[2] And though these men all argued it as no disgrace to entreat the plebeians to acquit you, do you think this same course disgraceful for yourself? And is this not enough for you, sir, but, just as if you had performed some fine action, do you go about preening yourself and indulging in boastful talk, refusing to abate anything of your pride?
[3] ἔπειτ᾽ οὐ νεμεσᾶτε αὐτῷ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας, ὦ πατέρες, εἰ τηλικούτων αὑτὸν ἀξιοῖ μόνος, ἡλίκων οὐδ᾽ ἅπαντες ὑμεῖς ἑαυτούς; ὃν ἐχρῆν, εἰ καὶ πάντες ὑμεῖς ἀνεδέχεσθε τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πόλεμον ψηφίσασθαι, τὸ μὲν εὔνουν καὶ πρόθυμον ὑμῶν ἀγαπᾶν, μὴ δέχεσθαι δὲ χάριν ἰδίαν ἐπὶ κοινῇ βλάβῃ, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπομένειν ἀπολογούμενον καὶ δίκην ὑπέχοντα εἰ δέοι καὶ πάντα [p. 70]
[3] I say nothing, you see, of your also reviling, accusing, and threatening the people. And do you not resent his arrogance, fathers, in setting a greater value upon himself alone than even all of you set upon yourselves? And yet, even if you were all willing to vote to engaged in war for his sake, he ought to be satisfied with this proof of your goodwill and zeal and not to accept a private favour at the expense of the public injury, but to consent to make his defence, standing trial and, if need be, suffering any punishment.
[4] πάσχοντα. ταῦτα γὰρ ἦν ἔργα ἀγαθοῦ πολίτου καὶ τὸ καλὸν ἔργοις ἀσκοῦντος, οὐ λόγοις. ἃ δὲ νῦν οὗτος βιάζεται, τίνος ἐστὶ σημεῖα βίου; ποίων μηνύματα προαιρέσεων, ὅρκους παραβαίνειν, δεξιὰς παρασπονδεῖν, ὁμολογίας ἀναιρεῖν, δήμῳ πολεμεῖν, εἰς ἀρχόντων σώματα ὑβρίζειν, καὶ μηδ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἑνὶ τούτων τὸ σῶμα ὑπεύθυνον ποιεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ἄκριτον ἀναπολόγητον μηδενὸς δεηθέντα μηθένα φοβηθέντα μηθενὶ τῶν τοσούτων πολιτῶν ἴσον γενόμενον ἀδεῶς περινοστεῖν; ἆρ᾽ οὐ τυραννικοῦ
[4] For such would be the behaviour of a good citizen who practises what is honourable in his actions, not merely in his words. But as for the violent deeds in which this man now indulges, of what kind of life do they give evidence? Of what kind of principles is it an indication to violate oaths, to break solemn pledges, to nullify covenants, to make war upon the people, to abuse the persons of magistrates, and to refuse to make oneself accountable for any of these actions, but submitting to no trial, offering no defence, courting no man, fearing no man, and disdaining equally with any one of this great multitude of citizens, to strut about with impunity?
[5] τρόπου σημεῖα ταῦτ᾽ ἐστίν; ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ. καὶ τοῦτον ὅμως εἰσί τινες οἱ παραψύχοντες καὶ παρακροτοῦντες ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν, οἷς ἐντέτηκε τὸ πρὸς τοὺς δημοτικοὺς μῖσος ἀδιάλλακτον, καὶ οὐ δύνανται συνιδεῖν, ὅτι οὐθὲν μᾶλλον κατὰ τοῦ ταπεινοτέρου μέρους τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει φύεται τουτὶ τὸ κακὸν ὡς καὶ κατὰ τοῦ σεμνοτέρου: ἀλλ᾽ οἴονται τοῦ διαφόρου φύσει καταδουλωθέντος καὶ δὴ τὸ καθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς ἕξειν ἀσφαλῶς.
[5] Are not these the indications of a tyrannical disposition? I, at any rate, think so. And yet, encouraging and applauding this man are some of your own number, in whose minds is implanted an implacable hatred against the plebeians, and they cannot see that the growth of this evil threatens the humbler portion of the citizens no more than it does the more exalted portion, but imagine that when their adversary is enslaved their own situation will be secure.
[6] οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει τἀληθές, ὦ γνώμης ἁμαρτάνοντες τῆς ἀρίστης: διδάσκαλον δὲ τὴν πεῖραν ἣν ὁ Μάρκιος παρέχεται καὶ τὸν χρόνον λαβόντες, ὀθνείοις θ᾽ ἅμα καὶ οἰκείοις σωφρονισθέντες παραδείγμασι γνοίητ᾽ ἄν, ὅτι μοσχευομένη κατὰ τοὺ δήμου τυραννὶς καθ᾽ ὅλης τῆς πόλεως μοσχεύεται, καὶ νῦν μὲν ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν ἄρχεται, κρατήσασα δ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ὑμῶν φείσεται.
