§6.73.1ἡμᾶς, ὦ Οὐαλέριε, πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα τὰ κωλύοντά ἐστιν ἀποθεμένους τὰ ὅπλα ἐφʼ ὑμῖν γενέσθαι, τρία δὲ τὰ μέγιστα καὶ τὰ φανερώτατα. πρῶτον μέν, ὅτι ἐγκαλοῦντες ἡμῖν ὡς ἡμαρτηκόσιν ἥκετε καὶ ἐν εὐεργεσίας οἴεσθε μέρει διδόναι τὴν κάθοδον· ἔπειθʼ, ὅτι οὐδὲν ὑποδηλοῦτε παρακαλοῦντες ἐπὶ τὰς διαλλαγάς, ἐφʼ οἷς αὐτὰς δικαίοις καὶ φιλανθρώποις ποιησόμεθα· τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον, ὅτι βέβαιον ἡμῖν, ὧν ἂν ὑπόσχησθε, οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ἐξαπατῶντες τε καὶ φενακίζοντες ἡμᾶς διατετελέκατε. §6.73.2ἐρῶ δʼ ὑπὲρ ἑκάστου χωρὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ δικαίου ἀρξάμενος·
Valerius, there are many other things that prevent us, having laid down our arms, from putting ourselves in your power, but the three largest and most obvious are these: first, that you have come accusing us as if we had done wrong, and you think you are granting our return as a favor; next, that while exhorting us to reconciliation, you reveal nothing about the just and humane terms on which we shall make it; and finally, that of the things you might promise, nothing is secure for us, but you have continually deceived and tricked us many times. will speak about each of these points separately, beginning with justice; for indeed, whether speaking in private or in public, one ought to begin with justice.
καὶ γὰρ ἰδίᾳ τε καὶ ἐν κοινῷ λέγοντας ἀπὸ τοῦ δικαίου χρὴ ἄρχεσθαι. ἡμεῖς τοίνυν εἰ μέν τι ἀδικοῦμεν ὑμᾶς, οὐδὲν δεόμεθα οὔτʼ ἀδείας οὔτʼ ἀμνηστίας· καίτοι γε οὐκ ἀξιοῦμεν οὐδὲ κοινωνεῖν ἔτι τῆς πόλεως, ἀλλʼ ἐπιμενοῦμεν, ὅποι ποτʼ ἂν ἡμᾶς ἄγῃ τὸ χρεών, τῇ τύχῃ καὶ δαίμοσιν ἐπιτρέψαντες ἡγεμόσιν.
Now, if we are doing any wrong to you, we need neither safety nor amnesty; although indeed we do not even claim to share in the city any longer, but we will remain, wherever necessity may lead us, committing ourselves to fortune and the tutelary gods as our guides.
εἰ δʼ ἀδικούμενοι πρὸς ὑμῶν ταύτης ἠναγκάσμεθα τῆς τύχης πειραθῆναι, ἐν ᾗ ἔσμεν, τί οὐχ ὁμολογεῖτε κακοὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὶ γενόμενοι συγγνώμης δεῖσθαι καὶ ἀμνηστίας;
But if, being wronged by you, we have been forced to make trial of this fortune in which we are, why do you not confess, having been wicked toward us yourselves, that you need pardon and amnesty?
νῦν δʼ, ἣν αἰτεῖσθε, ταύτην διδόναι λέγετε, καὶ ἧς ἀφεῖσθαι ζητεῖτε ὀργῆς, ταύτης ὡς ἀφιέντες μεγαληγορεῖτε, συγχέοντες τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας φύσιν καὶ τὴν τῶν δικαίων ἀξίωσιν ἀναστρέφοντες. §6.73.3ὅτι δʼ οὐκ ἀδικεῖσθε, ἀλλʼ ἀδικεῖτε, καὶ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα εὐεργετηθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου, τὰ μὲν εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, τὰ δʼ εἰς τὴν ἡγεμονίαν, οὐ καλὰς ἀποδεδώκατε αὐτῷ τὰς ἀμοιβάς, μάθετε·
But as it is, you say you are giving that very thing which you should be asking for, and you speak boastfully of that very anger from which you seek to be released, as if you were releasing us from it, confusing the nature of truth and subverting the proper standard of justice., then, that you are not the ones wronged, but the wrongdoers, and that having received many great benefits from the plebeians—some contributing to your freedom, and others to your supremacy—you have returned no honorable rewards to them.
ποιήσομαι δʼ ἀφʼ ὧν ἴστε καὶ αὐτοὶ πραγμάτων τοὺς λόγους, καὶ πρὸς θεῶν, ἐάν τι ψεῦδος εἴπω, μὴ ἀνάσχησθε, ἀλλʼ εὐθὺς ἐλέγχετε.
I will make my arguments from the facts that you yourselves know, and, by the gods, if I speak any falsehood, do not tolerate it, but refute me at once.