§6.76.1ἐῶ τἆλλα, ὅσα οὔπω διαστασιάζοντες πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ αὐτοί μέν γε μεταποιούμενοι τῶν ἐκ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐλπίδων συνεκινδυνεύσαμεν ὑμῖν.
I pass over the other things, as many as we, while not yet at variance with you and indeed ourselves claiming a share in the hopes of empire, shared in danger with you.
ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ φανερῶς ἤδη τυραννίδα περιβεβλημένοι τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ ἡμῖν ὥσπερ δούλοις παραχρώμενοι ἐξηλέγχθητε, ἡμεῖς τʼ οὐκέτι ὅμοιοι ταῖς πρὸς ὑμᾶς διανοίαις διαμένοντες, ἐν δὲ τούτῳ καὶ τὰ ὑπήκοα ὀλίγου δεῖν πάντα ἐπανίστατο, ἀρξάντων μὲν τῆς ἀποστάσεως Οὐολούσκων, ἀκολουθησάντων δʼ αὐτοῖς Αἰκανῶν Ἑρνίκων Σαβίνων ἄλλων συχνῶν, ἐδόκει τε οἷος οὐχ ἕτερος εἶναι καιρός, εἰ βουλομένοις ἡμῖν ἦν, δυεῖν ἐξεργάσασθαι θάτερον, ἢ καταλύσασθαι τὴν ἀρχὴν ὑμῶν ἢ πρὸς τὸ λοιπὸν ἀποδεῖξαι μετριωτέραν, ἆρα μέμνησθε, εἰς οἵαν ἀπόγνωσιν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἤλθετε καὶ ὡς ἐν παντὶ δὴ ἀθυμίας ἐγένεσθε, εἴτε μὴ συναρούμεθα τῶν ἀγώνων ὑμῖν, εἴτε ὀργῇ ἐφέντες ὡς τοὺς πολεμίους τρεψόμεθα, καὶ ὅσας δεήσεις καὶ ὑποσχέσεις ἐποιήσασθε;
But when you were already clearly convicted of having clothed your rule in tyranny and abusing us like slaves, and we no longer remained the same in our thoughts toward you, and in this situation almost all the subject states also revolted, with the Volscians starting the rebellion, and the Aequi, Hernici, Sabines, and many others following them, and it seemed to be a unique opportunity, if we had wished it, to achieve one of two things, either to destroy your rule or to make it more moderate for the future, do you remember into what despair of your rule you fell, and how utterly despondent you became, whether fearing that we would not join in your struggles, or that, giving way to anger, we would turn to the enemy, and how many entreaties and promises you made?
§6.76.2τί οὖν οἱ ταπεινοὶ καὶ πρὸς ὑμῶν ὑβρισμένοι τότε ἐποιήσαμεν;
What then did we, the humble and the ones abused by you, do at that time?
ἡττηθέντες τῶν δεήσεων καὶ πεισθέντες ταῖς ὑποσχέσεσιν, αἷς ὁ βέλτιστος οὑτοσὶ Σερουίλιος ὑπατεύων τότε πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ἐποιήσατο, οὐθὲν μὲν ἐμνησικακήσαμεν ὑμῖν τῶν πάλαι, χρηστὰ δὲ περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἐλπίσαντες χρόνου, παρέσχομεν ὑμῖν ἑαυτούς, καὶ πάντα τὰ πολέμια ἐν ὀλίγῳ κατεργασάμενοι χρόνῳ παρῆμεν ἄγοντες αἰχμαλώτους πολλοὺς καὶ λείας καλάς.
Having been overcome by your entreaties and persuaded by the promises which this most excellent Servilius, being consul then, made to the plebs, we harbored no grudge against you for past things, but, hoping for good things for the future, we offered ourselves to you, and having finished all the military operations in a short time, we returned bringing many captives and fine booty.
§6.76.3ἀνθʼ ὧν τίνας ἡμῖν χάριτας ἀπεδώκατε;
In return for these things, what thanks did you return to us?
ἆρά γε δικαίας καὶ τῶν κινδύνων ἀξίας;
Was it indeed just and worthy of our dangers?
πόθεν;
How could it be?
πολλοῦ γε καὶ δεῖ.
Far from it!
ἐψεύσασθε μέν γε καὶ τὰς ὑποσχέσεις, ἃς ἐκελεύσατε τὸν ὕπατον ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ ποιήσασθαι, αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν ἄνδρα τουτονὶ τὸν βέλτιστον, ᾧ κατεχρήσασθε πρὸς τὸν φενακισμόν, ἄμοιρον ἐποιήσατε τοῦ θριάμβου πάντων μάλιστʼ ἀνθρώπων ἄξιον ὄντα τῆς τιμῆς ταύτης τυχεῖν, οὐκ ἐξ ἄλλου τινὸς προσθέντες αὐτῷ τὴν ὕβριν, ἀλλʼ ὅτι τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν ὑμᾶς ὡς ὑπέσχεσθε ἠξίου καὶ ἀγανακτῶν ἐπὶ τῷ φενακισμῷ δῆλος ἦν.
For you broke even the promises which you ordered the consul to make on behalf of the public, and this most excellent man himself, whom you used for the deception, you deprived of his triumph, though he of all men was most worthy to obtain this honor, attaching this insult to him for no other reason than that he demanded that you do what was just, as you had promised, and was clearly indignant at the deception.