§5.6.1ταῦτα δὲ τῶν ὑπάτων λεγόντων καὶ πολλῶν συναγορευόντων ἀμφοτέροις ἀποροῦσα, ὅ τι χρὴ πράττειν, ἡ βουλὴ καὶ ἐφʼ ἡμέρας συχνὰς σκοποῦσα, ἐπεὶ συμφορώτερα μὲν ὁ Βροῦτος ἐδόκει λέγειν, δικαιότερα δʼ ὁ Κολλατῖνος παρῄνει, τελευτῶσα διέγνω τὸν δῆμον ποιῆσαι τοῦ τε συμφέροντος καὶ τοῦ δικαίου κριτήν.
While the consuls spoke thus and many argued in support of both sides, the senate, being at a loss as to what to do and considering the matter for many days, since Brutus seemed to speak of more useful things but Collatinus advised more just things, finally decided to make the people the judge of both utility and justice.
§5.6.2πολλῶν δὲ λεχθέντων ὑφʼ ἑκατέρου τῶν ὑπάτων ἀναλαβοῦσαι ψῆφον αἱ φρᾶτραι τριάκοντα οὖσαι τὸν ἀριθμὸν οὕτω μικρὰν ἐποιήσαντο τὴν ἐπὶ θάτερα ῥοπήν, ὥστε μιᾷ ψήφῳ πλείους γενέσθαι τῶν κατέχειν τὰ χρήματα βουλομένων τὰς ἀποδιδόναι κελευούσας.
When many arguments had been delivered by each of the consuls, the curiae, thirty in number, took their votes and made the inclination to one side so small that the curiae ordering the restoration of the property exceeded by a single vote those wishing to retain it.
λαβόντες δὲ παρὰ τῶν ὑπάτων τὰς ἀποκρίσεις οἱ Τυρρηνοὶ καὶ πολλὰ τὴν πόλιν ἐπαινέσαντες, ὅτι τὰ δίκαια πρὸ τῶν συμφερόντων εἵλοντο, Ταρκυνίῳ μὲν ἐπέστειλαν τοὺς ἀποληψομένους τὰ χρήματα πέμπειν, αὐτοὶ δʼ ἐπέμειναν ἐν τῇ πόλει συναγωγήν τε τῶν ἐπίπλων καὶ διάθεσιν τῶν μὴ δυναμένων ἄγεσθαί τε καὶ φέρεσθαι σκηπτόμενοι· ὡς δὲ τἀληθὲς εἶχε ταράττοντες καὶ σκευωρούμενοι τὰ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν, ὡς ὁ τύραννος αὐτοῖς ἐπέστειλε.
The Tyrrhenians, having received these answers from the consuls and highly praised the city for having chosen justice before utility, sent word to Tarquinius to send men to receive the property, while they themselves remained in the city, pretending to be collecting the household goods and disposing of those which could not be carried or driven away; but in reality they were throwing affairs in the city into confusion and plotting, just as the tyrant had instructed them.
§5.6.3τάς τε γὰρ ἐπιστολὰς τὰς παρὰ τῶν φυγάδων τοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις αὐτῶν ἀπεδίδοσαν καὶ παρʼ ἐκείνων ἑτέρας πρὸς τοὺς φυγάδας ἐλάμβανον· συνιόντες δὲ πολλοῖς εἰς ὁμιλίαν καὶ διάπειραν αὐτῶν τῆς προαιρέσεως λαμβάνοντες, οὓς εὑρίσκοιεν εὐαλώτους δι’ ἀσθένειαν γνώμης ἢ βίου σπάνιν ἢ πόθον τῶν ἐν τῇ τυραννίδι πλεονεξιῶν, ἐλπίδας τε χρηστὰς ὑποτείνοντες αὐτοῖς καὶ χρήματα διδόντες ἐπεχείρουν §5.6.4διαφθείρειν.
For they were delivering the letters from the exiles to their close associates and receiving other letters from them to the exiles; and by entering into social relations with many and testing their inclinations, whenever they found any who were easily won over because of weakness of mind, or lack of livelihood, or longing for the privileges under the tyranny, they would hold out fair hopes to them and give them money, and thus attempt to corrupt them.
ἔμελλον δʼ ὥσπερ εἰκὸς ἐν πόλει μεγάλῃ καὶ πολυοχλούσῃ φανήσεσθαί τινες οἱ τὴν χείρω πολιτείαν αἱρησόμενοι πρὸ τῆς κρείττονος οὐ τῶν ἀσήμων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐπιφανῶν, ἐν οἷς ἦσαν Ἰούνιοί τε δύο Τίτος καὶ Τιβέριος Βρούτου παῖδες τοῦ ὑπατεύοντος ἀρτίως ἀρχόμενοι γενειᾶν καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς Οὐιτέλλιοί τε δύο Μάρκος καὶ Μάνιος, ἀδελφοὶ τῆς Βρούτου γυναικός, ἱκανοὶ τὰ κοινὰ πράττειν, καὶ Κολλατίνου θατέρου τῶν ὑπάτων ἀδελφῆς υἱοὶ δύο Λεύκιος καὶ Μάρκος Ἀκύλλιοι τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχοντες τοῖς Βρούτου παισὶν ἡλικίαν, παρʼ οἷς αἱ σύνοδοι τὰ πολλὰ ἐγίνοντο πατρὸς οὐκέτι περιόντος αὐτοῖς καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς καθόδου τῶν τυράννων βουλεύματα συνετίθετο.
And there were bound to appear, as is natural in a large and crowded city, some who would choose the worse form of government instead of the better, not only among the obscure but also among the illustrious. Among these were two of the Junii, Titus and Tiberius, sons of Brutus who was currently serving as consul, who were just beginning to grow beards; and with them two of the Vitellii, Marcus and Manius, brothers of Brutus's wife, capable of managing public affairs; and two of the Aquillii, Lucius and Marcus, sons of the sister of Collatinus, the other consul, who were of the same age as Brutus's sons, at whose house the meetings for the most part took place because their father was no longer living, and the plans for the return of the tyrants were being organized.