§10.5.1ὁ δὲ πλείστους τε περὶ αὑτὸν ἔχων ἑταίρους καὶ μέγιστον τῶν τότε νέων δυνάμενος Καίσων Κοίντιος ἦν, υἱὸς Λευκίου Κοιντίου τοῦ καλουμένου Κικιννάτου, ᾧ γένος τʼ ἦν ἐπιφανὲς καὶ βίος οὐθενὸς δεύτερος, ἀνὴρ ὀφθῆναί τε κάλλιστος νέων καὶ τὰ πολέμια πάντων λαμπρότατος φύσει τε περὶ λόγους κεχρημένος ἀγαθῇ· ὃς ἐν τῷ τότε χρόνῳ πολὺς ἔρρει κατὰ τῶν δημοτικῶν οὔτε λόγων φειδόμενος, ὧν βαρὺ τοῖς ἐλευθέροις ἀκούειν, οὔτʼ ἔργων ἀκολούθων τοῖς λόγοις ἀπεχόμενος.
But the one who had the most companions about him and possessed the greatest power among the youth of that time was Caeso Quinctius, the son of Lucius Quinctius, who was called Cincinnatus, to whom belonged an illustrious birth and a manner of life second to none, a man most handsome of the young to look upon and most brilliant of all in military affairs, and endowed by nature with a good ability in speech; who at that time rushed with great vehemence against the plebeians, neither sparing words which were grievous for free men to hear, nor abstaining from deeds that conformed to his words.
οἱ μὲν οὖν πατρίκιοι τίμιον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τούτοις εἶχον καὶ μένειν παρὰ τὰ δεινὰ ἠξίουν αὐτοὶ παρασχεῖν τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ὑπισχνούμενοι· οἱ δʼ ἐκ τοῦ δήμου πάντων δὴ μάλιστα αὐτὸν ἀνθρώπων ἐμίσουν.
Therefore, the patricians held him in honor for these things and urged him to stand firm in the face of dangers, promising that they themselves would provide him safety; but those of the plebs hated him most of all men.
§10.5.2τοῦτον τὸν ἄνδρα ἔγνωσαν οἱ δήμαρχοι πρῶτον ἐκποδὼν ποιήσασθαι, ὡς καταπληξόμενοι τοὺς λοιποὺς τῶν νέων καὶ προσαναγκάσοντες σωφρονεῖν.
The tribunes resolved first to put this man out of the way, in order to terrify the rest of the young men and force them to behave with moderation.
γνόντες δὲ ταῦτα καὶ παρασκευασάμενοι λόγους τε καὶ μάρτυρας πολλοὺς εἰσάγουσιν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ δίκην ἀδικήματος δημοσίου, θανάτου τιμησάμενοι τὴν δίκην.
Having decided this and prepared both speeches and many witnesses, they brought him to trial for a public offense, assessing the penalty of the trial as death.
παραγγείλαντες δʼ αὐτῷ παρεῖναι πρὸς τὸν δῆμον, ἐπειδὴ καθῆκεν ὁ χρόνος, ὃν ἔταξαν τῇ δίκῃ, συναγαγόντες ἐκκλησίαν μακροὺς ἐποιήσαντο κατʼ αὐτοῦ λόγους, διεξιόντες ὅσα βίᾳ διαπεπραγμένος ἐτύγχανεν εἰς τοὺς δημότας, ὧν τοὺς πεπονθότας αὐτοὺς παρῆγον μάρτυρας.
And having ordered him to appear before the people, when the time arrived which they had appointed for the trial, they assembled the assembly and made long speeches against him, detailing all the acts of violence he had committed against the plebeians, of whom they produced the victims themselves as witnesses.
