§5.9.1ἀποκτείνας δὲ τοὺς υἱοὺς εὐθὺς ἐκάλει τοὺς ἀδελφιδοῦς τοῦ συνάρχοντος Ἀκυλλίους, παρʼ οἷς αἱ σύνοδοι τῶν κατὰ τῆς πόλεως συνομοσαμένων ἐγένοντο· καὶ τὰς ἐπιστολὰς αὐτῶν ἀναγνῶναι τῷ γραμματεῖ κελεύσας, ὥστε πάντας ἀκούειν τοὺς παρόντας, ἀπολογίαν ἔφησεν αὐτοῖς διδόναι.
Having put his sons to death, he immediately summoned the Aquillii, the nephews of his colleague, at whose house the meetings of those who had conspired against the city had been held; and having ordered the secretary to read their letters so that all who were present might hear, he said that he was giving them an opportunity for defense.
ὡς δὲ προήχθησαν οἱ νεανίσκοι πρὸς τὸ βῆμα, εἴθʼ ὑποθεμένου τινὸς τῶν φίλων εἴτʼ αὐτοὶ συμφρονήσαντες τοῖς γόνασι τοῦ θείου προσπίπτουσιν ὡς διʼ ἐκείνου σωθησόμενοι.
When the young men were brought before the tribunal, whether because some friend had suggested it or they themselves had agreed on it, they fell at the knees of their uncle, as if they were to be saved through him.
§5.9.2κελεύσαντος δὲ τοῦ Βρούτου τοῖς ῥαβδούχοις ἀποσπᾶν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀπάγειν ἐπὶ τὸν θάνατον, εἰ μὴ βούλοιντο ἀπολογήσασθαι, μικρὸν ἐπισχεῖν τοῖς ὑπηρέταις ὁ Καλλατῖνος εἰπών, ἕως τῷ συνάρχοντι διαλεχθῇ, λαβὼν τὸν ἄνδρα καταμόνας πολλὰς ἐξέτεινεν ὑπὲρ τῶν μειρακίων δεήσεις· τὰ μὲν ἀπολογούμενος ὡς διὰ νεότητος ἄνοιαν καὶ πονηρὰς φίλων ὁμιλίας εἰς ταύτην ἐμπεσόντων τὴν φρενοβλάβειαν, τὰ δὲ παρακαλῶν ἑαυτῷ χαρίσασθαι τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν συγγενῶν §5.9.3μίαν αἰτουμένῳ ταύτην τὴν δωρεὰν καὶ περὶ οὐδενὸς ἔτι ἑτέρου ἐνοχλήσοντι, τὰ δὲ διδάσκων, ὅτι συνταραχθῆναι κίνδυνος ὅλην τὴν πόλιν, ἐὰν ἅπαντας ἐπιχειρῶσι θανάτῳ ζημιοῦν τοὺς δόξαντάς τι συμπράττειν τοῖς φυγάσιν ὑπὲρ τῆς καθόδου· πολλοὺς γὰρ εἶναι καὶ οὐκ ἀσήμων οἰκιῶν ἐνίους.
But when Brutus ordered the lictors to drag them away and lead them to death if they did not wish to make a defense, Collatinus, telling the attendants to wait a little until he could speak with his colleague, took the man aside privately and made many entreaties on behalf of the youths; on the one hand defending them, saying that they had fallen into this madness through the folly of youth and the bad company of friends, and on the other hand entreating him to grant him the lives of his kinsmen, asking this as his only favor and promising that he would trouble him no further about anything else; and on the other hand showing him that there was danger of the whole city being thrown into confusion if they should attempt to punish with death all those who appeared to have cooperated in any way with the exiles for their return; for they were many, and some of them from no obscure houses.
ὡς δʼ οὐκ ἔπειθε, τελευτῶν ἠξίου μὴ θάνατον, ἀλλὰ μετρίαν κατʼ αὐτῶν ὁρίσαι κόλασιν, ἄτοπον εἶναι λέγων τοὺς μὲν τυράννους φυγαῖς ἐζημιῶσθαι, τοὺς δὲ τῶν τυράννων φίλους θανάτῳ.
Since he could not persuade him, he at last begged that he would determine against them not death, but a moderate punishment, saying that it was absurd for the tyrants to be punished with exile, but the friends of the tyrants with death.
ἀντιλέγοντος δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐπιείκειαν τῆς κολάσεως τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ οὐδʼ εἰς ἑτέρους ἀναβαλέσθαι χρόνους τὰς κρίσεις τῶν ἐν ταῖς αἰτίαις βουλομένου· τελευταία γὰρ αὕτη τοῦ συνάρχοντος δέησις ἦν· ἀλλʼ αὐθημερὸν ἀποκτενεῖν ἅπαντας ἀπειλοῦντος καὶ διομνυμένου, ἀδημονῶν ὁ Κολλατῖνος ἐπὶ τῷ μηδενὸς ὦν ἠξίου τυγχάνειν, Τοιγαροῦν, ἔφησεν, ἐπεὶ σκαιὸς εἶ καὶ πικρὸς ἐγὼ τὰ μειράκια ἀφαιροῦμαι τῆς αὐτῆς ἐξουσίας ἧς σὺ κύριος ὤν. καὶ ὁ Βροῦτος ἐκπικρανθείς, οὐκ ἐμοῦ γʼ, ἔφη, ζῶντος, ὦ Κολλατῖνε, τοὺς προδότας τῆς πατρίδος ἰσχύσεις ἐξελέσθαι· ἀλλὰ καὶ σὺ δώσεις δίκας ἃς προσῆκεν οὐκ εἰς μακράν.
But as the other man opposed even the leniency of the punishment, and was unwilling to postpone the trials of those accused even to another time (for this was the colleague’s last request), but threatened and swore that he would put them all to death that very day, Collatinus, vexed because he obtained none of his requests, said, "Therefore, since you are obstinate and harsh, I shall rescue the youths from the same authority of which you are master." And Brutus, incensed, said, "Not while I live, Collatinus, shall you have the power to rescue the traitors of their country; but you too shall pay the penalty you deserve, and that before long."