[15.1] The next day the consuls assembled the senate, being terrified at this revolutionary behaviour and believing that the demagogy of Brutus would end in some great mischief. And many proposals of every sort were made to that body both by the consuls themselves and also by the older senators. Some were of the opinion that they ought to court the populace by all possible expressions of kindness and by promises of deeds, and make their leaders more moderate by bringing the public business into the open and inviting them to join in their deliberations concerning the common advantage.
[2] τῶν δὲ μηθὲν ἐνδιδόναι μαλακὸν συμβουλευόντων πρὸς ὄχλον αὐθάδη καὶ ἀμαθῆ ἢ θρασεῖάν τε καὶ ἀνύποιστον δημοκόπων ἀνθρώπων μανίαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπολογεῖσθαι μέν, ὡς οὐδὲν εἴη τῶν γεγονότων παρὰ τῶν πατρικίων αἴτιον, καὶ ὑπισχνεῖσθαι πρόνοιαν ἕξειν τοῦ κακοῦ τὴν δυνατήν, τοῖς δὲ ταράττουσι τὸν δῆμον ἐπιτιμᾶν καὶ προαγορεύειν, ὡς εἰ μὴ παύσονται τὴν στάσιν ἀναρριπίζοντες ἀξίας τίσουσι δίκας.
[2] But others advised not to show any sign of weakness toward a headstrong and ignorant multitude and toward the bold and insufferable madness of creatures who courted the mob, but to declare in their own defence that the patricians were in of way to blame for what had happened and to promise that they would take all possible care to remedy the evil, and at the same time to reprimand those who were stirring up the people and warn them that if they did not desist from rekindling the sedition they would be punished as they deserved.
[3] ταύτης ἡγεῖτο τῆς γνώμης Ἄππιος, καὶ ἦν ἡ νικῶσα αὕτη πολλῆς ἐμπεσούσης πάνυ τοῖς συνέδροις φιλονεικίας: ὥστε καὶ τὸν δῆμον ὑπὸ τῆς βοῆς αὐτῶν ἐξακουομένης ἐπὶ πολὺ ταραχθέντα συνδραμεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ βουλευτήριον, καὶ πᾶσαν ὀρθὴν ἐπὶ τῇ προσδοκίᾳ
[3] The chief proponent of this view was Appius, and it was this opinion that prevailed, after such violent strife among the senators that even the people, hearing their clamour at a great distance, rushed in alarm to the senate-house and the whole city was on tip-toe with expectation.
[4] γενέσθαι τὴν πόλιν. μετὰ δὲ τοῦθ᾽ οἱ μὲν ὕπατοι προελθόντες συνεκάλουν τὸν δῆμον εἰς ἐκκλησίαν: ἦν δ᾽ οὐ πολὺ τῆς ἡμέρας ἔτι τὸ λειπόμενον: καὶ παρελθόντες ἐπειρῶντο τὰ δόξαντα σφίσιν ἐν τῇ βουλῇ λέγειν. ἐνίσταντο δ᾽ αὐτοῖς οἱ δήμαρχοι, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἐν μέρει οὐδ᾽ ἐν κόσμῳ γινόμενος παρ᾽ ἀμφοῖν [p. 26] ὁ λόγος. ἐβόων γὰρ ἅμα καὶ ἐξέκλειον ἀλλήλους, ὥστε μὴ ῥᾴδιον εἶναι τοῖς παροῦσι τὰς διανοίας αὐτῶν ὅ τι βούλονται συνιδεῖν.
[4] After this the consuls, going into the Forum, called the people together when not much of the day now remained; and coming forward, they attempted to inform them of the decision they had reached in the senate. But the tribunes opposed them, and thereupon neither the consuls nor the tribunes spoke in their turns nor observed any decorum in their debate; for they cried out together and endeavoured to prevent one another from speaking, so that it was not easy for those who were present to understand what they meant.
[1] ἐδικαίουν δ᾽ οἱ μὲν ὕπατοι τὴν κρείττονα ἔχοντες ἐξουσίαν ἁπάντων ἄρχειν τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, οἱ δὲ δήμαρχοι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἑαυτῶν εἶναι χωρίον ὥσπερ ἐκείνων τὴν βουλήν, καὶ ὁπόσα ἐπὶ τοῖς δημόταις ἦν κρίνειν τε καὶ ψηφίζεσθαι, τούτων αὐτοὶ πᾶν ἔχειν τὸ κρίτος. συνηγωνίζετο δὲ τοῖς μὲν ἡ πληθὺς ἐπιβοῶσα καὶ ὁμόσε χωρεῖν, εἰ δέοι, τοῖς κωλύουσι παρεσκευασμένη, τοῖς δ᾽ ὑπάτοις οἱ πατρίκιοι συστρέψαντες αὑτούς.
