§10.28.1ὡς δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι ταῦτʼ ἐδόκει, καὶ οὐθεὶς ἦν ὁ τἀναντία ἐρῶν, οἱ μὲν ὕπατοι τὸν δῆμον εἰς ἐκκλησίαν συνεκάλουν.
As this was approved by all the others as well, and there was no one who would speak to the contrary, the consuls summoned the people to an assembly.
συνελθόντος δʼ ὡς ἐπὶ καινοῖς ἀκούσμασι παντὸς τοῦ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ὄχλου παρελθὼν ἅτερος τῶν ὑπάτων Γάιος Ὁράτιος ἐπειρᾶτο πείθειν τοὺς δημοτικοὺς ἑκόντας ὑπομεῖναι καὶ ταύτην τὴν στρατείαν.
When all the crowd in the city had gathered as if to hear some new tidings, one of the consuls, Gaius Horatius, came forward and attempted to persuade the plebeians to willingly undergo this campaign as well.
ἀντιλεγόντων δὲ τῶν δημάρχων καὶ τοῦ δήμου προσέχοντος αὐτοῖς τὸν νοῦν παρελθὼν πάλιν ὁ ὕπατος εἶπε· §10.28.2καλὸν γʼ, ὦ Οὐεργίνιε, καὶ θαυμαστὸν ἔργον ἐξειργάσασθε διασπάσαντες ἀπὸ τῆς βουλῆς τὸν δῆμον· καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐφʼ ὑμῖν εἶναι μέρος πάντʼ ἀπολωλέκαμεν, ὅσα παρὰ τῶν προγόνων παραλαβόντες ἢ τοῖς ἑαυτῶν πόνοις κτησάμενοι κατέσχομεν.
But as the tribunes spoke against it and the people gave their attention to them, the consul came forward again and said: "Indeed, Virginius, you and your colleagues have performed a noble and wonderful deed in tearing the people away from the senate; and as far as your part is concerned, we have lost everything that we held, whether we received it from our ancestors or acquired it by our own labors.
§10.28.3οὐ μὴν ἡμεῖς γʼ ἀκονιτὶ μεθησόμεθα αὐτῶν, ἀλλʼ ἀναλαβόντες τὰ ὅπλα μετὰ τῶν βουλομένων σώζεσθαι τὴν πατρίδα χωρήσομεν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα τὰς ἀγαθὰς προβαλλόμενοι τῶν ἔργων ἐλπίδας·
But we, at any rate, will not let go of them without a struggle; rather, taking up arms with those who wish the fatherland to be saved, we will march to the contest, putting forward the good hopes of our deeds.
καὶ εἴ τις ἄρα θεὸς ἐπισκοπεῖ τοὺς καλοὺς καὶ δικαίους ἀγῶνας, καὶ ἡ τὴν πόλιν τήνδε αὔξουσα ἐκ πολλοῦ τύχη μήπω προλέλοιπεν αὐτήν, κρείττους τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐσόμεθα· εἰ δέ τις ἄρα ἐνέστηκε δαίμων καὶ ἐναντιοῦται τῇ σωτηρίᾳ τῆς πόλεως, οὔτοι τό γʼ ἐν ἡμῖν εὔνουν καὶ πρόθυμον ἀπολεῖται, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἁπάντων κράτιστον θάνατον αἱρησόμεθα περὶ τῆς πατρίδος.
And if indeed some god watches over noble and just struggles, and the fortune which has of old increased this city has not yet abandoned her, we shall be superior to our enemies; but if indeed some genius stands in the way and opposes the safety of the city, at least the goodwill and eagerness in us shall not perish, but we shall choose the most noble death of all for the sake of our fatherland.
§10.28.4ὑμεῖς δὲ αὐτοῦ μένοντες οἰκουρεῖτε ἅμα ταῖς γυναιξίν, ὦ καλοὶ καὶ γενναῖοι προστάται τῆς πόλεως, ἐγκαταλιπόντες, μᾶλλον δὲ προδόντες ἡμᾶς, οἷς οὔτʼ ἂν νικήσωμεν ἡμεῖς ὁ βίος ἔσται καλός, οὔτʼ §10.28.5ἂν ἄλλως χωρήσῃ τὰ καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἀσφαλής·
But do you remain here and keep house together with your wives, O noble and generous protectors of the city, deserting, or rather betraying us, for whom, even if we conquer, life will not be pleasant, nor, if our affairs turn out otherwise, will it be safe.