[6] But this is not so in reality, misguided men. If you will learn from the example afforded by Marcius and from history, and will be admonished by precedents both foreign and native, you will know that tyranny fostered against the people is fostered against the whole commonwealth, and that, though it begins at present with us, yet after it has gained strength it will not spare you either.”
[1] τοιαῦτα διεξιόντος τοῦ Δεκίου καὶ τῶν [p. 71] ἄλλων δημάρχων ἃ παραλιπεῖν αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖνος ἐδόκει συναγορευσάντων, ἐπειδὴ γνώμας ἔδει τοὺς συνέδρους ἀποφαίνεσθαι, πρῶτοι μὲν οἱ πρεσβύτατοι τῶν ὑπατικῶν καλούμενοι κατὰ τὸν εἰωθότα κόσμον ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων ἀνίσταντο, ἔπειθ᾽ οἱ τούτων ὑποδεέστεροι κατ᾽ ἄμφω ταῦτα, τελευταῖοι δ᾽ οἱ νεώτατοι λόγον μὲν οὐθένα λέγοντες: ἔτι γὰρ ἦν δι᾽ αἰσχύνης τότε Ῥωμαίοις τοῦτο, καὶ νέος οὐδεὶς ἠξίου ἑαυτὸν σοφώτερον εἶναι πρεσβύτου: ἐπεκύρουν δὲ τὰς κειμένας ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπατικῶν γνώμας.
[47] After Decius had spoken in this manner and the rest of the tribunes had supported him by adding what they thought he had omitted, and it was now time for the senators to deliver their opinions, first the oldest and the most honoured of the ex-consuls, being called upon by the consuls in the customary order, rose up, and after them those who were inferior to them in both these respects, and last of all, the youngest senators, who made no speeches (for that was still looked upon then as disgraceful by the Romans, and no young man presumed to be wiser than an old man), but seconded the opinions delivered by the ex-consuls.
[2] ἅπασι δὲ προσετάττετο παριοῦσι καθάπερ ἐν δικαστηρίῳ μεθ᾽ ὅρκου τὴν ψῆφον ἐπιφέρειν. Ἄππιος μὲν οὖν Κλαύδιος, ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ πρότερον ἔφην, ὅτι μισοδημότατος ἦν τῶν πατρικίων καὶ οὐδέποτε ταῖς πρὸς τὸ δημοτικὸν ἠρέσκετο διαλλαγαῖς, οὐκ εἴα γενέσθαι τὸ προβούλευμα τοιούτοις λόγοις χρώμενος.
[2] It was required, however, that all the senators should come forward and give their votes upon oath as in a court of justice. Then Appius Claudius, whom I mentioned before as the greatest enemy to the plebeians of all the patricians, one who could never relish the agreement made with the plebeians, opposed the passing of the preliminary decree, speaking as follows:
[1] ἐβουλόμην μὲν ἂν ἔγωγε καὶ τοῖς θεοῖς ηὐξάμην πολλάκις ἐμαυτὸν μὲν ἁμαρτεῖν τῆς γνώμης, ἣν εἶχον ὑπὲρ τῶν πρὸς τὸν δῆμον διαλύσεων, ὡς οὔτε καλὴν καὶ δικαίαν οὔτε συμφέρουσαν ἡμῖν ὑπελάμβανον ἔσεσθαι τὴν τῶν φυγάδων κάθοδον καὶ διὰ παντός, ὁσάκις περὶ τούτου προὐτέθη σκοπεῖν, πρῶτός τε τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τελευτῶν μόνος, ἐπειδὴ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπέστησαν, ἠναντιούμην: �
��μᾶς δ᾽, ὦ βουλή, τοὺς ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττω τὴν ἐλπίδα λαμβάνοντας καὶ πάντα [p. 72] τῷ δήμῳ δίκαιά τε καὶ ἄδικα προθύμως χαριζομένους ἄμεινον ἐμοῦ δόξαι φρονεῖν.
[48.1] “For my part, I kept wishing and often prayed to the gods that I might be mistaken in the opinion I entertained concerning the accommodation with the populace, when I thought that the return of the fugitives would be neither honourable and just nor advantageous to us, and from first to last, whenever anything relating to this subject was proposed for our consideration, I was the first of all and finally the only one, after the rest had deserted me, who opposed it. And I also wished that you, senators, who have always hoped for the best and cheerfully granted to the populace all their demands, both just and unjust, might prove to be wiser than I.