[16.1] The consuls thought it reasonable that, as they had the superior power, they should have the command of everything in the city, while the tribunes insisted that the assembly of the people was their particular sphere, as the senate was that of the consuls, and that whatever the people had the authority to judge and determine was subject to their power alone. The populace supported the tribunes, shouting their approval and being prepared, if necessary, to account any who attempted to hinder them, while the patricians rallied to the support of the consuls.
[2] ἐγίνετο δὲ πολὺς ἀγὼν περὶ τοῦ μὴ εἶξαι ἑκατέροις, ὡς ἐν μιᾷ τῇ τότε ἥττῃ παραχωρουμένης τῆς εἰς τὸν λοιπὸν χρόνον ἑκατέρων δικαιώσεως. ἥλιός τε περὶ καταφορὰν ἦν ἤδη, καὶ συνέτρεχεν ἐκ τῶν οἰκιῶν τὸ ἄλλο πλῆθος εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν, καὶ ἔμελλον, εἰ νὺξ ἐπιλαμβάνοι τὴν ἔριν, εἰς πληγάς τε καὶ λίθων χωρήσειν βολάς.
[2] And a violent contest ensued, each side insisting not yielding to the other, as if their defeat on this single occasion would mean the giving up of their claims for all time to come. It was now near sunset and the rest of the population were running out of their houses to the Forum; and if night had descended upon their strife, they would have proceeded to blows and the throwing of stones.
[3] ἵνα δὴ μὴ τοῦτο γένοιτο, προελθὼν ὁ Βροῦτος τοὺς ὑπάτους ἠξίου δοῦναι λόγον αὐτῷ, παύσειν ὑπισχνούμενος τὴν στάσιν. κἀκεῖνοι δόξαντες σφίσι παρακεχωρῆσθαι, ὅτι τῶν δημάρχων παρόντων οὐ παρ᾽ ἐκείνων ὁ δημαγωγὸς ᾐτήσατο τὴν χάριν, ἐπιτρέπουσιν αὐτῷ λέγειν. σιωπῆς δὲ γενομένης ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν ὁ Βροῦτος εἶπεν, ἠρώτησε δὲ τοὺς ὑπάτους τοιάνδε τινὰ
[3] To prevent this, Brutus came forward and asked the consuls to give him leave to speak, promising to appease the tumult; and they, looking upon this as a yielding to them, since, even though the tribunes were present, this leader of the people had not asked the favour of those magistrates, gave him leave. Then, when silence reigned, Brutus, instead of making a speech, merely put questions of the following nature to the consuls:
[4] ἐρώτησιν: ἆρά γ᾽, ἔφη, μέμνησθ᾽, ὅτι διαλυομένοις [p. 27] ἡμῖν τὴν στάσιν τοῦτο συνεχωρήθη τὸ δίκαιον ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν, ὅταν οἱ δήμαρχοι συναγάγωσι τὸν δῆμον ὑπὲρ ὁτουδήτινος, μὴ παρεῖναι τῇ συνόδῳ τοὺς πατρικίους μηδ᾽ ἐνοχλεῖν; μεμνήμεθ᾽, ἔφησεν ὁ Γεγάνιος. καὶ ὁ Βροῦτος ὑποφέρει: τί οὖν παθόντες ἐμποδὼν ἵστασθ᾽ ἡμῖν καὶ οὐκ ἐᾶτε τοὺς δημάρχους ἃ βούλονται λέγειν; ἀποκρίνεται πρὸς ταῦθ᾽ ὁ Γεγάνιος: ὅτι οὐκ αὐτοὶ συνεκάλεσαν τὸν δῆμον εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡμεῖς οἱ ὕπατοι. εἰ μὲν οὖν ὑπὸ τούτων ἡ σύνοδος ἐγένετο, οὐθὲν ἂν ἠξιοῦμεν οὔτε κωλύειν οὔτε πολυπραγμονεῖν: ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ ἡμεῖς συνηγάγομεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, οὐχὶ τούτους ἀγορεύειν �
�ωλύομεν, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὸ τούτων αὐτοὶ
[4] “Do you remember,” he said, “that when we put an end to the sedition by an accommodation this right was granted to us — that when the tribunes should assemble the people to consider any matter whatever the patricians should not be present at the assembly or create any disturbance there?” “We remember,” answered Geganius. Then Brutus added: “What is the matter with you, then, that you oppose us and do not allow the tribunes to say what they please?” To this Geganius replied: “Because it was not the tribunes who assembled the people, but we, the consuls. If, now, the assembly had been called by them, we should not have presumed either to hinder them at all or to interfere; but since we ourselves assembled them, we do not hinder the tribunes from speaking, but we feel that it is not right that we should be hindered by them.”
