§6.59.1μετὰ τοῦτον ἀνέστη κληθεὶς Ἄππιος Κλαύδιος ὁ τῆς ἐναντιουμένης τῷ δήμῳ στάσεως ἡγεμὼν ἀνὴρ μέγα φρονῶν ἐφʼ ἑαυτῷ καὶ τοῦτʼ οὐκ ἄνευ δικαίας πάσχων αἰτίας· ὅ τε γὰρ ἴδιος αὐτοῦ βίος ὁ καθʼ ἡμέραν σώφρων καὶ σεμνὸς ἦν, ἥ τε προαίρεσις τῶν πολιτευμάτων εὐγενὴς καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα σώζουσα τῆς ἀριστοκρατίας·
After him arose, having been called upon, Appius Claudius, the leader of the faction opposed to the people, a man who thought highly of himself, and not without just cause; for his private daily life was sober and dignified, and his choice of political actions was noble and preserved the dignity of the aristocracy.
ὃς ἀφορμὴν λαβὼν τὴν Οὐαλερίου δημηγορίαν τοιούτοις ἐχρήσατο λόγοις· §6.59.2ἐν ἐλάττονι μὲν αἰτίᾳ ἂν Οὐαλέριος ἦν, εἰ τὴν αὑτοῦ γνώμην ἀπεφήνατο μόνην, τῶν δὲ τἀναντία ἐγνωκότων μὴ κατηγόρει· περιῆν γὰρ ἂν αὐτῷ μηδὲν ἀκοῦσαι τῶν προσόντων αὐτῷ κακῶν.
Taking the speech of Valerius as a starting point, he spoke in this manner: "Valerius would have been subject to less blame if he had only declared his own opinion and had not accused those who thought the opposite; for it would have been possible for him to hear none of the evils that belong to him.
ἐπεὶ δʼ οὐκ ἀπέχρησεν αὐτῷ τοιαῦτα συμβουλεύειν, ἐξ ὧν οὐδὲν ἄλλʼ ἢ τοῖς κακίστοις τῶν πολιτῶν δουλεύσομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐναντιουμένων αὐτῷ καθήψατο κἀμοῦ ἁψιμάχως ἐμνήσθη, πολλὴν ἀνάγκην ὁρῶ κἀμοὶ περὶ τούτων εἰπεῖν καὶ πρῶτον ἀπολύσασθαι τὰς κατʼ ἐμαυτοῦ διαβολάς.
But since it did not satisfy him to advise such things from which we shall do nothing else but be slaves to the worst of the citizens, but he also attacked those who opposed him and mentioned me in a combative manner, I see a great necessity for me also to speak about these things, and first to clear myself of the slanders against me.
ὠνείδισται γάρ μοι πρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐπιτήδευμα οὔτε πολιτικὸν οὔτʼ εὐπρεπές, ὡς ἀπὸ παντὸς χρηματίζεσθαι προῄρημαι τρόπου καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν πενήτων ἀφῄρημαι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, καὶ ὡς ἡ ἀπόστασις τοῦ δήμου καὶ διʼ ἐμὲ οὐχ ἥκιστα γέγονεν· ὧν οὐδὲν ὅτι ἀληθές ἐστιν οὐδʼ ὑγιὲς ῥᾴδιον ὑμῖν μαθεῖν.
For a practice neither civic nor becoming has been cast in my teeth by him, to the effect that I have chosen to make money in every way, and have deprived many of the poor of their liberty, and that the secession of the people was caused not least because of me; of which things it is easy for you to learn that not one is true or sound.
§6.59.3ἴθι γάρ, εἰπὲ ὦ Οὐαλέριε, τίνες εἰσὶν οὓς κατεδουλωσάμην ἐγὼ πρὸς τὰ χρέα;
Come then, tell me, Valerius, who are those whom I have enslaved for their debts?
τίνας ἐν δεσμοῖς πολίτας ἔσχον ἢ νῦν ἔχω;
What citizens have I held in bonds, or do I hold now?
τίς τῶν ἀφεστηκότων διὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ὠμότητα ἢ φιλοχρηματίαν στέρεται τῆς ἑαυτοῦ πατρίδος;
Who of those who have seceded is deprived of his own country because of my cruelty or love of money?
ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἔχοις εἰπεῖν.
But you would not be able to say.
τοσούτου γὰρ δέω τινὰ πολιτῶν καταδεδουλῶσθαι διὰ χρέος, ὥστε πολλοῖς πάνυ τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ προέμενος οὐδένα τῶν ἀποστερησάντων με πρόσθετον ἐποιησάμην οὐδὲ ἄτιμον, ἀλλὰ πάντες εἰσὶν ἐλεύθεροι καὶ πάντες οἴδασί μοι χάριν φίλων τε καὶ πελατῶν ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις ἐξετάζονται.
For I am so far from having enslaved any of the citizens because of a debt that, having given up my own property to very many, I have made none of those who deprived me of it either a bondman or infamous, but all are free and all are grateful to me, and are numbered among my most necessary friends and clients.
καὶ οὐ λέγω ταῦτα κατηγορῶν ἐγὼ τῶν μὴ τὰ παραπλήσια ἐμοὶ πεποιηκότων οὐδʼ εἴ τινες νόμῳ συγχωρούμενόν τι ἔδρασαν ἀδικεῖν αὐτοὺς οἴομαι, ἀλλὰ τὰς κατʼ ἐμαυτοῦ διαβολὰς ἀπολύομαι.
And I do not say this to accuse those who have not done the same as I, nor do I think they do wrong if any did what is permitted by law, but I am clearing myself of the slanders against me."