§5.2.1ὡς δὲ κατεστήσαντο ταῦτα, δείσαντες, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, μὴ δόξα τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐγγένηται περὶ τῆς καινῆς πολιτείας οὐκ ἀληθής, ὅτι δύο βασιλεῖς κύριοι γεγόνασι τῆς πόλεως ἀνθʼ ἑνὸς ἑκατέρου τῶν ὑπάτων τοὺς δώδεκα πελέκεις ἔχοντος, ὥσπερ εἶχον οἱ βασιλεῖς, ἔκριναν τό τε δέος ἀφελέσθαι τῶν πολιτῶν καὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας μειῶσαι τὸν φθόνον, τοῦ μὲν ἑτέρου τῶν ὑπάτων τοὺς δώδεκα κατατάξαντες προηγεῖσθαι πελέκεις, τοῦ δʼ ἑτέρου δώδεκα ὑπηρέτας ῥάβδους ἔχοντας μόνον, ὡς δέ τινες ἱστοροῦσι, καὶ κορύνας, γίνεσθαι δὲ τῶν πελέκεων τὴν παράληψιν ἐκ περιτροπῆς ἕνα μῆνα κατέχοντος αὐτοὺς ἑκατέρου παραλλάξ.
When they had established these things, fearing, as it seems to me, lest a false opinion should arise among the multitude concerning the new constitution—namely, that two kings had become masters of the city instead of one, because each of the consuls had twelve axes, just as the kings used to have—they decided to remove the fear of the citizens and to lessen the envy of their power, by ordaining that the twelve axes should precede one of the consuls, while the other should have only twelve attendants carrying rods—and, as some record, clubs as well—and that the assumption of the axes should take place by turns, each holding them for one month alternately.
§5.2.2τοῦτο δὴ τὸ πολίτευμα καταστησάμενοι καὶ ἄλλα τούτοις παραπλήσια οὐκ ὀλίγα πρόθυμον ἐποίησαν εἰς τὴν διαμονὴν τῶν πραγμάτων τὸν δημότην καὶ ταπεινὸν ὄχλον καὶ γὰρ τοὺς νόμους τοὺς περὶ τῶν συμβολαίων τοὺς ὑπὸ Τυλλίου γραφέντας φιλανθρώπους καὶ δημοτικοὺς εἶναι δοκοῦντας, οὓς ἅπαντας κατέλυσε Ταρκύνιος, ἀνενεώσαντο καὶ τὰς θυσίας τάς τε κατὰ πόλιν καὶ τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγρῶν, ἃς ἐποιοῦντο κοινῶς συνιόντες οἱ δημόται τε καὶ οἱ φυλέται, πάλιν προσέταξαν ἐπιτελεῖσθαι, ὡς ἐπὶ Τυλλίου συνετελοῦντο· ἐκκλησιάζειν τʼ αὐτοῖς ἀπέδοσαν ὑπὲρ τῶν μεγίστων καὶ ψῆφον ἐπιφέρειν καὶ τἆλλα πράττειν, ὅσα κατὰ τοὺς προτέρους ἐθισμοὺς ἔπραττον.
By establishing this regulation and not a few other measures similar to these, they made the plebeian and humble multitude eager for the preservation of the state. For they renewed the laws concerning contracts which had been written by Tullius and were considered humane and democratic—all of which Tarquinius had abolished—and they ordered that the sacrifices, both in the city and in the fields, which the common people and the tribesmen used to perform by assembling in common, should be celebrated again, just as they had been in the time of Tullius; and they restored to them the right to hold assemblies concerning the most important matters, to cast their votes, and to do all other things which they used to do according to the former customs.
§5.2.3τοῖς μὲν οὖν πολλοῖς καθʼ ἡδονὴν τὰ γινόμενα ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ἦν ἐκ πολυχρονίου δουλείας εἰς ἀνέλπιστον ἀφιγμένοις ἐλευθερίαν, εὑρέθησαν δέ τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν ὅμως, οἷς πόθος ἦν τῶν ἐν τυραννίδι κακῶν διʼ εὐήθειαν ἢ διὰ πλεονεξίαν, ἄνδρες οὐκ ἀφανεῖς, οἳ συνώμοσαν ἐπὶ προδοσίᾳ τῆς πόλεως Ταρκύνιόν τε καταδέξασθαι συνθέμενοι καὶ τοὺς ὑπάτους ἀποκτεῖναι.
To the multitude, therefore, who had arrived at an unexpected freedom from a long-continued slavery, the things done by them were highly pleasing; nevertheless, there were found some among them who, through simplicity or greed, had a longing for the evils under the tyranny—men of no obscure rank, who formed a conspiracy for the betrayal of the city, agreeing to receive Tarquinius back and to kill the consuls.
ἡγεμόνες δʼ αὐτῶν οἵτινες ἐγένοντο καὶ διʼ οἵας ἐξηλέγχθησαν ἀνελπίστου συντυχίας καίτοι πάντας ἀνθρώπους λεληθέναι δοκοῦντες, μικρὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν γενομένων ἀναλαβὼν λέξω.
Who their leaders were, and by what unexpected turn of fortune they were exposed, although they seemed to have escaped the notice of all men, I shall relate after resuming a few details of what had occurred shortly before.