[5] κωλύεσθαι οὐ δικαιοῦμεν. καὶ ὁ Βροῦτος ὑποτυχών: νικῶμεν, ἔφησεν, ὦ δημόται, καὶ παρακεχώρηται ἡμῖν ὑπὸ τῶν διαφόρων ὅσα ἠξιοῦμεν. νῦν μὲν οὖν ἄπιτε καὶ παύσασθε φιλονεικοῦντες: αὔριον δ᾽ ὑμῖν ὑπισχνοῦμαι φανερὰν ποιήσειν ὅσην ἔχετε ἰσχύν. καὶ ὑμεῖς γ᾽, ὦ δήμαρχοι, παραχωρήσατε αὐτοῖς τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἐν τῷ παρόντι: οὐ γὰρ εἰς τέλος παραχωρήσετε: μαθόντες δ᾽ ὅσον ἔχει κράτος ὑμῶν ἡ ἀρχή: γνώσεσθε γὰρ οὐκ εἰς μακράν: ἐγὼ τοῦθ᾽ ὑμῖν ὑποδέχομαι ποιήσειν φανερόν: μετριωτέραν αὐτῶν ἀποδώσετε τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν. ἐὰν δὲ φενακίζων ὑμᾶς εὑρεθῶ, χρήσασθ᾽ ὅ τι βούλεσθέ μοι.
[5] Then Brutus said: “We have won, plebeians, and our adversaries have yielded everything to us we desired. For the present, therefore, dap and cease your strife; to-morrow, I promise you, I will show you how great is the strength you possess. And do you, tribunes, yield the Forum to them for the present; for in the end you will not yield it. When you learn how great a power your magistracy is possessed of (for you will have that knowledge soon; I myself undertake to make it clear to you), you will render their arrogance more moderate. But if you find I am imposing upon you, do to me whatever you will.”
[1] οὐθενὸς δὲ πρὸς ταῦτ᾽ ἀντιλέξαντος ἀπῄεσαν ἐκ τῆς ἐκκλησίας οὐ τὰς ὁμοίας ὑπολήψεις ἔχοντες [p. 28] ἑκάτεροι: ἀλλ᾽ οἱ μὲν ἄποροι δοκοῦντές τι περιττὸν ἐξευρηκέναι τὸν Βροῦτον καὶ οὐκ εἰκῆ ὑποσχέσθαι πρᾶγμα τηλικοῦτον, οἱ δὲ πατρίκιοι περιφρονοῦντες τὴν κουφότητα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ τῶν ὑποσχέσεων τὴν τόλμαν ἕως λόγου χωρήσειν οἰόμενοι: μηθὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς βουλῆς συγκεχωρῆσθαι τοῖς δημάρχοις ἔξω τοῦ βοηθεῖν τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις τῶν δημοτικῶν. οὐ μὴν ἅπασί γ᾽ εἰσῄει καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις ὀλιγωρία τοῦ πράγματος, ἀλλὰ προσέχειν, μή τι ἀνήκεστον ἡ τοῦ
[17] None having opposed this, both parties left the assembly, but with very different impressions. The poor thought that Brutus had hit upon something extraordinary and that he had not made such an important promise rashly, while the patricians despised the levity of the man and thought the boldness of his promises would go no farther than words; for they imagined that no other power had been granted by the senate to the tribunes than that of relieving such plebeians as were unjustly treated. However, not all the senators, and least of all the older men, made so light of the matter, but they were upon their guard lest the madness of this man might occasion some irreparable mischief.
[2] ἀνδρὸς ἐξεργάσηται μανία. τῇ δ᾽ ἑξῆς νυκτὶ κοινωσάμενος τοῖς δημάρχοις ὁ Βροῦτος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γνώμην καὶ παρασκευασάμενος χεῖρα οὐκ ὀλίγην δημοτῶν κατέβαινε μετ᾽ αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν: καὶ πρὶν ἡμέραν λαμπρὰν γενέσθαι καταλαβόμενοι τὸ Ἡφαιστεῖον, ἔνθα ἦν ἔθος αὐτοῖς ἐκκλησιάζειν, ἐκάλουν μὲν εἰς ἐκκλησίαν τὸν δῆμον. πληρωθείσης δὲ τῆς ἀγορᾶς: ὄχλος γὰρ ὅσος οὔπω πρότερον συνῆλθε: παρελθὼν Σικίνιος ὁ δήμαρχος πολὺν μὲν ἐποιήσατο κατὰ τῶν πατρικίων λόγον, ἅπανθ᾽ ὑπομιμνήσκων ὅσα κατὰ τῶν δημοτικῶν αὐτοῖς ἐπράχθη: ἔπειθ᾽ ὑπὲρ τῆς παρελθούσης ἡμέρας ἐδίδασκεν, ὡς κεκωλυμένος ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν εἴη λόγου τυχεῖν καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀφῃρημένος.
