§11.36.1ἔτι γὰρ αὐτῶν λεγόντων ἡσυχίαν γενέσθαι κελεύσας, ἐπειδὴ σιωπή τʼ ἐγένετο, καὶ πᾶς ὁ κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν ὄχλος τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐλάμβανεν ἐπιθυμίᾳ γνώσεως τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ λεχθησομένων προαχθείς, πολλάκις ἐπιστρέψας τὸ πρόσωπον τῇδε καὶ τῇδε καὶ τὰ στίφη τῶν ἑταίρων, οἷς διειλήφει τὴν ἀγοράν, τοῖς §11.36.2ὄμμασι διαριθμησάμενος τοιάδʼ εἶπεν· ἐγὼ δὲ περὶ τοῦδε τοῦ πράγματος, ὦ Οὐεργίνιε, καὶ ὑμεῖς οἱ σὺν τούτῳ παρόντες, οὐ νῦν πρῶτον ἀκήκοα, ἀλλὰ παλαίτερον ἔτι πρὶν ἢ τήνδε τὴν ἀρχὴν παραλαβεῖν.
For while they were still speaking, having ordered silence to be made, and when quiet had ensued, and all the crowd in the forum was eager, led on by a desire of knowing what was about to be said by him, having turned his face this way and that many times, and having numbered with his eyes the crowds of his companions with whom he had occupied the forum, he spoke as follows: "Indeed, concerning this matter, O Verginius, and you who are present with him, I have not heard now for the first time, but still earlier, before taking over this office.
ὃν τρόπον δʼ ἔγνων, ἀκούσατε.
In what manner I came to know it, listen.
ὁ πατὴρ ὁ Μάρκου Κλαυδίου τουδὶ τελευτῶν τὸν βίον ἠξίωσέ με τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ καταλειπόμενον ἐπιτροπεῦσαι· πελάται δʼ εἰσὶ τῆς οἰκίας ἡμῶν ἐκ προγόνων.
The father of this Marcus Claudius here, when ending his life, deemed me worthy to act as guardian for his son who was being left behind; and they are clients of our house from their ancestors.
§11.36.3ἐν δὲ τῷ χρόνῳ τῆς ἐπιτροπείας μήνυσις ἐγένετό μοι περὶ τῆς παιδός, ὡς ὑποβάλοιτο αὐτὴν Νομιτωρία λαβοῦσα παρὰ τῆς Κλαυδίου δούλης, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐξετάσας ἔμαθον οὕτως ἔχον.
Now during the time of my guardianship, information was given to me concerning the girl, that Numitoria had substituted her, having taken her from Claudius's slave-woman, and having examined the matter, I found it to be so.
ἐφάπτεσθαι μὲν οὖν ἐμαυτοῦ προσῆκέ μοι, βέλτιον δὲ ἡγησάμην τούτῳ τὴν ἐξουσίαν καταλιπεῖν, ὁπότε γένοιτο ἀνήρ, εἴτε βουληθείη τὴν παιδίσκην ἀπάγειν, εἴτε διαλύσασθαι πρὸς τοὺς τρέφοντας αὐτὴν χρηματισθεὶς ἢ χαρισάμενος.
Therefore, while it was proper for me to lay claim to her myself, I thought it better to leave the power of decision to him when he should become a man, whether he wished to take away the girl, or to come to terms with those who were rearing her, either by being paid or by doing a favor.
§11.36.4ἐν δὲ τοῖς μεταξὺ χρόνοις ἐγὼ μὲν εἰς τὰς πολιτικὰς πράξεις ἐγκυλισθεὶς οὐδὲν ἔτι τῶν Κλαυδίου πραγμάτων εἶχον ἐν φροντίδι.
But in the intervening time, having been involved in public affairs, I no longer had any of Claudius's matters in my thoughts.
τούτῳ δʼ, ὡς ἔοικε, τὸν ἴδιον ἐξετάζοντι βίον καὶ περὶ τῆς παιδίσκης ἡ μήνυσις ἀπεδόθη καθάπερ ἐμοὶ πρότερον, καὶ οὐδὲν ἄδικον ἀξιοῖ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ θεραπαίνης γεγονυῖαν ἀπάγειν βουλόμενος.
But to this man, as it seems, while examining his own life, the information concerning the girl was delivered just as to me before, and he demands nothing unjust in wishing to take away the one born of his own slave-woman.
§11.36.5εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀλλήλους ἔπεισαν αὐτοί, καλῶς ἂν εἶχεν· ἐπεὶ δʼ εἰς ἀμφισβήτησιν ἦλθε τὸ πρᾶγμα, μαρτυρῶ τʼ αὐτῷ ταῦτα καὶ κρίνω εἶναι τοῦτον τῆς παιδίσκης κύριον.
Therefore, if they had persuaded one another, it would have been well; but since the matter has come into dispute, I both bear witness to these things for him and judge that he is the master of the girl."