§11.60.1θορύβου δέ, ὅπερ εἰκός, ἐπὶ τῇ γνώμῃ γενομένου διὰ τὸ μὴ πᾶσι τοῖς μέρεσιν αὐτῆς εὐαρεστεῖν ἀμφοτέρους παρελθὼν ὁ ὕπατος τρίτον ἠρώτα Γάϊον Κλαύδιον, ὃς ἐδόκει τῶν προεστηκότων τῆς ἑτέρας τάξεως τῆς ἐναντιουμένης τοῖς δημοτικοῖς αὐθαδέστατος εἶναι καὶ δυνατώτατος.
When a clamor arose against this opinion, as was natural, because both parties were not pleased with all parts of it, the consul came forward and asked Gaius Claudius third, who seemed to be the most arrogant and powerful of those leading the other class that opposed the plebeians.
§11.60.2οὗτος ἐκ παρασκευῆς διεξῆλθε λόγον κατὰ τῶν δημοτικῶν, πάνθʼ ὅσα ἔδοξε πώποτε ἐναντία τοῖς καλοῖς καὶ πατρίοις ἐθισμοῖς ὑπομιμνήσκων, οὗ κεφάλαιον ἦν, εἰς ὃ κατέσκηπτεν ἡ γνώμη, μηδεμίαν ἀποδιδόναι τῇ βουλῇ διάγνωσιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ νόμου τοὺς ὑπάτους, μήτʼ ἐν τῷ παρόντι χρόνῳ μήθʼ ὕστερον, ὡς ἐπὶ καταλύσει τῆς ἀριστοκρατίας εἰσφερομένου καὶ συγχεῖν μέλλοντος ἅπαντα τὸν κόσμον τῆς πολιτείας.
He, having prepared himself, delivered a speech against the plebeians, reminding them of everything that had ever seemed contrary to beautiful and ancestral customs, the chief point of which, where his opinion settled, was that the consuls should not refer any decision concerning the law to the senate, either at the present time or hereafter, as it was being introduced for the destruction of the aristocracy and was going to throw the entire order of the constitution into confusion.
§11.60.3γενομένου δὲ πρὸς τὴν γνώμην ἔτι πλείονος θορύβου τέταρτος ἀνίσταται κληθεὶς Τίτος Γενύκιος, ἀδελφὸς θατέρου τῶν ὑπάτων· ὃς ὀλίγα διαλεχθεὶς ὑπὲρ τῶν κατεχόντων καιρῶν τὴν πόλιν, ὅτι δυεῖν ἀνάγκη τῶν χαλεπωτάτων θάτερον αὐτῇ συμπεσεῖν, ἢ διὰ τὰς πολιτικὰς ἔριδας καὶ φιλοτιμίας ἰσχυρὰ τὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ποιῆσαι πράγματα, ἢ τοὺς ἔξωθεν ἐπιφερομένους ἀποτρέψασθαι βουλομένῃ κακῶς τὸν οἰκεῖον καὶ πολιτικὸν διαλύσασθαι πόλεμον·
When still greater clamor arose against this opinion, Titus Genucius, the brother of one of the consuls, stood up fourth, having been called upon; who, after speaking briefly about the critical circumstances gripping the city, said that one of the two most difficult things must of necessity happen to it: either to make the affairs of the enemies strong through political strifes and ambitions, or, while wishing to repel those attacking from without, to settle the domestic and civil war on bad terms.
§11.60.4ἔφησε, δυεῖν ὄντων κακῶν, ὧν ἀνάγκη θάτερον ἄκοντας ὑπομεῖναι, τοῦτʼ αὐτῷ δοκεῖν εἶναι λυσιτελέστερον, τὸ συγχωρῆσαι τῷ δήμῳ τὴν βουλὴν παρασπάσαί τι τοῦ κόσμου τῆς πατρίου πολιτείας μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις τε καὶ πολεμίοις καταγέλαστον ποιῆσαι τὴν πόλιν.
He said that, since there were two evils, one of which they must of necessity endure against their will, this seemed to him to be more advantageous: for the senate to allow the people to wrest away something of the order of the ancestral constitution, rather than to make the city a laughing-stock to foreigners and enemies.
§11.60.5ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν τὴν δοκιμασθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τῶν παραγενηθέντων ἐν τῷ κατʼ οἰκίαν συνεδρίῳ γνώμην εἰσέφερεν, ἣν εἰσηγήσατο Κλαύδιος, ὥσπερ ἔφην, ἀντὶ τῶν ὑπάτων χιλιάρχους ἀποδειχθῆναι, τρεῖς μὲν ἐκ τῶν πατρικίων, τρεῖς δʼ ἐκ τῶν δημοτικῶν, ἐξουσίαν ἔχοντας ὑπατικήν· ὅταν δὲ τελῶσιν οὗτοι τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ καθήκῃ νέας ἀρχὰς ἀποδείκνυσθαι, τὴν βουλὴν καὶ τὸν δῆμον αὖθις συνελθόντας διαγνῶναι, πότερον ὑπάτους ἢ χιλιάρχους βούλονται παραλαβεῖν τὴν ἀρχήν. ὅ τι δʼ ἂν ἅπασι δόξῃ ψῆφον ἐπενέγκασι, τοῦτʼ εἶναι κύριον. ἐπιτελεῖσθαι δὲ τὸ προβούλευμα καθʼ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτόν.
Having said these things, he introduced the opinion approved by those who had assembled in the private meeting, which Claudius, as I said, had proposed: that instead of consuls, military tribunes (chiliarchs) should be appointed, three from the patricians and three from the plebeians, having consular power; and when these finished their term of office and it was time to appoint new magistrates, the senate and the people, coming together again, should decide whether they wished consuls or military tribunes to take over the government; and whatever, upon their casting votes, should seem good to all, this should be valid; and that this preliminary resolution should be carried out each year.