[2] The following night Brutus, having communicated his plan to the tribunes and having prepared a goodly number of the plebeians to support him, went down with them to the Forum; and possessing themselves before sunrise of the sanctuary of Vulcan, where the assemblies of the people were usually held, they called an assembly. When the Forum was filled (for a greater throng had assembled upon this occasion than ever before), Sicinius the tribune came forward and made a long speech against the patricians, reminding the plebeians of all they had suffered at their hands; then he told them about the day before, how he had been hindered by them from speaking and deprived of the power of his magistracy.
[3] τίνος [p. 29] γὰρ ἂν ἔτι γενοίμεθ᾽, ἔφη, κύριοι τῶν ἄλλων, εἰ μηδὲ τοῦ λέγειν ἐσόμεθα; πῶς δ᾽ ἄν τινι ὑμῶν ἀδικουμένῳ πρὸς αὐτῶν βοηθεῖν δυναίμεθα, εἰ τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ συνάγειν ὑμᾶς ἀφαιρεθείημεν; ἄρχουσι γὰρ δήπου παντὸς ἔργου λόγοι, καὶ οὐκ ἄδηλον, ὅτι οἷς εἰπεῖν ἃ φρονοῦσιν οὐκ ἔξεστιν, οὐδὲ πρᾶξαι ἂν ἐξείη, ἃ βούλονται. ἢ κομίζεσθ᾽ οὖν, ἔφη, τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἣν δεδώκατε ἡμῖν, εἰ μὴ μέλλετε βεβαιοῦν αὐτῇ τἀσφαλές, ἢ νόμῳ γραφέντι κωλύσατε τοὺς ἐμποδὼν ἡμῖν τὸ λοιπὸν ἐσομένους.
[3] “What other power, indeed,” he asked, “shall we have after this, if we are not allowed even that of speaking? How shall we be able to relieve any of you when unjustly treated by them, if we are deprived of the authority of assembling you? For words, I presume, are the beginning of all action; and it is obvious that those who are not allowed to say what they think will not be allowed to do, either, what they please. Either take back, therefore, the power you have garden us,” he said, “unless you intend to establish it securely, or by a law duly enacted prevent all opposition to us for the future.”
[4] τοιαῦτα διαλεχθείς, ἐπικελεύσαντος αὐτῷ τοῦ δήμου μεγάλῃ βοῇ τὸν νόμον εἰσφέρειν, ἔχων αὐτὸν ἤδη γεγραμμένον ἀνεγίνωσκε καὶ ψῆφον δίδωσι τῷ πλήθει περὶ αὐτοῦ παραχρῆμα ἐπενεγκεῖν. οὐ γὰρ ἐδόκει τὸ πρᾶγμα δεῖσθαι ἀναβολῆς οὐδὲ μελλησμοῦ, μή τι ἄλλο κώλυμα γένηται πρὸς τῶν ὑπάτων.
[4] When he had thus spoken and the people had cried out to him with a great shout to introduce the law, Sicinius, who had it already drawn up, read it to them and permitted the people to vote upon it immediately. For the business seemed to admit of no postponement or del
ay, lest some further obstacle should be interposed by the consuls.
[5] ἦν δὲ τοιόσδε ὁ νόμος: δημάρχου γνώμην ἀγορεύοντος ἐν δήμῳ μηδεὶς λεγέτω μηδὲν ἐναντίον μηδὲ μεσολαβείτω τὸν λόγον. ἐὰν δέ τις παρὰ ταῦτα ποιήσῃ, διδότω τοῖς δημάρχοις ἐγγυητὰς αἰτηθεὶς εἰς ἔκτισιν ἧς ἂν ἐπιθῶσιν αὐτῷ ζημίας. ὁ δὲ μὴ διδοὺς ἐγγυητὴν θανάτῳ ζημιούσθω, καὶ τὰ χρήματ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἱερὰ ἔστω. τῶν δ᾽ ἀμφισβητούντων πρὸς ταύτας τὰς ζημίας αἱ κρίσεις ἔστωσαν ἐπὶ τοῦ δήμου.
[5] The law was as follows: “When a tribune is delivering his opinion to the people, let no one say anything in opposition or interrupt him. If anyone shall act contrary to this, let him, if required, give sureties to the tribunes for the payment of the fine they shall impose upon him. If he refuses to give any surety, let him be punished with death and his goods be confiscated. And let the trials of those who protest against these fines take place before the people.”
[6] τοῦτον τὸν νόμον ἐπιψηφίσαντες οἱ δήμαρχοι διέλυσαν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν: καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἀπῄει πολλῆς γεγονὼς μεστὸς εὐθυμίας, τῷ δὲ Βρούτῳ [p. 30] μεγάλην χάριν εἰδώς, ἐκείνου δοκῶν εἶναι τὸ ἐνθύμημα τοῦ νόμου.
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 583