§7.47.1τοιαῦτα διεξιόντος τοῦ Δεκίου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων δημάρχων ἃ παραλιπεῖν αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖνος ἐδόκει συναγορευσάντων, ἐπειδὴ γνώμας ἔδει τοὺς συνέδρους ἀποφαίνεσθαι, πρῶτοι μὲν οἱ πρεσβύτατοι τῶν ὑπατικῶν καλούμενοι κατὰ τὸν εἰωθότα κόσμον ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων ἀνίσταντο, ἔπειθʼ οἱ τούτων ὑποδεέστεροι κατʼ ἄμφω ταῦτα, τελευταῖοι δʼ οἱ νεώτατοι λόγον μὲν οὐθένα λέγοντες· ἔτι γὰρ ἦν διʼ αἰσχύνης τότε Ῥωμαίοις τοῦτο, καὶ νέος οὐδεὶς ἠξίου ἑαυτὸν σοφώτερον εἶναι πρεσβύτου· ἐπεκύρουν δὲ τὰς κειμένας ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπατικῶν γνώμας.
While Decius was detailing these matters and the other tribunes were speaking in support of what he seemed to them to have omitted, when it became necessary for the senators to declare their opinions, first the eldest of the consulars, being called upon by the consuls according to the customary order, stood up, and then those who were inferior to them in both of these respects, and finally the youngest, though they made no speech; for this was still a matter of shame to the Romans of that time, and no young man deemed himself to be wiser than an elder; rather, they approved the opinions laid down by the consulars.
§7.47.2ἅπασι δὲ προσετάττετο παριοῦσι καθάπερ ἐν δικαστηρίῳ μεθʼ ὅρκου τὴν ψῆφον ἐπιφέρειν.
And it was enjoined upon all who came forward to cast their vote under oath, just as in a court of justice.
Ἄππιος μὲν οὖν Κλαύδιος, ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ πρότερον ἔφην, ὅτι μισοδημότατος ἦν τῶν πατρικίων καὶ οὐδέποτε ταῖς πρὸς τὸ δημοτικὸν ἠρέσκετο διαλλαγαῖς, οὐκ εἴα γενέσθαι τὸ προβούλευμα τοιούτοις λόγοις χρώμενος.
Now Appius Claudius, of whom I have said before that he was the greatest enemy of the people among the patricians and was never pleased with reconciliations with the plebeians, would not permit the preliminary decree to be passed, using words such as these: