§7.27.1τῇ δʼ ἑξῆς ἡμέρᾳ πρῶτοι καταβάντες εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν οἱ δήμαρχοι συνεκάλουν τὸν δῆμον εἰς ἐκκλησίαν καὶ παριόντες ἐκ διαδοχῆς πολλὰ μὲν τῶν πατρικίων κατηγόρουν ὡς ἐψευσμένων τὰς συνθήκας καὶ παραβεβηκότων τοὺς ὅρκους, οὓς ἐποιήσαντο πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ὑπὲρ ἀμνηστίας τῶν πάλαι, πίστεις παραφέροντες τοῦ μὴ βεβαίως αὐτοὺς διηλλάχθαι πρὸς τὸ δημοτικὸν τήν τε τοῦ σίτου σπάνιν, ἣν αὐτοὶ κατέσκευσαν, καὶ τὰς ἀποστολὰς τῶν κληρουχιῶν ἀμφοτέρων καὶ τἆλλα ὅσα ἐμηχανήσαντο μειώσεως τοῦ πλήθους ἕνεκα.
On the following day, the tribunes, being the first to go down to the forum, summoned the people to an assembly, and coming forward in turn, accused the patricians of many things, alleging that they had broken the agreements and violated the oaths which they had made to the people concerning the amnesty of past events; and they brought forward as proofs that they had not been firmly reconciled to the plebeians the scarcity of corn, which they themselves had contrived, the sending out of both colonies, and everything else they had devised for the sake of reducing the multitude.
§7.27.2πολλὰ δὲ τοῦ Μαρκίου καθήπτοντο τοὺς ῥηθέντας ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ λόγους ἐν τῇ βουλῇ διεξιόντες, καὶ ὅτι καλούμενος εἰς ἀπολογίαν ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἠξίωσεν ἐλθεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἀφικομένους ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἀγορανόμους τύπτων ἀπήλασεν.
They also attacked Marcius in many ways, detailing the words spoken by him in the senate, and saying that when he was summoned by the people to make his defense, he not only did not deign to come, but even beat and drove away the aediles who came for him.
ἐκάλουν δὲ μάρτυρας τῶν ἐν τῇ βουλῇ γενομένων τοὺς ἐντιμοτάτους τῶν ἐκεῖ, τῆς δὲ περὶ τοὺς ἀγορανόμους ὕβρεως ἅπαντας τοὺς τότε παρόντας κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν δημοτικούς.
They called as witnesses of what had taken place in the senate the most honorable of those who were there, and of the outrage against the aediles all the plebeians who were then present in the forum.
§7.27.3ταῦτα δʼ εἰπόντες ἐδίδοσαν, εἰ βουλομένοις εἴη, τοῖς πατρικίοις ἀπολογίαν, κατέχοντες ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τὸν δῆμον, ἕως ἡ βουλὴ διαλυθείη.
Having said this, they gave the patricians, if they wished, an opportunity for defense, detaining the people in the assembly until the senate should be dismissed.
ἔτυχον γὰρ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τούτων συνεδρεύοντες οἱ πατρίκιοι διαποροῦντες, εἴτʼ ἀπολογητέον αὐτοῖς εἴη πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ὑπὲρ ὧν διεβλήθησαν,
For the patricians happened to be sitting in council concerning these very matters, debating whether they should make their defense to the people concerning the charges brought against them, or whether they should remain quiet.
§7.27.4εἴτε μενετέον ἐφʼ ἡσυχίας. ἐπεὶ δʼ αἱ πλείους γνῶμαι τὰ φιλανθρωπότερα τῶν αὐθαδεστέρων προείλοντο, διαλύσαντες οἱ ὕπατοι τὸν σύλλογον προῆλθον εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν τάς τε κοινὰς ἀπολυσόμενοι διαβολὰς καὶ περὶ τοῦ Μαρκίου τὸν δῆμον ἀξιώσοντες μηθὲν βουλεῦσαι ἀνήκεστον.
But when the majority of opinions chose the more humane course rather than the more arrogant one, the consuls dismissed the gathering and went out into the forum, intending to clear themselves of the common accusations and to request the people not to decide on anything irreparable concerning Marcius.
καὶ παρελθὼν ὁ πρεσβύτερος αὐτῶν Μηνύκιος ἔλεξε τοιάδε.
And Minucius, the elder of them, came forward and spoke as follows.