§6.36.1διῳκίσμεθα γὰρ ὡς ὁρᾶτε καὶ δύο πόλεις ἔχομεν, τὴν μὲν ὑπὸ πενίας τε καὶ ἀνάγκης ἀρχομένην, τὴν δʼ ὑπὸ κόρου καὶ ὕβρεως.
For, as you see, we have been divided and have two cities: the one ruled by poverty and necessity, the other by satiety and insolence.
αἰδὼς δὲ καὶ κόσμος καὶ δίκη, ὑφʼ ὧν ἅπασα πολιτικὴ κοινωνία σώζεται, παρʼ οὐδετέρᾳ μένει τῶν πόλεων.
But respect, order, and justice, by which every political community is preserved, remain in neither of the cities.
τοιγάρτοι χειρὶ τὸ δίκαιον ἤδη παρʼ ἀλλήλων λαμβάνομεν κἂν τῷ βιαιοτέρῳ τίθεμεν τὸ δικαιότατον, ὥσπερ τὰ θηρία, τὸ ἀντίπαλον ἐξολέσαι μετὰ τοῦ σφετέρου κακοῦ βουληθέντες, ἢ τὸ ἑαυτοῖς ἀσφαλὲς φυλάττοντες μετὰ τοῦ §6.36.2διαφόρου κοινῇ σεσῶσθαι.
Therefore we already take justice from one another by force, and place what is most just in the stronger, like wild beasts, wishing to destroy the rival along with their own ruin, rather than, while guarding safety for themselves, to be saved in common with their opponent.
ὧν ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἀξιῶ πολλὴν πρόνοιαν ποιήσασθαι βουλὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τούτων καθίσαντες, ἐπειδὰν ἀπολύσητε τὰς πρεσβείας.
Concerning which things I ask you to take great foresight, having set up a deliberation concerning these very matters, as soon as you dismiss the embassies.
ἃ δὲ ταῖς πρεσβείαις ἀποκρίνασθαι ἐν τῷ παρόντι παραινεῖν ἔχω, ταῦτʼ ἐστιν· ἐπειδὴ Οὐολοῦσκοι μὲν ἀπαιτοῦσιν ἡμᾶς ἃ ὅπλοις κρατήσαντες ἔχομεν καὶ πόλεμον ἀπειλοῦσι μὴ πειθομένοις, τάδε λέγωμεν, ὅτι Ῥωμαῖοι καλλίστας ὑπολαμβάνομεν κτήσεις εἶναι καὶ δικαιοτάτας, ἃς ἂν κατάσχωμεν πολέμου λαβόντες κατὰ νόμον, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ὑπομείναιμεν μωρίᾳ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀφανίσαι· παραδόντες δὲ ταῦτα τοῖς ἀπολωλεκόσιν ὧν κοινωνητέον τε παισὶ καὶ τοῖς ἐκ τούτων γενομένοις καταλιπεῖν ἀεὶ ἀγωνιούμεθα, τῶν νῦν γε ὑπαρχόντων ἤδη στερησόμεθα καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ὅσα πολεμίους βλάψομεν.
And what I am able to advise you to reply to the embassies at present, are these: Since the Volscians demand of us what we hold having conquered by arms, and threaten war if we do not comply, let us say this, that we, Romans, consider those possessions to be the finest and most just which we hold having taken them in war according to law, and we would not submit through folly to destroy our valor; for, by surrendering these things to those who have lost them—which we must share with our children and always strive to leave behind to their descendants—we shall at once be deprived of what now belongs to us, and we shall harm ourselves as much as we would our enemies.
§6.36.3Λατίνων δὲ τὸ εὔνουν ἐπαινέσαντες ἀναθαρσύνωμεν τὸ δεδιὸς ὡς οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψομεν αὐτούς, ἕως ἂν τὸ πιστὸν φυλάσσωσιν, ἐν οὐδενὶ δεινῷ γενομένους διʼ ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ δύναμιν ἱκανὴν ἀμύνειν αὐτοῖς πέμψομεν οὐ διὰ μακροῦ.
And having praised the goodwill of the Latins, let us encourage their fear, saying that we will not abandon them as long as they keep their loyalty, and that they will not fall into any danger on our account, but we will send a force sufficient to defend them before long.
ταύτας ἡγοῦμαι κρατίστας τε καὶ δικαιοτάτας ἔσεσθαι τὰς ἀποκρίσεις.
These, I believe, will be the best and most just replies.
ἀπαλλαγεισῶν δὲ τῶν πρεσβειῶν πρώτην φημὶ χρῆναι βουλὴν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν πόλιν θορύβοις ἡμᾶς ἀποδοῦναι καὶ ταύτην οὐκ εἰς μακράν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐπιούσῃ ἡμέρᾳ.
And when the embassies have departed, I say that we must devote our first deliberation to the disturbances in the city, and this not before long, but on the very next day.