§6.24.1Ἀππίου δʼ ἦν γνώμη τοῦ κορυφαιοτάτου τῶν προεστηκότων τῆς ἀριστοκρατίας αὐστηρὰ καὶ αὐθάδης μηδὲν ἐνδιδόναι τῷ δήμῳ μαλακόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν συναλλαγμάτων τὰς ἀναπράξεις ἐπιτρέπειν τοῖς δεδανεικόσιν, ἐφʼ οἷς συνέβαλον δικαίοις ποιεῖσθαι, καὶ τὰ δικαστήρια καθίζειν, καὶ τὸν ἐν τῇ πόλει μένοντα τῶν ὑπάτων κατὰ τοὺς πατρίους ἐθισμοὺς καὶ τὰς τιμωρίας, ἃς κατὰ τῶν ἐκλιπόντων οἱ περὶ αὐτῶν νόμοι δεδώκασιν, ἀναπράττεσθαι, εἴκειν δὲ τοῖς δημοτικοῖς μηδὲν ὅ τι μὴ δίκαιον μηδὲ δύναμιν αὐτοῖς συγκατασκευάζειν πονηράν.
But the opinion of Appius, the most leading figure among those at the head of the aristocracy, was stern and stubborn: to yield nothing mild to the plebeians, but to permit the creditors to make the recovery of their contracts according to the terms under which they had made them, to hold the courts, and that the consul who remained in the city, according to paternal customs and the laws concerning them, should exact the punishments which the laws have prescribed against those who shirked their service, and to yield nothing to the plebeians that was not just, nor to help them build up a pernicious power. But the opinion of Appius, the most leading figure among those at the head of the aristocracy, was stern and stubborn: to yield nothing mild to the plebeians, but to permit the creditors to make the recovery of their contracts according to the terms under which they had made them, to hold the courts, and that the consul who remained in the city, according to paternal customs and the laws concerning them, should exact the punishments which the laws have prescribed against those who shirked their service, and to yield nothing to the plebeians that was not just, nor to help them build up a pernicious power.
§6.24.2καὶ γὰρ νῦν, ἔφη, πέρα τοῦ μετρίου τρυφῶσι τελῶν ἀφειμένοι, ὧν ἐτέλουν τοῖς βασιλεῦσι πρότερον, καὶ τῶν εἰς τὸ σῶμα τιμωριῶν, αἷς ἐκολάζοντο ὑπʼ αὐτῶν, ὁπότε μὴ ταχέως ὑπηρετήσειάν τι τῶν ἐπιταττομένων, ἐλεύθεροι γεγονότες. ἐὰν δέ τι παρακινεῖν ἢ νεωτερίζειν προενεχθέντες ἐπιβάλωνται, κατείργωμεν αὐτοὺς τῷ σωφρονοῦντι μέρει τῆς πόλεως καὶ ὑγιαίνοντι πλείονι τοῦ νοσοῦντος φανησομένῳ.
"For even now," he said, "they are being insolent beyond measure, having been released from the taxes which they formerly paid to the kings, and having become free from the physical punishments with which they were chastised by them whenever they did not quickly perform any of the commands. And if they attempt to stir up any rebellion or revolution, having been incited to it, let us restrain them with the sober and healthy part of the city, which will appear more numerous than the diseased part. "For even now," he said, "they are being insolent beyond measure, having been released from the taxes which they formerly paid to the kings, and having become free from the physical punishments with which they were chastised by them whenever they did not quickly perform any of the commands. And if they attempt to stir up any rebellion or revolution, having been incited to it, let us restrain them with the sober and healthy part of the city, which will appear more numerous than the diseased part.
§6.24.3ὑπάρχει μέν γʼ ἡμῖν οὐ μικρὰ ἰσχὺς πρὸς τὰ πράγματα καὶ ἡ τῶν πατρικίων νεότης ἕτοιμος τὰ κελευόμενα ποιεῖν· μέγιστον δὲ πάντων ὅπλον καὶ δυσκαταγώνιστον, ᾧ χρώμενοι ῥᾳδίως ἐπικρατήσομεν τῶν δημοτικῶν, τὸ τῆς βουλῆς κράτος, ᾧ δεδιττόμεθα αὐτοὺς μετὰ τῶν νόμων ἱστάμενοι. ἐὰν δʼ ὑποκατακλινώμεθα αὐτοῖς τῆς ἀξιώσεως, πρῶτον αἰσχύνην ὀφλήσομεν, εἰ παρὸν ἐν ἀριστοκρατίᾳ πολιτεύεσθαι δήμῳ τὰ κοινὰ ἐπιτρέψομεν· ἔπειτα δʼ εἰς κίνδυνον οὐ τὸν ἐλάχιστον ἥξομεν, εἴ τις ἐκθεραπεύσας· αὐτὸν ἐξουσίαν κρείττονα τῶν νόμων κατασκευάσαιτο τυραννικὸς ἀνήρ, τὴν ἐλευθερίαν αὖθις ἀφαιρεθῆναι. τοιαῦτα διαφερομένων τῶν ὑπάτων κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς καὶ ὁπότε συναχθείη συνέδριον καὶ συλλαμβανόντων πολλῶν ἑκατέρῳ, ἡ μὲν βουλὴ φιλονεικίας καὶ θορύβους καὶ λόγους ἀκόσμους, οἷς ἀλλήλους προὐπηλάκιζον, ἀκούσασα, σωτήριον δὲ βούλευμα οὐδὲν καθισταμένη, διελύετο.
Indeed, we have no small strength for these matters, and the youth of the patricians are ready to do what is commanded; but the greatest weapon of all and hard to contend with, using which we shall easily prevail over the plebeians, is the authority of the senate, by which we terrify them, standing as we do with the laws. But if we yield to their demand, first we shall incur shame, if we permit the common affairs to be entrusted to the populace when we are able to govern in an aristocracy; and next, we shall run no small danger, if some tyrannical man, by courting them, should establish a power stronger than the laws, of having our liberty taken away again." While the consuls differed in this manner among themselves, and whenever a meeting of the senate was assembled and many sided with each of them, the senate, hearing contentions and tumults and unseemly words with which they abused one another, but establishing no salutary measure, would dissolve. Indeed, we have no small strength for these matters, and the youth of the patricians are ready to do what is commanded; but the greatest weapon of all and hard to contend with, using which we shall easily prevail over the plebeians, is the authority of the senate, by which we terrify them, standing as we do with the laws. But if we yield to their demand, first we shall incur shame, if we permit the common affairs to be entrusted to the populace when we are able to govern in an aristocracy; and next, we shall run no small danger, if some tyrannical man, by courting them, should establish a power stronger than the laws, of having our liberty taken away again." While the consuls differed in this manner among themselves, and whenever a meeting of the senate was assembled and many sided with each of them, the senate, hearing contentions and tumults and unseemly words with which they abused one another, but establishing no salutary measure, would dissolve.