then, if we are doing you any injustice, we do not ask for either impunity or an amnesty; though we do not choose even to share the same city with you any longer, but will live wherever Fate shall lead us, leaving it to Fortune and to the gods to direct our course. But if, suffering injustice at your hands, we have been compelled to experience this condition in which we now are, why do you not acknowledge that, having yourselves wronged us, you stand in need of pardon and an amnesty? But as it is, you profess to be giving the pardon for which you ought to be asking, and prate boastfully of acquitting us of the resentment of which you yourselves seek to be acquitted, thereby confusing the very essence of truth and reversing the very meaning of justice.
[3] ὅτι δ᾽ οὐκ ἀδικεῖσθε, ἀλλ᾽ ἀδικεῖτε, καὶ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα εὐεργετηθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου, τὰ μὲν εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, τὰ δ᾽ εἰς τὴν ἡγεμονίαν, οὐ καλὰς ἀποδεδώκατε αὐτῷ τὰς ἀμοιβάς, μάθετε: ποιήσομαι δ᾽ ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἴστε καὶ αὐτοὶ πραγμάτων τοὺς λόγους, καὶ πρὸς θεῶν, ἐάν τι ψεῦδος εἴπω, μὴ ἀνάσχησθε, ἀλλ᾽ εὐθὺς ἐλέγχετε.
[3] That you are not the victims, but the doers of injustice, and that you have not made handsome returns for the many great services you have received from the people in respect both to your liberty and to your sovereignty, learn from me now. I shall begin my argument with the matters you yourselves are acquainted with, and I beg of you in the name of the gods, if I make any false statement, that you will not tolerate it, but will promptly refute me.
[1] ἡμῖν τὸ ἀρχαῖον πολίτευμα ἦν μοναρχία, καὶ μέχρι γενεᾶς ἑβδόμης ταύτῃ χρώμενοι διετελέσαμεν τῇ πολιτείᾳ, καὶ παρὰ πάσας τὰς ἡγεμονίας ταύτας οὐδὲν ὁ δῆμος ἠλαττώθη πώπ
οτε ὑπὸ τῶν βασιλέων καὶ πάντων ἥκιστα ὑπὸ τῶν τελευταίων: ἐῶ γὰρ λέγειν, ὅτι πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα ἀγαθὰ ἐκ τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτῶν ἐκαρπώσατο.
[74.1] “Our earliest government was monarchy, under which constitution we lived till the seventh generation. And during all these reigns the people never suffered any loss of rights at the hands of their kings, and least of all from those who reigned last, to say nothing of the many important advantages they enjoyed from their rule.
[2] χωρὶς γὰρ τῆς ἄλλης αὐτῶν θεραπείας, ᾗ κολακεύοντας αὐτὸν οἰκεῖον μὲν σφίσιν, ἐχθρὸν δ᾽ ὑμῖν ἐβούλοντο εἶναι, ὃ ποιοῦσιν ἅπαντες οἱ τυραννικῶς ἐξάγοντες τὰς δυναστείας, κρατήσαντες πολέμῳ μακρῷ [p. 372] Συέσσης, πόλεως πάνυ εὐδαίμονος, ἐξὸν αὐτοῖς μηδενὶ κοινωνῆσαι τῶν λαφύρων, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτοὶ κατασχεῖν καὶ πάντας ὑπερβαλέσθαι πλούτῳ βασιλεῖς, οὐκ ἠξίωσαν, ἀλλὰ φέροντες εἰς μέσον ἔθηκαν ἅπασαν τὴν ὠφέλειαν: ὥσθ᾽ ἡμᾶς χωρὶς ἀνδραπόδων καὶ βοσκημάτων καὶ τῆς ἄλλης κτήσεως πολλῆς οὔσης καὶ καλῆς ἀργυρίου πέντε μνᾶς κατ᾽ ἄνδρα διανείμασθαι.
[2] For, besides the other methods the kings used of courting and flattering the people in order to win them to themselves and make them enemies to you — which is the practice of all rulers who aim at extending their power to tyranny — when they had made themselves masters of Suessa, a very prosperous city, after a long war, and had it in their power to grant no part of the spoils to anyone, but to appropriate the whole to themselves and surpass all other kings in riches, they did not think fit to do so, but brought out all the booty and placed it at the disposal of the army, so that, besides the slaves, cattle and the other spoils, which were many and of great value, every one of us received five minae of silver for his share.
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 570