§4.81.1τὰς μὲν οὖν ἡμετέρας τῶν πατρικίων συμφοράς, ἃς καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ἄν τις μαθὼν δακρύσειε, σιωπῶ, εἴ γʼ ὀλίγοι μὲν ἐκ πολλῶν λελείμμεθα, ταπεινοὶ δʼ ἐκ μεγάλων γεγόναμεν, εἰς πενίαν δὲ καὶ δεινὴν ἀπορίαν ἥκομεν ἐκ πολλῶν καὶ μακαρίων ἐκπεσόντες ἀγαθῶν.
Therefore, I shall remain silent about our misfortunes, we the patricians—misfortunes which even an enemy might weep for upon learning of them—since we, few out of many, are left behind, and have become lowly from being great, and have come into poverty and dreadful destitution, having fallen from many blessed goods.
οἱ λαμπροὶ δʼ ἐκεῖνοι καὶ δεινοὶ καὶ μεγάλοι, δι’ οὓς ἐπιφανὴς ἡ πόλις ἡμῶν ποτε ἦν, οἱ μὲν ἀπολώλασιν, §4.81.2οἱ δὲ φεύγουσι τὴν πατρίδα.
For those illustrious, formidable, and great men, through whom our city was once famous, some indeed have perished, while others are fleeing their homeland.
ἀλλὰ τὰ ὑμέτερα πράγματα, ὦ δημόται, πῶς ἔχει;
But how do your affairs stand, O plebeians?
οὐκ ἀφῄρηται μὲν ὑμῶν τοὺς νόμους, ἀφῄρηται δὲ τὰς ἐφʼ ἱερὰ καὶ θυσίας συνόδους, πέπαυκε δὲ τοὺς ἀρχαιρεσιάζοντας καὶ ψηφοφοροῦντας καὶ περὶ τῶν κοινῶν ἐκκλησιάζοντας, ἀναγκάζει δʼ ὅσα δούλους ἀργυρωνήτους ταλαιπωρεῖν λατομοῦντας ὑλοτομοῦντας ἀχθοφοροῦντας, ἐν ταρτάροις καὶ βαράθροις δαπανωμένους, ἀνάπαυσιν τῶν κακῶν οὐδὲ τὴν ἐλαχίστην λαμβάνοντας;
Has he not deprived you of your laws, and deprived you of your assemblies for sacred rites and sacrifices, and put an end to your holding elections, casting votes, and convening in assembly concerning public affairs? And does he not compel you, just like silver-bought slaves, to toil hard, quarrying stone, cutting timber, and carrying burdens, wearing yourselves out in tartarean depths and pits, without receiving even the slightest respite from your evils?
§4.81.3τίς οὖν ὅρος ἔσται τῶν συμφορῶν, καὶ μέχρι τίνος χρόνου ταῦτα πάσχοντες ὑπομενοῦμεν, καὶ πότε τὴν πάτριον ἐλευθερίαν ἀνακτησόμεθα;
What limit, then, will there be to these misfortunes, and for how long a time shall we endure suffering these things, and when shall we recover our ancestral freedom?
ὅταν ἀποθάνῃ Ταρκύνιος;
When Tarquinius dies?
νὴ Δία.
By Zeus!
καὶ τί πλέον ἡμῖν ἔσται τότε, τί δʼ οὐ χεῖρον;
And what advantage will there be for us then, or rather, what will not be worse?
τρεῖς γὰρ ἐξ ἑνὸς Ταρκυνίους ἕξομεν §4.81.4πολλῷ μιαρωτέρους τοῦ πατρός.
For we shall have three Tarquinii instead of one, who are far more abominable than their father.
ὅπου γὰρ ὁ γενόμενος ἐξ ἰδιώτου τύραννος καὶ ὀψὲ ἀρξάμενος πονηρὸς εἶναι, πᾶσαν ἀκριβοῖ τὴν τυραννικὴν κακίαν, ποδαποὺς χρὴ νομίζειν ἔσεσθαι τοὺς ἐξ ἐκείνου φύντας, οἷς πονηρὸν μὲν γένος, πονηραὶ δὲ τροφαί, πολιτικὸν δὲ καὶ μέτριον οὐδὲν οὔτʼ ἰδεῖν ἐξεγένετο πώποτε πραττόμενον οὔτε μαθεῖν;
For where a tyrant who arose from being a private citizen, and who began to be wicked late in life, perfects every tyrannical vice, what sort of men must we think those born of him will be? They have a wicked descent, a wicked upbringing, and it was never possible for them either to see any civic or moderate deed being done, or to learn of it.
ἵνα δὲ μὴ μαντεύησθε τὰς καταράτους αὐτῶν φύσεις, ἀλλʼ ἀκριβῶς μάθητε, οἵους σκύλακας ὑμῖν ἡ Ταρκυνίου τυραννὶς ὑποτρέφει, θεάσασθε ἔργον ἑνὸς αὐτῶν τοῦ πρεσβυτάτου.
But so that you may not merely guess at their accursed natures, but may learn accurately what kind of whelps the tyranny of Tarquinius is breeding up for you, behold the deed of one of them, the eldest.