[2] ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ οὐχ, ὡς ἐβουλόμην τε καὶ τοῖς θεοῖς ηὐχόμην, τὰ πράγματα ὑμῖν κεχώρηκεν, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ᾤμην, καὶ περιεστήκασιν αἱ χάριτες ὑμῖν εἰς φθόνους καὶ μίση, τὸ μὲν ἐπιτιμᾶν τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις ὑμῖν καὶ λυπεῖν ὑμᾶς διὰ κενῆς, ὃ ῥᾷστόν ἐστι καὶ πᾶσιν ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ποιεῖν σύνηθες, οὐκ ἐν καιρῷ νυνὶ γενησόμενον ὁρῶν ἐάσω. ἐξ ὧν δὲ τά τε παρελθόντα ἐπανορθωσόμεθα, ὅσα μὴ παντάπασιν ἀνιάτως ἔχει, καὶ περὶ τῶν παρόντων ἄμεινον φρονήσομεν,
[2] But now that things have not turned out for you as I wished and prayed, but rather as I expected, and now that the benefits you conferred have ended in envy and hatred, I shall forbear to censure you for your past errors or to cause you needless pain (which is a very easy thing to do and what everyone usually does), as I perceive that it will be out of place at this time. However, I shall endeavour to suggest to you how we may correct such of the past errors are not absolutely incurable and may act with greater wisdom in the present situation.
[3] ταῦτα πειράσομαι λέγειν. καίτοι με οὐ λέληθεν, ὅτι μαίνεσθαι καὶ θανατᾶν δόξω τισὶν ὑμῶν γνώμην περὶ τούτων ἐλευθέραν ἀποφαινόμενος ἐνθυμουμένοις, ἡλίκους ἔχει κινδύνους ὁ μετὰ παρρησίας λόγος, καὶ τὰς Μαρκίου συμφοράς, ὃς οὐ δι᾽ ἕτερόν τι νυνὶ τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγῶνα τρέχει, λογιζομένοις.
[3] And yet I am not unaware that I shall appear to some of you to be mad and to be courting death in expressing my opinion freely concerning these matters, when they consider how great danger frankness of speech matters, and reflect on the plight of Marcius, who at this moment runs the risk of losing his life for no other reason.
[4] ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ οἴομαι δεῖν τῆς ἰδίας ἀσφαλείας πλείω ποιεῖσθαι πρόνοιαν ἢ τῆς κοινῆς ὠφελείας. δέδοται γὰρ ἤδη τοῖς ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κινδύνοις τὸ σῶμα τοὐμόν, ὦ βουλή, καὶ καθωσίωται τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως ἀγῶσιν, ὥστε ὅ τι ἂν τῷ δαίμονι δοκῇ, μετὰ πάντων τε καὶ σὺν ὀλίγοις, εἰ δ᾽ ἀνάγκη καὶ μόνος εὐγενῶς πείσομαι: ἕως δ᾽ ἂν ἔχω τὴν ψυχήν, οὐδείς με ἀφέξει φόβος μὴ οὐχ ἃ φρονῶ λέγειν. [p. 73]
[4] But I believe that I ought not to be more anxious for my personal safety than for the public welfare. For my body has already been given to the perils that attend your cause, senators, and devoted to the struggles in defence of the commonwealth; so that whatever Heaven pleases to ordain, I shall suffer it resolutely either with all of you or with a few, or, if necessary, even alone. But while I have life, no fear shall deter me from saying what I think.
[1] πρῶτον μὲν οὖν τοῦθ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἤδη ποτὲ ἀξιῶ βεβαίως μαθεῖν, ὅτι δυσμενῆ καὶ πολέμιον ἔχετε τῇ καθεστώσῃ πολιτείᾳ τὸν δημοτικὸν ὄχλον, καὶ πάνθ᾽ ὅσα μαλακισθέντες αὐτῷ συνεχωρήσατε μάτην θ᾽ ὑμῖν ἀνήλωται καὶ καταφρονήσεως αἴτια γέγονεν, ὡς διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην συγχωρηθέντα ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν, ἀλλ᾽
[49.1] “In the first place, I want you now at last to be firmly convinced of this, that your plebeian multitude is unfriendly and hostile to the established government, and that all the concessions you have through weakness made to them have not only been wasted by you, but have even exposed you to contempt, as having been granted by you through necessity rather than from goodwill or sober choice.
