§12.1.8οἱ δὲ περὶ αὐτὸν συνεστῶτες ἀεὶ σωτῆρα καὶ πατέρα καὶ κτίστην ἀπεκάλουν τῆς πατρίδος καὶ τὴν μὲν ὑπατικὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐλάττονα χάριν ἢ κατὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ γενήσεσθαι δοθεῖσαν ἀπέφαινον, ἄλλῃ δέ τινι μείζονι καὶ λαμπροτέρᾳ τιμῇ κοσμεῖν ἠξίουν αὐτόν, §12.1.9ἣν καὶ γένος ἕξει τὸ ἐξ ἐκείνου.
Those who associated with him constantly called him the savior, father, and founder of his country, and declared that the consular power, if granted to him, would be too small a favor compared to the greatness of his deeds, and demanded that they should honor him with some other greater and more illustrious office, which his descendants also should inherit.
ὡς δὲ καὶ τὴν τρίτην ἔξοδον ποιησάμενος ἐπὶ τὰ παραθαλάττια τῆς Ἰταλίας ἔκ τε Κύμης καὶ τῶν περὶ Μισηνὸν λιμένων σιτηγοὺς ὁλκάδας ἄγων πολλὰς κατέπλευσεν εἰς Ὠστίαν, ὃ τῆς Ῥώμης ἐστὶν ἐπίνειον, καὶ % κατέπαυσε ταῖς τροφαῖς τὴν πόλιν, ὡς μηδὲν ἔτι τῆς ἀρχαίας εὐετηρίας διαφέρειν, ἅπας ὁ δῆμος ἕτοιμος ἦν, εἰ γένοιτο τῆς ψήφου κύριος ἐν ἀρχαιρεσίαις, εἴτε ὑπατείαν εἴτε ἄλλην τινὰ τιμὴν μετίοι, μηδενὸς ἐπιτρέποντος μήτε νόμου κωλύοντος μήτʼ ἀνδρὸς ἐναντιουμένου χαρίζεσθαι.
And when he made his third expedition to the coastal regions of Italy, and having brought many grain-carrying merchant ships from Cuma and the ports around Misenum, sailed into Ostia, which is the port of Rome, and relieved the city with provisions so that it did not differ at all from its ancient prosperity, the whole populace was ready, if they should become masters of their votes in the elections, whether he should seek the consulship or any other honor, to grant it to him, even if no one permitted it, nor any law prevented, nor any man opposed.
§12.1.10ταῦτα ὁρῶντες οἱ προεστηκότες τῆς ἀριστοκρατίας καὶ οὔτε ἐπιτρέπειν ἀξιοῦντες οὔτε κωλύειν δύναμιν ἔχοντες ἐν πολλῇ πάντες ἦσαν ἀθυμίᾳ· καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον διεταράχθησαν, ἐπειδὴ κωλυόντων ἐκκλησίας συνάγειν αὐτὸν καὶ δημηγορεῖν τῶν τε δημάρχων καὶ ὑπάτων, συστραφεὶς ὁ δῆμος ἐκείνους μὲν ἐξέβαλεν ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς, τῷ δὲ §12.1.11Μαιλίῳ πολλὴν ἄδειαν καὶ ῥώμην παρέσχεν.
Seeing these things, the leaders of the aristocracy, being neither willing to permit them nor having the power to prevent them, were all in great dejection; and they were still more disturbed when, upon the tribunes and consuls attempting to prevent him from convening assemblies and haranguing the people, the populace, banding together, drove them out of the forum, and to Maelius afforded great security and power.
ἐν τοιαύτῃ δὴ καταστάσει τῆς πόλεως ὑπαρχούσης ὁ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἀποδειχθεὶς ἔπαρχος, ἀχθόμενος μὲν ἐπὶ τοῖς προπηλακισμοῖς τῶν λόγων, οἷς αὐτὸν ὑβρίζων ὁ Μαίλιος ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις διετέλει, δεδοικὼς δὲ τὸν ἄνδρα μάλιστα τῶν ἄλλων, εἴ τινος ἐπιλάβοιτο ἀρχῆς, μὴ πρότερον τῆς ἀριστοκρατίας αὑτὸν ποιήσηται ἢ τὸν δῆμον ἐξερεθίσας πρὸς αὐτὸν % ποιήσηται διὰ τῶν ἐκ τῆς ἑταιρείας ἐπιβουλήν τινα κατʼ αὐτοῦ μηχανησάμενος, ἀγανακτῶν τε διʼ ἀμφότερα ταῦτα καὶ ἀπηλλάχθαι προθυμούμενος ἐκείνου μείζονα ἢ κατʼ ἰδιώτην ἐσχὺν ἔχοντος, ἐπιμελῆ ζήτησιν ἐποιεῖτο τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ λεγομένων τε καὶ πραττομένων.
