§6.35.1συναχθείσης δὲ περὶ τούτου βουλῆς, κληθεὶς πρῶτος ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων Τῖτος Λάρκιος, ἀξιώσει τε προὔχειν δοκῶν καὶ φρονῆσαι τὰ δέοντα ἱκανώτατος, προελθὼν ἔλεξεν· ἐμοί, ὦ βουλή, ἃ μὲν οἱ ἄλλοι δοκοῦσιν εἶναι φοβερὰ καὶ ταχείας δεόμενα βοηθείας, οὔτε φοβερὰ εἶναι δοκεῖ οὔτε πάνυ κατεπείγοντα, πῶς χρὴ τοῖς συμμάχοις ἐπικουρῆσαι ἢ καθʼ ὅν τινα τρόπον τοὺς πολεμίους ἀμύνασθαι· ἃ δʼ οὔτε μέγιστα τῶν κακῶν νομίζουσιν οὔτε ἀναγκαῖα ἐν τῷ παρόντι, ἀμελείᾳ τε αὐτὰ ὡς οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς βλάψοντα παραδόντες ἔχουσι, ταῦτα φοβερώτατά μοι φαίνεται, καὶ εἰ μὴ ταχέως αὐτὰ ἐπιστήσομεν, ἐσχάτης ἀνατροπῆς καὶ συγχύσεως τῶν κοινῶν αἴτια, ἥ τε τῶν δημοτῶν ἀπείθεια τῶν οὐκ ἀξιούντων τὰ ἐπιταττόμενα ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων πράττειν, καὶ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸ ἀνήκοον αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ ἐλευθεριάζον χαλεπότης.
When the senate had assembled on this matter, Titus Larcius, who was called first by the consuls, and who was held to excel in dignity and to be most capable of deciding what was necessary, came forward and said: "To me, O senators, those things which to others seem to be formidable and to require speedy assistance—how we ought to succor our allies or in what manner we should ward off our enemies—appear neither formidable nor very pressing; on the other hand, those things which they neither consider to be the greatest of evils nor urgent at present, and which they, abandoning them through neglect, regard as not likely to harm us at all, these appear to me most formidable, and, unless we quickly stop them, likely to be the cause of the utter ruin and confusion of the state: namely, the disobedience of the plebeians, who do not think fit to do what is commanded by the consuls, and our own severity toward their disobedience and demand for freedom.
§6.35.2οἶμαι δὲ μηδὲν ἡμᾶς δεῖν ἐν τῷ παρόντι σκοπεῖν, εἰ μὴ ὅπως ἐξαιρεθήσεται ταῦτʼ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ μιᾷ πάντες γνώμῃ τὰ κοινὰ πρὸ τῶν ἰδίων αἱρούμενοι πολιτευσόμεθα.
And I believe we ought to consider nothing else at present but how these evils may be removed from the city, and how we may conduct public affairs with one mind, preferring the public good to our private interests.
ὁμονοοῦσα μὲν γὰρ ἡ τῆς πόλεως δύναμις ἱκανὴ ἔσται καὶ φίλοις ἀσφάλειαν παρασχεῖν καὶ ἐχθροῖς δέος, στασιάζουσα δʼ ὥσπερ νῦν τούτων οὐδέτερον ἂν δύναιτο διαπράξασθαι.
For if the power of the city is in harmony, it will be sufficient both to provide safety for our friends and fear for our enemies; but if it is in faction, as it is now, it could accomplish neither of these.
θαυμάσαιμι δʼ ἄν, εἰ μὴ καὶ ἑαυτὴν διεργάσαιτο καὶ παράσχοι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς δίχα πόνου τὸ κράτος· ὅ, μὰ τὸν Δία καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους θεούς, οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν οἴομαι τοιαῦτα πολιτευομένων ὑμῶν γενήσεσθαι.
Indeed, I should be surprised if it did not even destroy itself and yield the supremacy to its enemies without any trouble on their part—an event which, by Zeus and the other gods, I think will not be far off if you continue to conduct yourselves in this manner."