§9.1ἐπεὶ δʼ ὁ Φάβιος προσελθὼν ἀπολογεῖσθαι μὲν οὐδʼ ἐμέλλησε πρὸς τὸν δήμαρχον, ἔφη δὲ τάχιστα τὰς θυσίας καὶ τὰς ἱερουργίας γενέσθαι, ὥστʼ ἐπὶ τὸ στράτευμα βαδιεῖσθαι τῷ Μινουκίῳ δίκην ἐπιθήσων, ὅτι κωλύσαντος αὐτοῦ τοῖς πολεμίοις συνέβαλε, θόρυβος διῇξε τοῦ δήμου πολὺς, ὡς κινδυνεύσοντος τοῦ Μινουκίου.
But when Fabius, coming forward, did not even intend to make a defense before the tribune, but said that the sacrifices and religious rites should be performed as quickly as possible, so that he might go immediately to the army to inflict punishment on Minucius because he had engaged with the enemy though he had forbidden him, a great tumult spread through the people, as Minucius was going to be in danger.
καὶ γὰρ εἷρξαι τῷ δικτάτορι καὶ θανατῶσαι πρὸ δίκης ἔξεστι καὶ τοῦ Φαβίου τὸν θυμὸν ἐκ πολλῆς πρᾳότητος κεκινημένον ᾤοντο βαρὺν εἶναι καὶ δυσπαραίτητον.
For it is allowed for the dictator to imprison and to put to death without trial, and they thought that the anger of Fabius, once aroused from his great mildness, would be heavy and hard to appease.
§9.2ὅθεν οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι καταδείσαντες ἡσυχίαν ἦγον· ὁ δὲ Μετίλιος ἔχων τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς δημαρχίας ἄδειαν μόνη γὰρ αὕτη δικτάτορος αἱρεθέντος ἡ ἀρχὴ τὸ κράτος οὐκ ἀπόλλυσιν, ἀλλὰ μένει τῶν ἄλλων καταλυθεισῶν, ἐνέκειτο τῷ δήμῳ πολύς, μὴ προέσθαι δεόμενος τὸν Μινούκιον μηδʼ ἐᾶσαι παθεῖν ἃ Μάλλιος Τουρκουᾶτος ἔδρασε τὸν υἱόν, ἀριστεύσαντος καὶ στεφανωθέντος ἀποκόψας πελέκει τὸν τράχηλον, ἀφελέσθαι δὲ τοῦ Φαβίου τὴν τυραννίδα καὶ τῷ δυναμένῳ καὶ βουλομένῳ σῴζειν ἐπιτρέψαι τὰ πράγματα.
Therefore, while the others indeed, being terrified, kept quiet, Metilius, having the immunity derived from the tribuneship—for this office alone does not lose its power when a dictator is chosen, but remains while the others are suspended—vehemently pressed the people, begging them not to abandon Minucius, nor to suffer him to experience what Mallius Torquatus did to his son, whose neck he cut off with an axe after he had distinguished himself and been crowned, but to take away the tyranny from Fabius and commit the affairs to him who was able and willing to save them.
§9.3τοιούτοις λόγοις κινηθέντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὸν μὲν Φάβιον οὐκ ἐτόλμησαν ἀναγκάσαι καταθέσθαι τὴν μοναρχίαν, καίπερ ἀδοξοῦντα, τὸν δὲ Μινούκιον ἐψηφίσαντο τῆς στρατηγίας ὁμότιμον ὄντα διέπειν τὸν πόλεμον ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐξουσίας τῷ δικτάτορι, πρᾶγμα μὴ πρότερον ἐν Ῥώμῃ γεγονός, ὀλίγῳ δʼ ὕστερον αὖθις γενόμενον μετὰ τὴν ἐν Κάνναις ἀτυχίαν.
Moved by such words, the people did not indeed dare to force Fabius to lay down his monarchy, although he was in disrepute, but they voted that Minucius, being equal in honor in the command, should conduct the war with the same authority as the dictator—a thing which had never happened before in Rome, though it happened again shortly afterwards after the disaster at Cannae.
§9.4καὶ γὰρ τότʼ ἐπὶ τῶν στρατοπέδων Μᾶρκος ἦν Ἰούνιος δικτάτωρ, καὶ κατὰ πόλιν τὸ βουλευτικὸν ἀναπληρῶσαι δεῆσαν, ἅτε δὴ πολλῶν ἐν τῇ. μάχῃ συγκλητικῶν ἀπολωλότων, ἕτερον εἵλοντο δικτάτορα Φάβιον Βουτεῶνα.
For at that time indeed, Marcus Junius was dictator with the armies, and since there was a need to fill up the senate in the city, inasmuch as many senators had perished in the battle, they chose another dictator, Fabius Buteo.
πλὴν οὗτος μὲν, ἐπεὶ προῆλθε καὶ κατέλεξε τοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ συνεπλήρωσε τὴν βουλήν, αὐθημερὸν ἀφεὶς τοὺς ῥαβδούχους καὶ διαφυγὼν τοὺς προάγοντας, εἰς τὸν ὄχλον ἐμβαλὼν καὶ καταμίξας ἑαυτὸν ἤδη τι τῶν ἑαυτοῦ διοικῶν καὶ πραγματευόμενος ὥσπερ ἰδιώτης ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἀνεστρέφετο.
However, this man, when he had come forward and enrolled the men and filled up the senate, dismissed his lictors on the very same day and, having escaped those who went before him, cast himself into the crowd and, mixing himself with them, was already managing some of his own business and trading, walking about in the forum just like a private citizen.