[4] They intend, now, as we learn, to take advantage of a dark night and attack us while we are asleep, when we can neither provide against anything that is taking place nor get together in a body to defend ourselves, and, rushing into our houses, to cut the throats, not only of us tribunes, but of all the other plebeians also who have ever opposed them in defence of their liberty or may oppose them for the future.
[5] ὁρῶντες δέ, ὅτι ξενικῆς αὐτοῖς χειρὸς εἰς τὰ πράγματα δεῖ κρύφα παρασκευασθείσης καὶ οὐδὲ ταύτης μετρίας, ἄνδρα προσειλήφασιν εἰς ταῦτα τῶν ὑμετέρων φυγάδων Καίσωνα Κοίντιον ἡγεμόνα, ὃν ἐπὶ φόνοις πολιτῶν καὶ διαστάσει τῆς πόλεως ἐξελεγχθέντα διεπράξαντό τινες τῶν ἐνθάδε μὴ δοῦναι δίκην, ἀλλ᾽ ἀθῷον ἀπελθεῖν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, κάθοδόν τε πράξειν ὑπέσχηνται καὶ ἀρχὰς προτείνονται καὶ τιμὰς καὶ ἄλλους μισθοὺς τῆς ὑπουργίας.
[5] And after they have made away with us, they believe that then at last they will easily bring about the abrogation, by a unanimous vote on your part, of the compacts you made with the populace. But perceiving that they need for their purpose a body of foreign troops secretly got in readiness — and that no moderate force — they have to this end adopted as their leader one of your exiles, Caeso Quintius, a man whom, though convicted of the murder of his fellow citizens and of raising a sedition in the state, some of the members of this body contrived to save from paying the penalty, letting him go out of the city unharmed, and have promised to restore him to his country and are offering him magistracies and honours and other rewards for his help.
[6] κἀκεῖνος ὑπέσχηται στρατιὰν αὐτοῖς Αἰκανῶν καὶ Οὐολούσκων ἄξειν ἐπίκουρον, ὅσης ἂν δεηθῶσιν: ἥξει τε οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν αὐτὸς μὲν ἐπαγόμενος τοὺς εὐτολμοτάτους κρύφα κατ᾽ ὀλίγους εἰσάγων καὶ σποράδας, ἡ δ᾽ ἄλλη δύναμις, ὅταν οἱ τοῦ δήμου προεστηκότες ἡμεῖς διαφθαρῶμεν, ἐπὶ τὸ ἄλλο πλῆθος τῶν πενήτων χωρήσει, ἐάν τινες ἄρα περιέχωνται τῆς ἐλευθερίας.
[6] And he on his part has promised to bring to their assistance as large a force of the Aequians and Volscians as they shall ask for. He himself will soon appear at the head of the most daring, whom he will introduce into the city secretly, a few at a time and in small bodies; the rest of the force, as soon as we who are the leaders of the populace are destroyed, will fall next upon the rest of the poor, if any of them cling to their liberty.
[7] ταῦτ᾽ ἐστίν, ἃ βεβούλευνται ὑπὸ σκότους καὶ μέλλουσι δρᾶν, ὦ βουλή, δεινὰ καὶ ἀνόσια ἔργα, οὔτε θεῖον φοβηθέντες χόλον οὔτε ἀνθρωπίνην ἐντραπέντες νέμεσιν. [p. 19]
[7] These are the dreadful and wicked plans, senators, which they have concocted under cover of darkness and intend to carry out without either fearing the anger of the gods or heeding the indignation of men.
[1] ἐν τοσούτῳ δὴ κινδύνῳ σαλεύοντες ἱκέται γινόμεθα ὑμῶν, ὦ πατέρες, ἐπισκήπτοντες θεούς τε καὶ δαίμονας, οἷς κοινῇ θύομεν, καὶ πολέμων ὑπομιμνήσκοντες, οὓς πολλοὺς καὶ μεγάλους σὺν ὑμῖν ἠράμεθα, μὴ περιιδεῖν ὠμὰ καὶ ἀνόσια ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν παθόντας ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπαμῦναί τε καὶ συναγανακτῆσαι τιμωρίας ἡμῖν συνεισπράξαντας παρὰ τῶν ταῦτα βουλευσαμένων τὰς προσηκούσας, μάλιστα μὲν παρὰ πάντων, εἰ δὲ μή γε, παρὰ τῶν ἀρξάντων τῆς ἀθεμίτου συνωμοσίας.
[11.1] “Being tossed about on such a rough sea of perils, fathers, we come to you as suppliants, calling to witness the gods and lesser divinities to whom we sacrifice in common; and reminding you of the many great wars we have waged side by side with you, we implore you not to allow us to suffer this cruel and wicked fate at the hands of our enemies, but to assist us and share our indignation, joining with us in exacting suitable punishment from those who have formed these designs — from all of them preferably, but if that may not be, then at least from the authors of this nefarious conspiracy.
