§10.4.1μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα οἵ τε ὕπατοι καὶ τῶν πατρικίων οἱ πλεῖστον δυνάμενοι τραχύτερον ἤδη αὐτῶν προσιόντες καθήπτοντο λέγοντες, ὡς οὐκ ἐπιτρέψουσιν αὐτοῖς νόμους εἰσηγεῖσθαι καὶ τούτους ἀπροβουλεύτους.
After these things, both the consuls and the most powerful of the patricians, now approaching them more harshly, assailed them, saying that they would not permit them to introduce laws, and those too without the senate's prior approval.
συνθήκας γὰρ εἶναι κοινὰς πόλεων τοὺς νόμους, οὐχὶ μέρους τῶν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν οἰκούντων.
For they said that laws are the common compacts of states, not of a portion of those who dwell in the states.
τοῦ τε πονηροτάτου ὀλέθρου καὶ ἀνηκέστου καὶ οὐδʼ εὐσχήμονος ἀρχὴν ἀπέφαινον εἶναι πόλεσί τε καὶ οἴκοις, ὅταν τὸ §10.4.2κάκιστον τῷ κρατίστῳ νομοθετῇ.
And they pointed out that it was the beginning of the most wicked and incurable and not even decent ruin, both for states and for households, whenever the worst element should lay down laws for the best.
ποίαν δὲ ὑμεῖς, ἔφασαν, ὦ δήμαρχοι, νόμων εἰσφορᾶς ἢ ἀναιρέσεως ἐξουσίαν ἔχετε;
"And what authority," they said, "O tribunes, do you have for the introduction or repeal of laws?
οὐκ ἐπὶ ῥητοῖς μὲν δικαίοις ταύτην τὴν ἀρχὴν παρὰ τῆς βουλῆς ἐλάβετε, τοῖς δʼ ἀδικουμένοις ἢ κατισχυομένοις τῶν πενήτων βοηθεῖν ᾐτήσασθε τοὺς δημάρχους, ἄλλο δὲ μηδὲν πολυπραγμονεῖν;
Did you not receive this office from the senate upon specified rights, and did you not ask for the tribunes to assist those of the poor who were wronged or oppressed, but to meddle in nothing else?
εἰ δʼ οὖν καὶ πρότερον ἦν τις ὑμῖν δύναμις, ἣν οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ δικαίου βιασάμενοι ἡμᾶς ἐλάβετε, ὑποκατακλινομένης ἑκάστῳ πλεονεκτήματι τῆς βουλῆς, οὐχὶ καὶ ταύτην νῦν ἀπολωλέκατε τῇ μεταβολῇ τῶν ἀρχαιρεσιῶν;
But even if indeed you formerly had some power, which you obtained by forcing us and not by right, while the senate submitted to your every encroachment, have you not lost even this now by the change of the elections?
§10.4.3οὔτε γὰρ βουλῆς δόγμα ὑμᾶς οὐκέτι ἀποδείκνυσιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχήν, οὔτε αἱ φρᾶτραι τὴν ψῆφον ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐπιφέρουσιν, οὔτε ἱερὰ προθύεται τοῖς θεοῖς πρὸ τῶν ἀρχαιρεσιῶν, ἃ κατὰ νόμους ἐχρῆν ἐπιτελεῖσθαι, οὔτε ἄλλο τῶν πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς εὐσεβῶν ἢ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ὁσίων οὐθὲν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς ὑμετέρας γίνεται.
For neither does a decree of the senate any longer appoint you to your office, nor do the curiae cast their votes for you, nor are preliminary sacrifices offered to the gods before the elections, which ought to be performed according to the laws, nor does any other thing of piety toward the gods or of sanctity toward men take place in your office.
τίνος οὖν ὑμῖν ἔτι μέτεστι τῶν ἱερῶν καὶ σεβασμοῦ δεομένων, ὧν ἕν τι καὶ ὁ νόμος ἦν, ἐξαρνησαμένοις ἅπαντα τὰ νόμιμα; §10.4.4ταῦτά τε δὴ τοῖς δημάρχοις ἔλεγον οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ νέοι αὐτῶν καθʼ ἑταιρίας διεξιόντες ἀνὰ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐπιεικεστέρους τῶν δημοτῶν ὁμιλίαις ἀνελάμβανον κεχαρισμέναις, τοὺς δʼ ἀπειθεῖς καὶ ταραχώδεις ἀπειλαῖς κατεπλήττοντο κινδύνων, εἰ μὴ συμφρονήσειαν· ἤδη δέ τινας τῶν πάνυ ἀπόρων καὶ ἀπερριμμένων, οἷς οὐθενὸς τῶν κοινῶν παρὰ τὰ ἴδια κέρδη φροντὶς ἦν, παίοντες ὥσπερ ἀνδράποδα ἀνεῖργον ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς.
Of what sacred things, then, and things requiring reverence—of which the law also was one—do you still have a share, since you have rejected all lawful customs?" These things indeed they said to the tribunes, and the older and the younger among them went through the city by factions; and they won over the more moderate of the plebeians with pleasing conversations, while they terrified the disobedient and turbulent with threats of dangers, if they should not comply; and already some of the extremely poor and destitute, who had no care for any public interest except for their own private gains, they beat like slaves and kept away from the forum.