§10.41.1μετὰ ταῦτα οἵ τε δήμαρχοι καὶ οἱ ὕπατοι παρῆσαν, καὶ λέγειν ὁ κῆρυξ ἐκέλευσε τὸν βουλόμενον τοῦ νόμου κατηγορεῖν.
After this, both the tribunes and the consuls were present, and the herald ordered anyone who wished to speak against the law.
πολλῶν δὲ καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν παριόντων οὐθενὸς ἐξάκουστος ἦν ὁ λόγος ὑπὸ τοῦ θορύβου τε καὶ τῆς ἀκοσμίας τῶν ἐκκλησιαζόντων.
But though many and good men came forward, the speech of no one was audible because of the noise and disorder of those in the assembly.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐπεκέλευόν τε καὶ ἐπεθάρρυνον τοὺς λέγοντας, οἱ δʼ ἐξέβαλλόν τε καὶ κατεβόων.
For some encouraged and cheered on the speakers, while others rejected them and shouted them down.
ἐκράτει δὲ οὔτε ὁ τῶν συλλαμβανόντων ἔπαινος, οὔτε ὁ τῶν ἀντιπραττόντων θόρυβος.
And neither the praise of those who supported them nor the noise of those who opposed them prevailed.
§10.41.2ἀγανακτούντων δὲ τῶν ὑπάτων καὶ μαρτυρομένων, ὅτι τῆς βίας ὁ δῆμος ἄρχει λόγον οὐκ ἀξιῶν ὑπομένειν, ἀπελογοῦντο οἱ δήμαρχοι πρὸς ταῦτα, ὅτι ἤδη πέμπτον ἔτος τῶν αὐτῶν ἀκούοντες λόγων οὐθὲν ποιοῦσι θαυμαστόν, εἰ μὴ ἀξιοῦσιν ὑπομένειν ἑώλους καὶ κατημαξευμένας ἀντιλογίας.
While the consuls were indignant and protested that the people were starting the violence by not deigning to tolerate speech, the tribunes replied in defense to this that, hearing the same arguments now for the fifth year, they were doing nothing surprising if they did not deign to tolerate stale and hackneyed objections.
§10.41.3ὡς δὲ τὸ πλεῖον τῆς ἡμέρας εἰς ταῦτα ἐδαπανήθη, καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἀπῄτει τὰς ψήφους, οὐκέτι ἀνασχετὸν ἡγησάμενοι τὸ πρᾶγμα οἱ νεώτατοι τῶν πατρικίων διίστασθαι τε βουλομένοις κατὰ φυλὰς τοῖς δημόταις ἐμποδὼν ἐγίνοντο καὶ τὰ ἀγγεῖα τῶν ψήφων τοὺς ἔχοντας ἀφῃροῦντο καὶ τῶν ὑπηρετούντων τοὺς μὴ βουλομένους ταῦτα ἀφιέναι τύπτοντές τε καὶ §10.41.4ὠθοῦντες ἐξέβαλλον.
When most of the day was spent on these matters, and the people demanded the voting, the youngest of the patricians, considering the matter no longer tolerable, placed themselves in the way of the plebeians who wished to divide by tribes, snatched the voting urns from those who held them, and of the attendants, those who did not wish to let them go, they beat and pushed and drove out.
κεκραγότων δὲ τῶν δημάρχων καὶ εἰς μέσους αὐτοὺς ὠθουμένων ἐκείνοις μὲν ὑπεχώρουν καὶ παρεῖχον ὅποι βούλοιντο χωρεῖν ἀδεῶς, τοῦ δʼ ἄλλου δήμου τὸ ἑπόμενον αὐτοῖς οὐ παρίεσαν, ὥστʼ ἀνωφελὴς ἦν ἡ τῶν ἀρχόντων βοήθεια.
While the tribunes were shouting and pushing into their midst, they indeed gave way to them and allowed them to go wherever they wished without fear, but they did not let the rest of the people who followed them pass, so that the assistance of the magistrates was useless.
τέλος δʼ οὖν ἐπεκράτησαν οἱ πατρίκιοι καὶ οὐκ εἴασαν ἐπικυρωθῆναι τὸν νόμον.
In the end, therefore, the patricians prevailed and did not permit the law to be ratified.
§10.41.5οἱ δὲ προθυμότατα συλλαβέσθαι δόξαντες τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἐκ τριῶν οἰκιῶν ἦσαν, Ποστόμιοι καὶ Σεμπρώνιοι καὶ τρίτοι Κλοίλιοι, γένους τε ἀξιώσει λαμπρότατοι καὶ ἑταιρίαις μεγάλα δυνάμενοι πλούτῳ τε καὶ δόξῃ καὶ τοῖς κατὰ πόλεμον ἔργοις ἐπιφανεῖς· καὶ τοῦ μὴ κυρωθῆναι τὸν νόμον οὗτοι ὡμολογοῦντο αἰτιώτατοι γενέσθαι.
Those who were thought to have assisted the consuls most zealously were from three houses, the Postumii, the Sempronii, and thirdly the Cloelii, most illustrious in the prestige of their birth, having great power through their factions, and distinguished for wealth, glory, and deeds of war; and these were agreed to have been the chief cause of the law not being ratified.