[2] πρῶτον δὲ πάντων ἀξιοῦμεν ὑμᾶς, ὦ βουλή, ψηφίσασθαι πρᾶγμα, ὅπερ ἐστὶ δικαιότατον, τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν μηνυομένων ζήτησιν ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν τῶν δημάρχων γίνεσθαι. χωρὶς γὰρ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ ἀκριβεστάτας ἀνάγκη γίνεσθαι ζητήσεις, ἃς ἂν οἱ κινδυνεύοντες ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν ποιήσωνται.
[2] First of all we ask, senators, that you will pass a measure that is in every respect just, to the effect that the investigation of the matters of which we have been informed shall be conducted by us, the tribunes. For, apart from the justice of this request, those investigations are bound to be strictest which are made by those whose own lives soldier in danger.
[3] εἰ δέ τινες ὑμῶν εἰσιν οἷοι μηδὲ καθ᾽ ἓν εὐγνωμονεῖν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἅπαντας τοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ δήμου λέγοντας ἀντιτάττεσθαι, ἡδέως ἂν πυθοίμην παρ᾽ αὐτῶν, ἐπὶ τῷ δυσχεραίνουσι τῶν ἀξιουμένων καὶ τί μέλλουσιν ὑμᾶς πείθειν: πότερα μηδεμίαν ποιεῖσθαι ζήτησιν, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπεριδεῖν ἔργον οὕτω μέγα καὶ μιαρὸν ἐπὶ τῷ δήμῳ συνιστάμενον; καὶ τίς ἂν τοὺς ταῦτα λέγοντας ὑγιαίνειν φήσειεν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐχὶ συνδιεφθάρθαι καὶ κοινωνεῖν τῆς συνωμοσίας, ἔπειτα ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν δεδιότας, ἵνα μὴ γένωνται καταφανεῖς, ἀποσπεύδειν τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐξέτασιν; οἷς οὐκ ἂν δικαίως προσέχοιτε δήπου τὸν νοῦν.
[3] If there are any among you who are not disposed to show a conciliatory spirit at all, but oppose every man who speaks in favour of the populace, I should like to inquire of them what there is in our demands that displeases them and what course they intend to recommend to you. Will it be to make no investigation whatever, but to ignore so awful and abominable a plot that is forming against the populace? Yet who would say that those who take that line are honest, and are not rather tainted with the same corruption and sharers in the conspiracy, and then, because they are afraid they will be discovered, vigorously oppose the inquiry into the truth? To such, surely, you would not rightly pay any heed.
[4] ἢ τῆς διαγνώσεως τῶν μηνυομένων οὐχ ἡμᾶς εἶναι κυρίους ἀξιώσουσιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν βουλὴν καὶ τοὺς [p. 20] ὑπάτους; τί οὖν τὸ κωλύον ἔσται τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο καὶ τοὺς προεστηκότας τοῦ δήμου λέγειν, ἐάν τινες ἐκ τῶν δημοτικῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς ὑπάτοις καὶ τῇ βουλῇ συστάντες πράττωσι τὴν τοῦ συνεδρίου κατάλυσιν, ὅτι τὴν περὶ τῶν δημοτῶν ἐξέτασιν αὐτοὺς δίκαιόν ἐστι ποιεῖσθαι τοὺς ἀνειληφότας τὴν τοῦ δήμου φυλακήν; τί οὖν ἐκ τούτου συμβήσεται; μηδεμίαν πώποτε γενέσθαι ζήτησιν περὶ
μηθενὸς πράγματος ἀπορρήτου.
[4] Or will they demand that those who are to have authority to determine the truth of these reports shall be, not we, the tribunes, but the senate and the consuls? What, then, is to prevent the leaders of the populace also from saying the same thing in case some plebeians, conspiring against the consuls and the senate, should plot the abolition of the latter — that, namely, the investigation of the plebeians would justly be made by the very men who have assumed the protection of the populace? What, then, will be the consequence of this procedure? Why, that no inquiry will ever be made into any secret matter.
[5] ἀλλ᾽ οὔθ᾽ ἡμεῖς ἂν ταῦτ᾽ ἀξιώσαιμεν: ὕποπτος γὰρ ἡ φιλοτιμία: ὑμεῖς τ᾽ οὐκ ἂν ὀρθῶς ποιοῖτε τοῖς τὰ ὅμοια ἀξιοῦσι καθ᾽ ἡμῶν προσέχοντες τὸν νοῦν, ἀλλὰ κοινοὺς ἡγούμενοι τῆς πόλεως ἐχθρούς. οὐδενὸς μέντοιγε, ὦ βουλή, τοῖς πράγμασιν ὡς τάχους δεῖ. ὁ γὰρ κίνδυνος ὀξύς, καὶ ἡ μέλλησις τῆς ἀσφαλείας ἄωρος ἐν οὐ μέλλουσι δεινοῖς. ὥστ᾽ ἀφέντες τὸ φιλονεικεῖν καὶ λόγους διεξιέναι μακροὺς ψηφίσασθε ὅ τι ἂν δοκῇ κοινῇ συμφέρειν ἤδη.