εἰ μὴ ἄρα ἐκείνῃ τῇ ψυχρᾷ ἐλπίδι ἐπαίρεσθε, ὡς διαφθαρέντων τῶν πατρικίων ὑμᾶς ἐάσουσιν οἱ πολέμιοι ταύτην ὑπολογιζόμενοι τὴν εὐεργεσίαν, καὶ συγχωρήσουσιν ὑμῖν τὴν πατρίδα καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν καὶ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν καὶ πάντα τἆλλα ἀγαθά, ὅσα νῦν ἔχετε, καρποῦσθαι, ὧν ὑμεῖς ὅτε τὰ ἄριστα ἐφρονεῖτε πολλὴν μὲν γῆν ἀπετέμεσθε, πολλὰς δὲ πόλεις ἐξανδραποδισάμενοι κατεσκάψατε, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ μεγάλα καὶ οὐδʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ παντὸς αἰῶνος ἀφανισθησόμενα τρόπαια καὶ §10.28.6μνημεῖα τῆς ἔχθρας ἀνεστήσατε.
Unless, indeed, you are buoyed up by that cold hope, that if the patricians are destroyed, the enemy will spare you in consideration of this benefit, and will permit you to enjoy your country, freedom, supremacy, and all the other advantages you now possess; for the sake of which, when you were of the best mind, you cut off much land, and having enslaved many cities, razed them to the ground, and erected many great trophies and monuments of enmity, which will not be effaced even by all eternity.
ἀλλὰ τί τῷ δήμῳ ταῦτʼ ἐπιτιμῶ, ὃς οὐδέποτε πονηρὸς ἑκὼν ἐγένετο, μᾶλλον ἢ οὐχ ὑμῖν, ὦ Οὐεργίνιε, τοῖς τὰ καλὰ ταῦτα πολιτευομένοις;
But why do I censure the people, who were never bad of their own accord, rather than you, Virginius, who carry on these noble policies?
ἡμῖν μὲν οὖν, οἷς ἀνάγκη μηδὲν ταπεινὸν φρονεῖν, δέδοκταί τε καὶ οὐθὲν ἔσται τὸ κωλύσον ἄρασθαι τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος ἀγῶνα, ὑμῖν δὲ τοῖς ἐγκαταλιποῦσι καὶ προδοῦσι τὸ κοινὸν ἥξει δίκη τιμωρὸς οὐ μεμπτὴ παρὰ θεῶν, ἐὰν ἄρα διαφύγητε τὴν παρʼ ἀνθρώπων κόλασιν.
To us, therefore, who must entertain no mean thoughts, it has been resolved, and there shall be nothing to prevent our undertaking the struggle for our country; but upon you who desert and betray the common welfare, there shall come from the gods a punishing justice that is not to be complained of, if indeed you escape punishment from men.
§10.28.7ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ταύτην διαφεύξεσθε· καὶ μή με δεδίττεσθαι ὑπολάβητε, ἀλλʼ εὖ ἴστε, ὅτι οἱ καταλειφθέντες ἡμῶν ἐνθάδε φύλακες τῆς πόλεως, ἐὰν κρείττω τὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν γένηται, φρονήσουσιν ἃ προσῆκεν αὐτοῖς φρονεῖν.
But neither shall you escape this; and do not suppose that I am trying to frighten you, but know full well that those of us left behind here as guards of the city, if the enemy's fortune should become superior, will resolve what it behoved them to resolve.
οὐ γὰρ ἤδη βαρβάροις μέν τισιν ἁλισκομένοις ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων εἰς νοῦν ἦλθε μήτε γυναικῶν αὐτοῖς παραχωρῆσαι μήτε παίδων μήτε πόλεων, ἀλλὰ τὰς μὲν ἐμπρῆσαι, τὰς δὲ §10.28.8κατασφάξαι, Ῥωμαίοις δʼ ἄρα, οἷς ἑτέρων ἄρχειν πάτριόν ἐστιν, οὐ παραστήσεται ταῦτα περὶ ἑαυτῶν φρονεῖν;
For has it not already entered the minds of some barbarians, when they were being captured by their enemies, neither to yield up their wives, nor their children, nor their cities, but to burn some and to slaughter others, and will it not, then, occur to Romans, whose ancestral custom it is to rule over others, to entertain such thoughts concerning themselves?
οὐχ οὕτως ἀγεννεῖς ἔσονται, ἀλλʼ ἀφʼ ὑμῶν τῶν ἐχθίστων ἀρξάμενοι τότε χωρήσουσι πρὸς τὰ φίλια.
They will not be so base, but beginning with you, their worst enemies, they will then proceed to their loved ones.
πρὸς ταῦτα ὁρῶντες ἐκκλησιάζετε καὶ νόμους εἰσφέρετε καινούς.
Looking to this, hold your assemblies and introduce your new laws."