§10.3.1τὸ μὲν οὖν καταλύσασθαι τὰ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐγκλήματα καὶ μιᾷ χρήσασθαι γνώμῃ περὶ τῶν κοινῶν, ὡς ὑπετίθεντο οἱ χρησμοί, πάντες ὡμολόγουν· ὅπως δʼ ἂν τοῦτο γένοιτο καὶ ἀπὸ τίνων ἀρξαμένων εἴκειν τοῖς ἑτέροις τὸ διάφορον παύσαιτο στασιάζον, οὐ §10.3.2μικρὰν αὐτοῖς παρεῖχεν ἀπορίαν.
Therefore, that they should settle their accusations against one another and adopt one opinion concerning public affairs, as the oracles suggested, everyone agreed; but how this might happen, and beginning with whom yielding to the other the disputing faction would cease to contend, caused them no small perplexity.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὕπατοι καὶ οἱ τῆς βουλῆς προεστῶτες τοὺς εἰσφέροντας καινὰ πολιτεύματα δημάρχους καὶ καταλύειν ἀξιοῦντας τὸν πάτριον τῆς πολιτείας κόσμον αἰτίους ἀπέφαινον τῆς ταραχῆς.
For the consuls and the leaders of the senate pointed out that the tribunes, who were introducing new forms of government and demanding the dissolution of the ancestral order of the state, were the causes of the disturbance.
οἱ δὲ δήμαρχοι σφᾶς μὲν αὐτοὺς οὐδὲν ἔλεγον ἀνάξιον δρᾶν οὔτε ἄδικον οὔτε ἀσύμφορον εὐνομίαν εἰσάγειν βουλομένους καὶ ἰσηγορίαν· τοὺς δὲ ὑπάτους καὶ τοὺς πατρικίους αἰτίους ἔσεσθαι τῆς στάσεως ἔλεγον ἀνομίαν αὔξοντας καὶ πλεονεξίαν καὶ §10.3.3ζηλοῦντας τὰ τῶν τυράννων ἔθη.
The tribunes, on the other hand, declared that they themselves were doing nothing unworthy, unjust, or disadvantageous in wishing to introduce good laws and equal right of speech; but they said that the consuls and the patricians would be the causes of the sedition, as they were increasing lawlessness and greed, and emulating the habits of tyrants.
ταῦτα καὶ πολλὰ τούτοις ὅμοια παρʼ ἑκατέρων ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡμέρας ἐλέγετο, καὶ προὔβαινε διὰ κενῆς ὁ χρόνος· ἐν ᾧ τῶν κατὰ τὴν πόλιν οὔτε δημοσίων οὔτε ἰδίων οὐδὲν ἐτελεῖτο.
These and many other things like them were said by both sides for many days, and time passed in vain, during which nothing, either of public or private business, was transacted in the city.
ὡς δʼ οὐδὲν ἐγίνετο τῶν προὔργου, λόγων μὲν ἐκείνων καὶ κατηγοριῶν, ἃς ἐποιοῦντο κατὰ τῆς βουλῆς, οἱ δήμαρχοι ἀπέστησαν· συναγαγόντες δὲ τὸ πλῆθος εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ὑπέσχοντο τῷ δήμῳ νόμον εἰσοίσειν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἠξίουν.
But when nothing of importance was accomplished, the tribunes desisted from those speeches and accusations which they were making against the senate; and having assembled the multitude into the assembly, they promised the people that they would introduce a law concerning the matters they demanded.
§10.3.4ἐπαινέσαντος δὲ τοῦ πλήθους τὸν λόγον οὐδὲν ἔτι ἀναβαλόμενοι τὸν παρασκευασθέντα νόμον ἀνέγνωσαν· κεφάλαια δὲ αὐτοῦ τάδε ἦν· ἄνδρας αἱρεθῆναι δέκα ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου συναχθείσης ἀγορᾶς ἐννόμου τοὺς πρεσβυτάτους τε καὶ φρονιμωτάτους, οἷς ἐστι πλείστη πρόνοια τιμῆς τε καὶ δόξης ἀγαθῆς· τούτους δὲ συγγράψαντας τοὺς ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων νόμους τῶν τε κοινῶν καὶ τῶν ἰδίων εἰς τὸν δῆμον ἐξενεγκεῖν· τοὺς δὲ συγγραφησομένους ὑπʼ αὐτῶν νόμους κεῖσθαι ἐν ἀγορᾷ ταῖς καθʼ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν ἀποδειχθησομέναις ἀρχαῖς καὶ τοῖς ἰδιώταις ὅρους τῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους δικαίων.
And when the multitude had approved the proposal, delaying no longer, they read the law they had prepared; and its chief points were these: that ten men should be chosen by the people in a lawful assembly, the oldest and most prudent, who had the greatest regard for honor and good reputation; and that these, having drawn up laws concerning all matters, both public and private, should lay them before the people; and that the laws to be drawn up by them should be set up in the forum, serving as boundaries of mutual rights for the magistrates to be appointed each year and for private citizens.
§10.3.5τοῦτον προθέντες τὸν νόμον ἐξουσίαν ἔδοσαν τοῖς βουλομένοις αὐτοῦ κατηγορεῖν, ἀποδείξαντες τὴν τρίτην ἀγοράν.
Having proposed this law, they gave permission to those who wished to accuse it, appointing the third market-day for that purpose.
ἦσαν δὲ πολλοὶ καὶ οὐχ οἱ φαυλότατοι τῶν ἐκ τοῦ συνεδρίου, πρεσβύτεροι καὶ νέοι, κατήγοροι τοῦ νόμου, λόγους διεξιόντες ἐκ πολλῆς ἐπιμελείας καὶ παρασκευῆς· καὶ §10.3.6τοῦτʼ ἐφʼ ἡμέρας ἐγίνετο συχνάς.
And there were many, and not the least distinguished of the senate, both older and younger men, who became accusers of the law, delivering speeches with great care and preparation; and this continued for many days.
ἔπειτα οἱ δήμαρχοι δυσχεραίνοντες ἐπὶ τῇ διατριβῇ τοῦ χρόνου λόγον μὲν οὐδένα ἔτι τοῖς κατηγόροις τοῦ νόμου προέθεσαν, ἡμέραν δὲ ἀποδείξαντες, ἐν ᾗ κυρώσειν αὐτὸν ἔμελλον, παρεῖναι τοὺς δημότας εἰς αὐτὴν παρεκάλουν ἀθρόους, ὡς οὐκέτι ταῖς μακραῖς δημηγορίαις ἐνοχληθησομένους, ἀλλʼ ἐποίσοντας ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τὴν ψῆφον κατὰ φυλάς.
Thereupon the tribunes, being vexed at the waste of time, no longer offered any opportunity for speech to the accusers of the law, but having appointed a day on which they intended to pass it, they exhorted the citizens to be present in a body on that day, as they would no longer be annoyed by long harangues, but would cast their votes concerning it by tribes.
οἱ μὲν δὴ ταῦτα ὑποσχόμενοι διέλυσαν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.
Having made these promises, they dismissed the assembly.