[5] But, just as we would never make this demand — for partisan zeal arouses suspicion — so you would not be doing right in paying heed to those who insist upon the same course against us; on the contrary, you should look upon them as the common enemies of the state. However, senators, nothing is so necessary in the present juncture as haste; for the danger is acute, and delay in providing for our security is unseasonable in the presence of dangers that delay not. Do you, therefore, putting aside your rivalry and your long harangues, pass at once whatever decree seems conducive to the public good.”
[1] ταῦτ᾽ εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ πολλή τις ἔκπληξις κατέσχε τὸ συνέδριον καὶ ἀμηχανία: διελογίζοντό τε καὶ συνελάλουν ἀλλήλοις, ὡς χαλεπὸν ἑκάτερον ἦν, καὶ τὸ συγχωρεῖν τοῖς δημάρχοις ζητήσεις ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν ποιεῖσθαι περὶ κοινοῦ καὶ μεγάλου πράγματος, καὶ τὸ μὴ συγχωρεῖν. ὑποπτεύσας δ᾽ αὐτῶν τὴν γνώμην ἀνέστη τῶν ὑπάτων ἅτερος, Γάιος Κλαύδιος καὶ
[12.1] When he had thus spoken, great consternation and embarrassment came upon the senate. They discussed and talked over with one another the difficulty of either course — either to grant or to refuse the tribunes permission to make investigations by themselves of a matter of general concern and great importance. And one of the consuls, Gaius Claudius, suspecting their intentions, rose up and spoke as follows:
[2] ἔλεξε τοιάδε: οὐ δέδοικα, Οὐεργίνιε, μή με ὑπολάβωσιν [p. 21] οὗτοι κοινωνὸν εἶναι τῆς συνωμοσίας, ἣν ἐφ᾽ ὑμῖν καὶ τῷ δήμῳ πράττεσθαι λέγετε, ἢ τὰ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ δεδιότα ἢ τῶν ἐμῶν τινος ἐνόχου ταῖς αἰτίαις ὄντος ἀνεστάναι τἀναντία ὑμῖν ἐροῦντα: ὁ γὰρ βίος ἀπολύει με πάσης ὑποψίας τοιαύτης. ἃ δὲ νομίζω τῇ τε βουλῇ καὶ τῷ δήμῳ συμφέρειν, ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατίστου καὶ δίχα πάσης εὐλαβείας ἐρῶ.
[2] “I am not afraid, Verginius, that these men here will imagine that I am an accomplice in the conspiracy which you say is being formed against you and the populace, and that then, out of fear for myself or for some relation of mine who is guilty of this charge, I have risen to oppose you; for the whole course of my life clears me of any suspicion of the sort. But what I consider to be advantageous for both the senate and the people I will say in all good faith and without reservation.
[3] πολλοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ παντὸς ἁμαρτάνειν δοκεῖ μοι Οὐεργίνιος, εἴ τινα ὑπείληφεν ἡμῶν ἐρεῖν, ἢ ὡς ἀνεξέταστον ἀφεῖσθαι δεῖ πρᾶγμα οὕτως ὂν μέγα καὶ ἀναγκαῖον, ἢ ὡς οὐ δεῖ κοινωνεῖν οὐδὲ παρεῖναι τῇ ζητήσει τοὺς ἀνειληφότας τὴν τοῦ δήμου ἀρχήν. οὐθεὶς οὔτε ἠλίθιός ἐστιν οὕτως οὔτε τῷ δήμῳ κακόνους, ὥστε ταῦτα λέγειν.
[3] Verginius seems to me to be greatly, or rather totally, mistaken if he imagines that any of us will same either that a matter of so great importance and necessity ought to be left uninvestigated or that the magistrates of the populace ought not to take part in or be present at the inquiry. No man is so foolish or so ill-disposed toward the populace as to say that.
[4] τί οὖν, εἴ τις ἔροιτό με, παθών, ἃ συγχωρῶ καί φημι δίκαια εἶναι, τούτοις ἀντιλέξων ἀνέστην, καὶ τί βούλεταί μου ὁ λόγος, ἐγὼ νὴ Δία φράσω πρὸς ὑμᾶς. παντὸς οἴομαι δεῖν πράγματος, ὦ βουλή, τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς πρώτας ὑποθέσεις τοὺς εὖ φρονοῦντας ἀκριβῶς σκοπεῖν: οἷαι γὰρ ἂν αὗται τύχωσιν οὖσαι, τοιούτους ἀνάγκη γίνεσθαι καὶ τοὺς περὶ αὐτῶν λόγους.
