§6.38.1ἀεὶ μέν, ὦ βουλή, ὁσάκις ὑπὲρ τούτων προὐτέθη λόγος, ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς εἰμὶ γνώμης, μὴ ἐπιτρέπειν τῷ δήμῳ μηδὲν τῶν ἀξιουμένων, ὅ τι μὴ νόμιμον μηδὲ καλόν, μήτε τὸ φρόνημα τῆς πόλεως ἐλαττοῦν, καὶ οὐδὲ νῦν μεταγινώσκω τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς μοι φανέντων οὐδέν·
O senators, as often as a discussion has been proposed concerning these matters, I have always been of the same opinion: namely, not to grant to the people any of their demands that are neither lawful nor honorable, nor to diminish the dignity of the city.
ἢ πάντων ἂν εἴην ἀνθρώπων ἀφρονέστατος, εἰ πέρυσι μὲν ὕπατος ὢν ἀντιπράττοντός μοι τοῦ συνυπάτου καὶ τὸν δῆμον ἐπισείοντος ἀντέσχον καὶ διέμεινα ἐπὶ τῶν ἐγνωσμένων οὔτε φόβῳ ἀποτραπεὶς οὔτε δεήσει οὔτε χάρισιν εἴξας, νῦν δʼ ἰδιώτης ὢν ῥίψαιμι ἐμαυτὸν καὶ τὴν παρρησίαν καταπροδοίην·
And even now I do not change my mind regarding any of the things that seemed right to me from the beginning; otherwise I should be the most foolish of all men, if, when I was consul last year, though my colleague opposed me and incited the people, I held out and remained firm in my decisions, turned back neither by fear nor yielding to entreaty or favors, but now, being a private citizen, I should cast myself down and betray my freedom of speech.
§6.38.2εἴτε μου τὸ ἐλεύθερον τῆς ψυχῆς ὑμῶν ἕκαστος βούλεται ἀποκαλεῖν εὐγενὲς εἴτε αὔθαδες, ὅσον ἂν ζῶ χρόνον οὐκ ἀποστήσομαι τοῦ ἤδη καλῶς δεδογμένου, καὶ οὐδέποτε εἰσάξω χαριζόμενος τοῖς κακοῖς χρεῶν ἀποκοπάς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς εἰσάγοντας αὐτὰς ἁπάσῃ προθυμίᾳ χρώμενος ὁμόσε χωρήσω, λογιζόμενος, ὅτι πᾶσα κακία καὶ διαφθορὰ καὶ συλλήβδην ἀνατροπὴ πόλεως ἀπὸ χρεοκοπίας ἄρχεται.
Whether each of you wishes to call this freedom of my soul noble or stubborn, as long as I live I shall not depart from what has already been well decided, and I shall never introduce a cancellation of debts to curry favor with the wicked, but I shall also go to meet face-to-face those who do introduce them, employing all my zeal, reflecting that all wickedness, corruption, and, in short, the ruin of a city begin with the cancellation of debts.
§6.38.3καὶ εἴτε τις ἀπὸ τοῦ φρονίμου εἴτε διὰ μανίας τινός, ἐπειδὴ οὐ τὸ ἴδιον ἀσφαλές, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς πόλεως ἀξιῶ σκοπεῖν, εἴτε ὁπωσδήποτε οἰήσεται τάδε λέγεσθαι, συγχωρῶ αὐτῷ νομίζειν, ὅπως βούλεται, μέχρι δὲ παντὸς ἐναντιώσομαι τοῖς μὴ τὰ πάτρια πολιτεύματα εἰσηγησομένοις.
And whether anyone shall think that these words are spoken from prudence or from some madness—since I demand to consider not my own safety, but that of the city—or in whatever manner he pleases, I allow him to think as he wishes; but to the very end I shall oppose those who do not introduce policies in accordance with ancestral customs.
ἐπειδὴ δʼ οὐ τὰ χρέα ἀπαιτοῦσιν οἱ καιροί, μεγάλην δὲ βοήθειαν, ὃ μόνον ἔσται τῆς διχοστασίας φάρμακον ἐν τῷ παρόντι φράσω· δικτάτορα ἕλεσθε κατὰ τάχος, ὃς ἀνευθύνῳ χρώμενος ἐξουσίᾳ καὶ βουλὴν καὶ δῆμον ἀναγκάσει τὰ κράτιστα τῷ κοινῷ φρονεῖν· ἄλλη γὰρ οὐκ ἔσται τηλικούτου κακοῦ λύσις.
And since the times demand not the debts, but a great help, I shall state what will be the only remedy for the dissension at present: choose a dictator quickly, who, using an irresponsible power, will compel both senate and people to intend what is best for the common weal; for there will be no other solution for so great an evil.