§7.37.1μετὰ τοῦθʼ οἱ μὲν ὕπατοι συναγαγόντες τὴν βουλὴν ἐσκόπουν ἐφʼ ἡσυχίας, τίς ἂν γένοιτο τῆς παρούσης ταραχῆς λύσις.
After this, the consuls, having assembled the senate, considered in quiet what might be the solution to the present disturbance.
καὶ ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς πρῶτον μὲν ἀποθεραπεῦσαι τοὺς δημότας, εὐώνους πάνυ καὶ λυσιτελεῖς ποιήσαντας αὐτοῖς τὰς ἀγοράς· ἔπειτα πείθειν τοὺς προεστηκότας αὐτῶν χάριτι τῆς βουλῆς παύσασθαι καὶ μὴ παράγειν τὸν Μάρκιον, εἰ δὲ μὴ πείθοιεν εἰς μακροτάτους ἀναβάλλεσθαι χρόνους, ἕως ἂν μαρανθῶσιν αἱ τῶν πολλῶν ὀργαί.
And they resolved, first to conciliate the plebeians by making the provisions in the markets very cheap and advantageous for them; and then, to persuade their leaders, out of favor to the senate, to desist and not to bring Marcius to trial, or, if they could not persuade them, to defer the trial to the longest possible time, until the anger of the multitude should die away.
§7.37.2ταῦτα ψηφισάμενοι τὸ μὲν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀγορᾶς δόγμα εἰς τὸν δῆμον ἐξήνεγκαν καὶ πάντων ἐπαινεσάντων ἐκύρωσαν.
Having decreed this, they brought the decree concerning the market before the people and, since everyone praised it, they ratified it.
ἦν δὲ τοιόνδε· τὰς τιμὰς εἶναι τῶν ὠνίων τῶν πρὸς τὸν καθʼ ἡμέραν βίον, αἵτινες ἐγένοντʼ ἐλάχισται πρὸ τῆς ἐμφυλίου στάσεως.
It was to this effect: that the prices of wares necessary for daily life should be those which were the lowest before the civil discord.
παρὰ δὲ τῶν δημάρχων πολλὰ λιπαρήσαντες τὴν μὲν ὁλοσχερῆ πάρεσιν οὐχ εὕροντο, τὴν δʼ εἰς χρόνον ὅσον ἠξίουν ἀναβολὴν ἔλαβον· αὐτοί τε προσεμηχανήσαντο διατριβὴν ἑτέραν ἀφορμῇ τοιᾷδε χρησάμενοι.
On the part of the tribunes, though they pleaded much, they did not obtain a complete dismissal of the charge, but they did secure a postponement for as much time as they requested; and they themselves devised another delay, using the following occasion.
§7.37.3τοὺς ἐκ Σικελίας ἀποσταλέντας ὑπὸ τοῦ τυράννου πρέσβεις καὶ παρακομίσαντας τῷ δήμῳ τὴν τοῦ σίτου δωρεὰν ἀποπλέοντας οἴκαδε Ἀντιάται πειρατήριον στείλαντες κατήγαγον ἀποσαλεύοντας οὐ πρόσω τῶν λιμένων καὶ τά τε χρήματʼ αὐτῶν ὡς πολεμίων δι’ ὠφελείας ἔθεντο, καὶ τὰ σώματα κατακλείσαντες εἶχον ἐν φυλακῇ.
The ambassadors sent from Sicily by the tyrant, who had brought the gift of corn to the people, as they were sailing back home, the Antiates, having sent out a pirate vessel, brought them in while they were riding at anchor not far from the harbors, and both seized their property as booty of war and shut up their persons in custody.
§7.37.4ταῦτα μαθόντες οἱ ὕπατοι ἔξοδον ἐψηφίσαντο ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἀντιάτας, ἐπειδὴ πρεσβευομένοις αὐτοῖς οὐδὲν ἠξίουν τῶν δικαίων ποιεῖν· καὶ ποιησάμενοι τῶν ἐν ἀκμῇ κατάλογον ἐξῄεσαν ἀμφότεροι, ψήφισμα κυρώσαντες ὑπὲρ ἀναβολῆς τῶν τʼ ἰδίων καὶ τῶν δημοσίων δικῶν, ὅσον ἂν χρόνον ὦσιν ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις.
Learning of this, the consuls voted for an expedition against the Antiates, since they, when ambassadors were sent to them, did not think fit to do any justice; and having made a levy of those in the prime of youth, they both marched out, after ratifying a decree for the postponement of both private and public suits for as long a time as they should be in arms.
§7.37.5ἐγένετο δʼ οὗτος οὐχ ὅσον ὑπέλαβον, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ ἐλάττων.
But this period proved not so long as they expected, but much shorter.
οἱ γὰρ Ἀντιάται μαθόντες ἐξεστρατευμένους πανδημεὶ Ῥωμαίους οὐδὲ τὸν ἐλάχιστον ἀντέσχον χρόνον, δεόμενοι δὲ καὶ λιπαροῦντες τά τε σώματα τῶν ἁλόντων Σικελιωτῶν ἀπέδοσαν καὶ τὰ χρήματα, ὥστʼ ἠναγκάσθησαν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀναστρέψαι.
For the Antiates, learning that the Romans had marched out in full force, did not hold out even the shortest time, but begging and entreating, they restored both the persons of the captured Sicilians and their property, so that the Romans were obliged to return to the city.