[4] If, then, anyone should ask me what possessed me to rise up to oppose those measures which I agree to and admit to be just, and what my purpose is in speaking, by Heaven I will tell you. I believe, senators, that sensible men ought to examine minutely the beginnings and basic principles of every measure; for of whatever nature these may be, such also must be all discussion about them.
[5] φέρε δή, τίς ἡ τοῦδε τοῦ πράγματος ὑπόθεσίς ἐστι καὶ τί τὸ βούλευμα τῶν δημάρχων, ἀκούσατέ μου. οὐκ ἐνῆν τούτοις οὐδέν, ὧν ἐν τῷ παρελθόντι ἐνιαυτῷ πράττειν ἐπιβαλλόμενοι διεκωλύθησαν, ἐπιτελέσασθαι νῦν ὑμῶν τε ἐναντιουμένων αὐτοῖς ὡς πρότερον καὶ [p. 22] τοῦ δήμου μηκέθ᾽ ὁμοίως συναγωνιζομένου. συνιδόντες δὴ τοῦτο ἐσκόπουν, ὅπως ἂν ὑμεῖς τ᾽ ἀναγκασθείητε παρὰ γνώμην αὐτοῖς εἶξαι, καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἅπαντα ὅσ᾽
[5] Well then, learn from me what the basic principle of this measure is and what the purpose of the tribunes is. These men would not be able to carry out now any of the undertakings they were prevented from accomplishing last year if both you were to oppose them as before and the populace were no longer to espouse their quarrel with the same zeal. Since they were aware of these difficulties, they considered by what means not only you might be compelled to yield to them contrary to your judgement, but the populace also might be forced to assist them in everything they should desire.
[6] ἂν ἀξιῶσι συμπράττειν. ἀληθῆ μὲν οὖν καὶ δικαίαν ὑπόθεσιν οὐδεμίαν εὕρισκον, δι᾽ ἧς ἑκάτερον τούτοις ἔσται, πολλὰ δὲ βουλεύματα πειράζοντες καὶ στρέφοντες ἄνω καὶ κάτω τὸ πρᾶγμα τελευτῶντες ἐπὶ τοιοῦτον δή τινα λογισμὸν ἦλθον: αἰτιασώμεθα συνίστασθαί τινας ἐκ τῶν ἐπιφανῶν ἐπὶ καταλύσει τοῦ δήμου, καὶ σφάττειν διεγνωκέναι τοὺς παρέχοντας αὐτῷ τὸ ἀσφαλές.
[6] But finding no true or just basis for gaining both these ends, after trying various plans and turning the matter this w
ay and that, they at last hit upon some such reasoning as this: ‘Let us accuse some prominent men of a conspiracy to overthrow the power of the populace and of having decided to cut the throats of those who assure the safety of the populace.
[7] καὶ ταῦτα ἐκ πολλοῦ παρασκευάσαντες λέγεσθαι κατὰ τὴν πόλιν, ὅταν ἤδη πιστὰ εἶναι τοῖς πολλοῖς δόξῃ — δόξει δὲ διὰ τὸ δέος — ἐπιστολὰς μηχανησώμεθα πολλῶν παρόντων ἡμῖν ὑπ᾽ ἀνδρὸς ἀγνῶτος ἀναδοθῆναι: ἔπειτ᾽ ἐλθόντες ἐπὶ τὸ συνέδριον ἀγανακτῶμέν τε καὶ σχετλιάζωμεν καὶ τοῦ ζητεῖν τὰ προσηγγελμένα αἰτῶμεν τὴν ἐξουσίαν.
[7] And after we have contrived to have these reports talked about for a long time throughout the city and when the multitude at last believe them to be trustworthy — and they will do so because of their fear — let us devise a way to have letters delivered to us in the presence of many by an unknown person. Then let us go to the senate, express our indignation, make angry complaints and demand authority to investigate the reports.
[8] ἐάν τε γὰρ ἀντιλέγωσιν ἡμῖν οἱ πατρίκιοι, ταύτην ληψόμεθα τοῦ διαβαλεῖν αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ἀφορμήν, καὶ οὕτως ἅπαν τὸ δημοτικὸν ἠγριωμένον αὐτοῖς ἕτοιμον ἡμῖν εἰς ἃ βουλόμεθα ὑπάρξει: ἐάν τε συγχωρῶσι, τοὺς γενναιοτάτους ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ πλεῖστα ἡμῖν ἐναντιωθέντας πρεσβυτέρους τε καὶ νέους ἐλαύνωμεν, ὡς εὑρηκότες ταῖς αἰτίαις ἐνόχους.
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 663