[2] οὐκ ἀπ᾽ εὐνοίας οὐδὲ κατὰ κρίσιν. σκοπεῖτε γὰρ οὕτως. ὅτ᾽ ἀπέστη λαβὼν τὰ ὅπλα ὁ δῆμος ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν καὶ πολέμιος ὑμῖν ἐτόλμησεν ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ γενέσθαι, ἀδικηθεὶς μὲν οὐδέν, τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι δὲ τὰ χρέα τοῖς συμβεβληκόσι διαλῦσαι σκηπτόμενος, καὶ εἰ ψηφίσαισθε ὑμεῖς χρεῶν τ᾽ ἀποκοπὰς καὶ ἄδειαν ὧν ἥμαρτε κατὰ τὴν ἀπόστασιν οὐθενὸς ἔτι δεήσεσθαι ἔφησεν, ἔγνωσαν οἱ πλείους ὑμῶν, οὐ γὰρ δὴ πάντες γε, παρακρουσθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν συμβούλων, ὡς μή ποτε ὤφελον, ἀκυρῶσαι τοὺς ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει τεθέντας νόμους καὶ μηθενὸς τῶν τότε γεγενημένων μνησικακεῖν ἀδικημάτων.
[2] For look at it in this way: When the populace took up arms, and, seceding from you, ventured to become openly your enemies, albeit they had received no injury, but offered as an excuse their inability to discharge their debts and impunity for the offences they had committed during their secession, they would make no further demands, the greater part of you, though not all, misled by their advisers, voted — as would to Heaven they had not! — to abrogate the laws enacted in the interest of the public faith and to grant an amnesty for all the offences that had been committed at that time.
[3] οὐκ ἠγάπησε ταύτης τυχὼν τῆς χάριτος, ἧς μόνης μεμνημένος ἔφη πεποιῆσθαι τὴν ἀπόστασιν, ἀλλ᾽ εὐθὺς ἑτέραν ἔτι ταύτης ᾔτει μείζω καὶ παρανομωτέραν δωρεάν, ἐξουσίαν αὐτῷ δοθῆναι δημάρχους ἐξ αὐτοῦ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον ἔτος ἀποδεικνύναι, πρόφασιν μὲν ποιούμενος τὴν ἡμετέραν ἰσχύν, ἵνα δὴ τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις καὶ κατισχυομένοις [p. 74] τῶν πενήτων ἐπικουρία τις ὑπάρχῃ καὶ καταφυγή: ὡς δὲ τἀληθὲς εἶχεν, ἐπιβουλεύων τῷ κόσμῳ τῆς πολιτείας καὶ εἰς δημοκρατίαν περιστῆσαι τὰ πράγματα
[3] But the plebeians were not satisfied with obtaining this favour, which they said was the only one they had mentioned when they seceded, but straightway asked for another concession still greater and more illegal than this — that leave should be granted them to choose tribunes from their own number every year — making our superior strength their excuse for this demand, to the end, forsooth, that some aid and refuge might lie open to the poorer citizens who were wronged and oppressed, though in reality they were plotting against our form of government and desired to change it to a democracy.
[4] βουλόμενος. καὶ τοῦτ᾽ ἔπεισαν ἡμᾶς οἱ σύμβουλοι τὸ ἀρχ
εῖον ἐᾶσαι παρελθεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ τῷ κοινῷ παραγινόμενον κακῷ, καὶ μάλιστ᾽ ἐπὶ τῷ κατὰ τῆς βουλῆς φθόνῳ, πολλά, εἴπερ ἄρα μέμνησθε, κεκραγότος ἐμοῦ καὶ μαρτυρομένου θεούς τε καὶ ἀνθρώπους ὅτι πόλεμον ἐμφύλιον ἄπαυστον εἰς τὴν πόλιν εἰσάξετε, καὶ πάνθ᾽ ὅσα ὑμῖν προβέβηκε λέγοντος.
[4] This magistracy also those advisers of our prevailed upon us to admit into the commonwealth, though its introduction was to the public detriment and in particular would arouse hatred against the senate, and notwithstanding that I, if you recall, exclaimed against it and called both gods and men to witness that you would bring into the commonwealth endless civil war, and foretold everything that has since befallen you.
[1] τί οὖν ἐποίησεν ὁ χρηστὸς ἡμῖν δῆμος, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ταύτην αὐτῷ συνεχωρήσατε τὴν ἀρχήν; οὐκ ἐταμιεύσατο τὴν τοσαύτην χάριν οὐδ᾽ ἔλαβεν αἰσχυνομένως αὐτὴν καὶ σωφρόνως, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς δεδοικόσι τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτοῦ καὶ κατεπτηχόσιν ἡμῖν ... ἔπειτα ἱερὰν καὶ ἄσυλον ἔφη δεῖν ἀποδειχθῆναι τὴν ἀρχὴν ὅρκοις ἐμπεδωθεῖσαν, κρείττω τιμὴν αἰτούμενος ἧς δεδώκατε ὑμεῖς τοῖς ὑπάτοις. ὑπεμείνατε καὶ τοῦτο καὶ στάντες ἐπὶ τῶν τομίων κατ᾽ ἐξωλείας ἑαυτῶν τε καὶ τῶν ἀπογόνων ὠμόσατε.
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 592
