§11.18.1ὦ πολλῆς μὲν εὐηθείας τούτων, οἷς ἐπὶ νοῦν ἔρχεται τοιαῦτα ληρεῖν, πολλῆς δʼ ἀναλγησίας ἡμῶν, εἰ τοιαῦτα λεγόντων αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀγανακτοῦμεν, ἀλλʼ ὑπομένομεν ἀκούειν, ὥσπερ ὑπὲρ τῶν πολεμίων, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς πατρίδος βουλευόμενοι.
Oh, what great foolishness on the part of those who take it into their heads to babble such things, and what great apathy on our part, if, when they say such things, we are not indignant, but endure to listen, as if we were deliberating on behalf of the enemy and not on behalf of ourselves and our country!
§11.18.2οὐκ ἀνελοῦμεν ἐκ μέσου τοὺς φλυάρους;
Shall we not remove these babblers from our midst?
οὐ ταχεῖαν ψηφιούμεθα τῇ ὑπονοθευομένῃ χώρᾳ τὴν βοήθειαν;
Shall we not vote rapid assistance to our ravaged territory?
οὐ καθοπλιοῦμεν ἅπασαν τὴν ἀκμὴν τῆς πόλεως;
Shall we not arm all the youth of the city?
οὐκ ἐπὶ τὰς ἐκείνων πόλεις αὐτοὶ στρατευσόμεθα;
Shall we not ourselves march against their cities?
ἀλλʼ οἴκοι μένοντες καὶ τοῖς δέκα λοιδορούμενοι καὶ νέας ἀρχὰς καθιστάντες καὶ περὶ κόσμου πολιτικοῦ σκοποῦντες ὥσπερ ἐν εἰρήνῃ πάντʼ ἐάσομεν ὑπὸ τοῖς πολεμίοις τὰ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ γενέσθαι, καὶ τελευτῶντες ὑπὲρ ἀνδραποδισμοῦ κινδυνεύσομεν καὶ κατασκαφῆς τῆς πόλεως, ἐάσαντες τὸν πόλεμον τοῖς τείχεσι προσελθεῖν;
Or, remaining at home, abusing the ten, appointing new magistrates, and considering the political order as if in time of peace, shall we allow everything in our territory to fall into the hands of the enemy, and in the end, having allowed the war to reach the walls, run the risk of enslavement and the destruction of the city?
§11.18.3οὐκ ἔστιν ὑγιαινόντων ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοιαῦτα βουλεύματα, ὦ πατέρες, οὐδὲ προνοίας πολιτικῆς τὰ κοινὰ συμφέροντα τῶν ἰδίων ἀπεχθειῶν ἡγουμένης ἀναγκαιότερα, ἀλλὰ φιλονεικίας ἀκαίρου καὶ δυσμενείας ἀβούλου καὶ φθόνου κακοδαίμονος, ὃς οὐκ ἐᾷ τοὺς ἔχοντας αὐτὸν σωφρονεῖν.
Such resolutions, fathers, are not those of sane men, nor do they belong to a political foresight that considers common interests more necessary than private hatreds; rather, they stem from untimely rivalry, unreasoning hostility, and a destructive envy that does not allow those who possess it to be of sound mind.
ἀλλὰ τὰς μὲν τούτων φιλονεικίας ἐάσατε χαίρειν, ἃ δὲ ψηφισάμενοι τῇ πόλει σωτήρια καὶ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς προσήκοντα ἔσεσθε βεβουλευμένοι καὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς φοβερά, ἐγὼ πειράσομαι λέγειν.
But let the rivalries of these men go; and what decisions you might vote that will prove a salvation to the city, appropriate for yourselves, and formidable to your enemies, I shall attempt to tell.
§11.18.4νῦν μὲν τὸν πρὸς Αἰκανοὺς καὶ Σαβίνους πόλεμον ἐπικυρώσατε καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις μετὰ πλείστης προθυμίας καὶ σπουδῆς καταγράφετε τὰς ἐπʼ ἀμφοτέρους ἐξελευσομένας.
For now, ratify the war against the Aequi and the Sabines, and with the greatest eagerness and zeal enlist the forces that are to go out against both.
ὅταν δὲ τὰ τοῦ πολέμου τέλος ἡμῖν τὸ κράτιστον λάβῃ, καὶ ἀναστρέψωσιν εἰς τὴν πόλιν αἱ δυνάμεις εἰρήνης γενομένης, τότε καὶ περὶ τοῦ κόσμου τῆς πολιτείας σκοπεῖτε, καὶ λόγον ἀπαιτεῖτε τοὺς δέκα περὶ πάντων, ὧν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἔπραξαν, καὶ νέας ἀρχὰς ψηφοφορεῖτε καὶ δικαστήρια καθίζετε καὶ τιμᾶτε τοὺς ἑκατέρου τούτων ἀξίους, ὅταν ἐφʼ ὑμῖν γένηται ταῦτʼ ἀμφότερα, μαθόντες ὅτι οὐ τοῖς πράγμασιν οἱ καιροὶ δουλεύουσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς καιροῖς τὰ πράγματα.
And when the war has reached the best end for us, and the forces have returned to the city with peace established, then also consider the order of the constitution, and demand an account from the ten concerning all things they did during their office, and vote for new magistrates, and set up courts, and honor those worthy of either of these, whenever both of these become in your power, having learned that circumstances do not serve affairs, but affairs serve circumstances.
§11.18.5ταύτην ἀποδειξαμένου Κορνηλίου τὴν γνώμην οἱ μετʼ ἐκεῖνον ἀνιστάμενοι χωρὶς ὀλίγων τῆς αὐτῆς ἐγένοντο προαιρέσεως· οἱ μὲν ἀναγκαῖα καὶ τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ ταῦτα προσήκοντα ὑπολαμβάνοντες εἶναι, οἱ δʼ ὑποκατακλινόμενοι καὶ θεραπεύοντες τοὺς δέκα τῷ φόβῳ τῆς ἀρχῆς.
When Cornelius had expressed this opinion, those who rose after him, with a few exceptions, came to the same decision; some because they took these measures to be necessary and appropriate for the present crisis, others because they yielded and subserviently flattered the ten out of fear of their office.
ἦν γάρ τι καὶ κατεπτηχὸς τὴν ἐξουσίαν οὐκ ἐλάχιστον μέρος ἐκ τῶν συνέδρων.
For there was a not inconsiderable portion among the senators that cowered before their power.