§4.36.1ὑμῶν δὲ τεθαύμακα, εἴ τινές εἰσιν, ὦ βουλή, τῆς ἀρχῆς με ἀπαλλάξαι βουλόμενοι, καὶ μετὰ τούτου συνεστηκότες ἐπʼ ἐμοί· ἡδέως δʼ ἂν πυθοίμην παρʼ αὐτῶν, τίνος ἀδικήματος ἕνεκα πολεμοῦσί μοι καὶ ἐπὶ τίνι τῶν ἐμῶν ἔργων ἀχθόμενοι·
But I wonder at you, O members of the senate, if there are some among you who wish to remove me from my rule, and have conspired with this man against me; and I would gladly learn from them for what injustice they make war on me and at which of my deeds they are displeased.
πότερον ὅτι πολλοὺς ἴσασιν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀρχῆς ἀκρίτους ἀπολωλότας ἢ τῆς πατρίδος στερομένους ἢ τὰς οὐσίας ἀπολωλεκότας ἢ ἄλλῃ τινὶ συμφορᾷ κεχρημένους ἀδίκως;
Is it because they know that many during my rule have perished without a trial, or have been deprived of their country, or have lost their property, or have suffered any other misfortune unjustly?
ἢ τούτων μὲν τῶν τυραννικῶν ἀδικημάτων οὐδὲν ἔχουσιν εἰπεῖν ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ γεγονός, ὕβρεις δέ μοί τινας συνοίδασιν εἰς γυναῖκας γαμετὰς ἢ προπηλακισμοὺς εἰς θυγατέρας παρθένους ἢ ἄλλην τινὰ περὶ σῶμα ἐλεύθερον ἀκολασίαν;
Or, while they have no such tyrannical outrages to say have been committed by me, are they aware of some outrages of mine against married women, or insults against virgin daughters, or any other licentiousness against free bodies?
δικαίως μέντʼ ἄν, εἴ τί μοι τοιοῦτον ἡμάρτηται, τῆς ἀρχῆς θʼ ἅμα καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀποστερηθείην.
And justly indeed, if any such error has been committed by me, I would be deprived of both my rule and my life.
§4.36.2φέρε ἀλλʼ ὑπερήφανός εἰμι καὶ διὰ βαρύτητα ἐπαχθὴς καὶ τὴν αὐθάδειαν, ᾗ κέχρημαι περὶ τὴν ἀρχήν, οὐδεὶς φέρειν δύναταί μου;
Come now, is it that I am arrogant and offensive because of my harshness, and that no one can bear the self-will which I exercise in my rule?
τίς μέντοι τῶν πρὸ ἐμοῦ βασιλέων οὕτω μέτριος ὢν ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ διετέλεσε καὶ φιλάνθρωπος ἅπασι τοῖς πολίταις ὡς πατὴρ πρᾷος υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ χρώμενος;
Yet who of the kings before me continued to be so moderate in power and so kind to all citizens, treating them like a gentle father his own sons?
ὅς γε καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἣν ὑμεῖς ἐδώκατέ μοι πατέρων φυλάττοντες παραδοχάς, οὐχ ἅπασαν ἐβουλήθην ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ νόμους θʼ ὑπὲρ τῶν κυριωτάτων καταστησάμενος, οὓς ἅπαντες ἐπεκυρώσατε, κατὰ τούτους ὑμῖν ἀπέδωκα διδόναι τὰ δίκαια καὶ λαμβάνειν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξηταζόμην πρῶτος οἷς ὥρισα κατὰ τῶν ἄλλων δικαίοις ὥσπερ ἰδιώτης πειθόμενος· τῶν τʼ ἀδικημάτων οὐχ ἁπάντων αὐτὸς ἐγινόμην δικαστής, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἰδιωτικὰς δίκας ὑμῖν ἀπέδωκα διαγινώσκειν, ὃ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν οὐδεὶς ἐποίησε βασιλέων.
Seeing that even the authority which you gave me, keeping the traditions of your fathers, I did not wish to hold in its entirety, but having established laws concerning the most important matters, which you all ratified, according to these I granted you to render and receive justice, and I myself was the first to be examined, obeying like a private citizen the laws which I had defined against others; and I did not make myself judge of all crimes, but handed over the private lawsuits to you to decide, which none of the former kings did.
§4.36.3ἀλλʼ ἔοικεν ἀδίκημα μὲν οὐδὲν εἶναι, διʼ ὃ δυσχεραίνουσί μοί τινες, αἱ δʼ εἰς τὸ δημοτικὸν πλῆθος εὐεργεσίαι λυπεῖν ὑμᾶς δοκοῦσι, περὶ ὧν πολλάκις ἀπολελόγημαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς.
But it seems there is indeed no crime for which some are displeased with me, but my benefits to the common people seem to grieve you, concerning which I have often defended myself before you.
ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν δεῖ τούτων νυνὶ τῶν λόγων· εἰ δὲ δοκεῖ κρεῖττον ἐπιμελήσεσθαι τῶν κοινῶν Ταρκύνιος οὑτοσὶ τὰ πράγματα παραλαβών, οὐ φθονῶ τῇ πόλει βελτίονος ἡγεμόνος· ἀποδοὺς δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῷ δεδωκότι μοι δήμῳ καὶ γενόμενος ἰδιώτης πειράσομαι ποιῆσαι πᾶσι φανερόν, ὅτι καὶ ἄρχειν ἐπίσταμαι καλῶς καὶ ἄρχεσθαι δύναμαι σωφρόνως.
But there is no need of these words now; and if it seems that this Tarquinius here, having taken over the government, will take care of public affairs better, I do not grudge the city a better leader; and having restored the rule to the people who gave it to me, and having become a private citizen, I will try to make it clear to all that I both know how to rule well and am able to be ruled with self-control.