§7.36.1κατιδὼν δʼ αὐτὸν ἀμηχανοῦντα Λεύκιος Ἰούνιος Βροῦτος, ἐκεῖνος ὁ δημαγωγὸς ὁ τεχνησάμενος, ἐφʼ οἷς ἔσονται δικαίοις αἱ διαλλαγαί, δεινὸς ἀνὴρ τά τʼ ἄλλα καὶ πόρους εὑρεῖν ἐν ἀπόροις, προσέρχεται μόνος μόνῳ καὶ ὑποτίθεται μὴ φιλονεικεῖν ἐγχειρήματι θερμῷ καὶ παρανόμῳ συναγωνιζόμενον, ὁρῶντα τούς τε πατρικίους ἅπαντας ἠρεθισμένους καὶ ἑτοίμους ὄντας, εἰ κληθεῖεν ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων, ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα χωρεῖν, τοῦ δὲ δήμου τὸ καρτερώτατον μέρος ἐνδοιάζον καὶ οὐκ ἀγαπητῶς δεχόμενον ἀνδρὸς ἐπιφανεστάτου τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει παράδοσιν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀκρίτου.
Seeing him at a loss, Lucius Junius Brutus, that popular leader who had devised the terms on which the reconciliation should be made, a man remarkable in other respects and especially clever at finding ways out of difficulties, approached him in private and suggested that he should not persist in contending with a violent and unlawful enterprise, seeing that all the patricians were provoked and ready, if they should be called upon by the consuls, to fly to arms, while the most robust part of the plebeians was hesitant and did not willingly accept the surrender of one of the most illustrious men in the city to death, and that, too, without a trial.
§7.36.2συνεβούλευε δʼ αὐτῷ τότε μὲν εἶξαι καὶ μὴ χωρεῖν ὁμόσε τοῖς ὑπάτοις, μή τι μεῖζον κακὸν ἐργάσηται, προθεῖναι δὲ τῷ ἀνδρὶ δίκην ὁρίσαντα χρόνον ὅσον δή τινα, καὶ ψῆφον ἀναδοῦναι τοῖς πολίταις ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ κατὰ φυλάς· ὅ τι δʼ ἂν αἱ πλείους ψῆφοι καθαιρῶσι, τοῦτο ποιεῖν·
He advised him for the present to yield and not to come to blows with the consuls, lest he should cause some greater evil, but to appoint a trial for the man, fixing a certain space of time, and to grant the citizens a vote concerning him by tribes; and that whatever the majority of the votes decided, this they should do.
τυραννικὸν μὲν γὰρ εἶναι καὶ βίαιον, ὃ νῦν ἐπειρᾶτο διαπράττεσθαι, τὸν αὐτὸν ὑπάρχειν καὶ κατήγορον καὶ δικαστὴν καὶ τοῦ μέτρου τῆς τιμωρίας κύριον· πολιτικὸν δὲ τὸ κατὰ νόμους ἀπολογίας τυχόντα τὸν ὑπαίτιον, ὅ τι ἂν τοῖς πλείοσι δικασταῖς δόξῃ, τοῦτο παθεῖν.
For he said it was tyrannical and violent, what he was now attempting to bring about, that the same person should be accuser, judge, and master of the measure of punishment; but that it was democratic for the accused, having obtained a defense in accordance with the laws, to suffer whatever seemed best to the majority of the judges.
§7.36.3πείθεται τούτοις ὁ Σικίννιος μηδὲν ὁρῶν βούλευμα κρεῖττον καὶ παρελθὼν ἔφη· τὴν μὲν σπουδὴν ὁρᾶτε τῶν πατρικίων τὴν εἰς τὰ φονικὰ καὶ βίαια ἔργα, ὦ δημόται, ὡς ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς αὐθάδους ὅλην ἀδικοῦντος τὴν πόλιν ἧττον τίθενται τὸ πλῆθος τὸ ὑμέτερον.
Sicinius, seeing no better plan, was persuaded by these suggestions and, coming forward, said: "You see, plebeians, the eagerness of the patricians for deeds of slaughter and violence, how they value your multitude less than one arrogant man who is doing injustice to the whole city.
οὐ μὴν ὁμοίους γʼ αὐτοῖς γίνεσθαι χρὴ καὶ ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ὠθεῖσθαι οὔτʼ ἄρχοντας πολέμου οὔτʼ ἀμυνομένους·
Yet we must not become like them and rush headlong, either as starting a war or as defending ourselves.
ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ πρόφασιν εὐπρεπῆ προβάλλονταί τινες τὸν νόμον, ᾧ βοηθοῦντες αὐτὸν ἀφαιροῦνται τῆς κολάσεως, ὃς οὐκ ἐᾷ τῶν πολιτῶν οὐθένʼ ἀποκτεῖναι ἄκριτον, συγχωρήσωμεν αὐτοῖς τὸ δίκαιον τοῦτο, καίπερ οὐδὲ νόμιμα πάσχοντες οὐδὲ δίκαια ὑπʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ δείξωμεν, ὅτι τοῖς εὐγνώμοσι μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς βιαίοις περιεῖναι τῶν ἀδικούντων ἡμᾶς πολιτῶν βουλόμεθα.
But since some produce as a specious pretext the law which forbids putting any citizen to death without a trial, and by aiding this law are robbing him of punishment, let us grant them this right, although we are receiving neither lawful nor just treatment from them, and let us show that we wish to prevail over the citizens who wrong us by reasonable means rather than by violence.
§7.36.4ὑμεῖς μὲν οὖν ἄπιτε καὶ τὸν μέλλοντα καιρὸν ἐκδέχεσθε οὐ πολὺν ἐσόμενον· ἡμεῖς δὲ παρασκευασάμενοι τὰ κατεπείγοντα προθήσομεν χρόνον τῷ ἀνδρὶ εἰς ἀπολογίαν καὶ τὴν δίκην ἐφʼ ὑμῶν συντελέσομεν.
Do you, therefore, depart and await the coming opportunity, which will not be long in coming; and we, having prepared what is urgent, will appoint a time for the man to make his defense and will complete the trial before you.
ὅταν δὲ γένησθε τῆς ψήφου κατὰ τὸν νόμον κύριοι, τιμήσατε αὐτῷ ἧς ἂν ἄξιον εὕρητε ζημίας.
And when you become masters of the vote according to the law, sentence him to whatever punishment you find him worthy of.
καὶ περὶ μὲν τούτου τοσαῦτα. τῆς δὲ τοῦ σίτου διαπράσεώς τε καὶ διαθέσεως, ἵνʼ ἐκ τοῦ δικαιοτάτου γένηται, εἰ μή τις ἔσται τούτοις καὶ τῇ βουλῇ φροντίς, αὐτοὶ ἐπιμελησόμεθα. ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν διέλυσε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.
So much, then, for this matter; but as for the sale and distribution of the corn, in order that it may be done in the most just manner, if these men and the senate take no thought for it, we ourselves will take care of it." Having said this, he dismissed the assembly.