§10.5.3ὡς δὲ παρέδωκαν τὸν λόγον, αὐτὸ μὲν τὸ μειράκιον οὐχ ὑπήκουε καλούμενον ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπολογίαν, ἀλλʼ ἠξίου τοῖς ἰδιώταις αὐτοῖς ὑπὲρ ὧν ᾐτιῶντο παθεῖν κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὑπέχειν δίκας, ἐπὶ τῶν ὑπάτων τῆς κρίσεως γινομένης· ὁ δὲ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ χαλεπῶς φέροντας τὴν αὐθάδειαν τοῦ μειρακίου τοὺς δημοτικοὺς ὁρῶν ἀπελογεῖτο τὰ μὲν πολλὰ ψευδῆ τε καὶ ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς συγκείμενα κατὰ τοῦ παιδὸς ἀποδεικνύς· §10.5.4ὅσα δʼ οὐκ ἐνῆν ἀρνήσασθαι μικρὰ καὶ φαῦλα καὶ οὐκ ἄξια δημοσίας ὀργῆς εἶναι λέγων καὶ οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς ἢ διʼ ὕβριν, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ φιλοτιμίας μειρακιώδους γεγονότα ἐπιδεικνύμενος, διʼ ἣν πολλὰ μὲν αὐτῷ συμβῆναι δρᾶσαι τῶν ἀβουλήτων ἐν ἁψιμαχίαις, πολλὰ δʼ ἴσως καὶ παθεῖν, οὔτε ἡλικίας ἐν τῷ κρατίστῳ §10.5.5ὄντι οὔτε φρονήσεως ἐν τῷ καθαρωτάτῳ.
But when they gave him the floor, the youth himself did not obey when called upon for his defense, but demanded, for the things they claimed to have suffered, to submit to trials according to the law before those private citizens themselves, the judgment taking place before the consuls; but his father, seeing that the plebeians were taking the youth's arrogance hard, made the defense, showing that most of the charges against his son were false and composed from a conspiracy; and as for those which it was not possible to deny, saying they were small and trivial and not worthy of public anger, and demonstrating that not even these had come about from conspiracy or insolence, but from youthful love of honor, because of which it had happened that he did many unintended things in brawls, and perhaps also suffered many, since his age was not at its best, nor his judgment in its purest state.
ἠξίου τε τοὺς δημοτικοὺς μὴ μόνον ὀργὴν μὴ ἔχειν ἐφʼ οἷς ἥμαρτεν εἰς ὀλίγους, ἀλλὰ καὶ χάριν εἰδέναι περὶ ὧν ἅπαντας εὖ ποιῶν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις διετέλεσε, τοῖς μὲν ἰδιώταις ἐλευθερίαν κτώμενος, τῇ δὲ πατρίδι ἡγεμονίαν, ἑαυτῷ δὲ εἴ ποτε ἁμάρτοι τι φιλανθρωπίαν παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν καὶ βοήθειαν.
And he asked the plebeians not only not to bear anger for the things in which he erred against a few, but also to be grateful for those things in which he continually benefited them all in the wars, acquiring liberty for private citizens, leadership for his country, and for himself, if ever he should commit any error, humanity and help from the multitude.
καὶ διεξῄει τάς τε στρατείας πάσας καὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἅπαντας, ἐξ ὧν ἀριστεῖα καὶ στεφάνους παρὰ τῶν στρατηγῶν ἔλαβε, πολιτῶν τε ὁπόσων ἐν ταῖς μάχαις ὑπερήσπισε καὶ §10.5.6τείχεσι πολεμίων ὁσάκις πρῶτος ἐπέβη.
And he detailed all his campaigns and all his combats, from which he received prizes of valor and crowns from the generals, and how many citizens he had shielded in battles, and how many times he was the first to mount the walls of the enemy.
τελευτῶν δʼ εἰς οἴκτους κατέβαινε καὶ δεήσεις, ἀντὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ πρὸς ἅπαντας ἐπιεικείας βίου τε, ὃς ἐμαρτυρεῖτο αὐτῷ πάσης καθαρὸς διαβολῆς, μίαν ἀπαιτῶν παρὰ τοῦ δήμου χάριν, φυλάξαι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῷ.
And ending, he descended to lamentations and entreaties, demanding in return for his own fairness toward all and his life, which was testified to be clean of all slander, one favor from the people, to save his son for him.