While the city was in such a state, the commissioner of the market who had been appointed, being vexed at the insulting words with which Maelius continually abused him in the assemblies, and fearing the man above all others lest, if he should obtain any office, he should make himself master of the state even before the aristocracy could prevent it, or, after stirring up the populace against him, should form some plot against him by means of his associates, being angry for both of these reasons and desiring to be rid of a man who possessed a power greater than became a private citizen, made a diligent inquiry into his words and deeds.
§12.1.12πολλῶν δὲ ὄντων, οἷς ὁ ἀνὴρ συνεργοῖς ἐχρῆτο τῶν ἀπορρήτων, καὶ οὔτε τὰς φύσεις ὁμοίων οὔτε τὰς γνώμας παραπλησίων ἔμελλέ τις ὅπερ εἰκὸς οὐ βέβαιος αὐτῷ ἔσεσθαι φίλος, ἢ διὰ φόβον ἢ διὰ κέρδος ἴδιον· ᾧ τὰ πιστὰ δοὺς ὁ Μηνύκιος ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδενὶ φράσειν ὅστις ἦν, ἅπασαν ἔγνω τήν τε διάνοιαν τοῦ Μαιλίου καὶ τὴν παρασκευήν.
And as there were many accomplices whom the man employed in his secrets, and who were neither alike in their natures nor similar in their opinions, it was likely, as indeed it happened, that some one of them would not remain a faithful friend to him, either through fear or for his own gain; to whom Minucius, having given his pledge that he would tell no one who he was, learned the whole design of Maelius and his preparation.
§12.1.13ὡς δὲ καὶ τεκμήριον ἔλαβεν ἀναμφίλεκτον καὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν ἐν χερσὶν οὖσαν ἔγνω, λέγει πρὸς τοὺς ὑπάτους· ἐκεῖνοι δʼ οὐκ ἀξιοῦντες ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῖς ποιῆσαι μόνοις ἐπιχειρήσεως τηλικαύτης ἐξέτασιν εἰς τὴν βουλὴν ᾤοντο δεῖν τὸ πρᾶγμα εἰσφέρειν, καὶ συνεκάλουν τὸ συνέδριον εὐθὺς ὡς περὶ πολέμου δή τινος ὑπερορίου βουλευσόμενοι.
When he had also obtained an unquestionable proof and knew that the action was at hand, he spoke to the consuls; and they, not thinking it proper to make an examination of so great an enterprise by themselves alone, believed they ought to bring the matter before the senate, and immediately convened the council as if to deliberate concerning some foreign war.
§12.1.14πληρωθέντος δὲ τοῦ συνεδρίου διὰ ταχέων παρελθὼν ἅτερος αὐτῶν ἔλεξεν, ὅτι πρᾶξις αὐτοῖς μεμήνυται συσκευαζομένη κατὰ τῆς πόλεως πολλῆς πάνυ καὶ ταχείας φυλακῆς δεομένη διὰ τὸ τοῦ κινδύνου μέγεθος· ταύτης δʼ ἔφη μηνυτὴν οὐ τῶν ἐπιτυχόντων εἶναί τινα πολιτῶν, ἀλλʼ ὃν αὐτοὶ διʼ ἀρετὴν ἐπὶ τῆς μεγίστης τε καὶ ἀναγκαιοτάτης τῷ κοινῷ χρείας ἔταξαν, δοκιμάσαντες αὐτοῦ τήν τε πίστιν καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὰ κοινὰ φιλοτιμίαν ἐκ τῶν παρὰ πάντα τὸν βίον ἐπιτηδευομένων.
When the council was quickly filled, one of the consuls came forward and said that a plot being prepared against the city had been reported to them, which required very great and speedy guard because of the magnitude of the danger; and he said that the informer of this was not one of the ordinary citizens, but the man whom they themselves on account of his virtue had appointed to the greatest and most necessary service for the state, having approved his fidelity and his public-spirited ambition from his conduct throughout his whole life.
μετεώρου δὴ τῆς βουλῆς ἐπὶ τῇ προσδοκίᾳ γενομένης ἐκάλει τὸν Μηνύκιον, κἀκεῖνος ἔλεξεν· . εσξ.
When the senate was in suspense at this expectation, he called Minucius, and he spoke as follows: