§7.62.1ὡς δὲ παρέλαβεν ὁ Μάρκιος τὸν λόγον, ἀρξάμενος ἄνωθεν ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης ἡλικίας διῆλθεν, ὅσας ἐστρατευμένος ἦν ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως στρατείας, καὶ ὅσους εἰληφὼς ἐπινικίους παρὰ τῶν στρατηγῶν στεφάνους πολεμίων τε τοὺς ληφθέντας αἰχμαλώτους ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ πολιτῶν τοὺς διασωθέντας ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι·
When Marcius took the floor, beginning from his earliest youth and going forward, he related how many campaigns he had served for the state, how many triumphal crowns he had received from the generals, and those of the enemies who had been taken prisoner by him, as well as those of the citizens who had been saved in the battles.
καὶ παρʼ ἕκαστον τῶν λεγομένων τά τʼ ἀριστεῖα ἐπεδείκνυτο καὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς μάρτυρας παρείχετο καὶ τῶν πολιτῶν τοὺς διασωθέντας ἐξ ὀνόματος ἐκάλει.
At each of the points mentioned, he displayed his rewards for valor, produced the generals as witnesses, and called by name those of the citizens who had been saved.
§7.62.2οἱ δὲ παρῄεσαν ὀλοφυρόμενοι καὶ δεόμενοι τῶν πολιτῶν, μὴ τὸν αἴτιον σφίσι τῆς σωτηρίας ὡς πολέμιον ἀπολέσαι, μίαν τʼ ἀντὶ πολλῶν ψυχὴν αἰτούμενοι καὶ παραδιδόντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀντʼ ἐκείνου χρῆσθαι, ὅ τι βούλονται.
And they came forward wailing and entreating the citizens not to destroy the author of their safety as an enemy, asking for one life in return for many, and surrendering themselves instead of him to be treated in whatever way they wished.
ἦσαν δʼ οἱ πλείους αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ δημοτικοῦ γένους καὶ πολλὰ τῷ κοινῷ χρήσιμοι· ὧν τάς τʼ ὄψεις καὶ τὰς δεήσεις διʼ αἰσχύνης ὁ δῆμος λαμβάνων εἰς οἴκτους καὶ δάκρυα ἐτράπετο.
Most of them were of the plebeian class and of great usefulness to the commonwealth; at the sight of these men and their entreaties, the people, feeling ashamed, turned to pity and tears.
§7.62.3ὡς δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐσθῆτα ὁ Μάρκιος περιρρηξάμενος ἐπεδείξατο τὰ στέρνα τραυμάτων μεστὰ καὶ πᾶν ἄλλο μέρος τοῦ σώματος ἀνάπλεων τῶν πληγῶν, καὶ ἐπύθετο, εἰ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀνθρώπων ἔργα εἶναι νομίζουσι σώζειν μὲν ἐκ τῶν πολέμων τοὺς πολίτας, ἀπολλύναι δὲ τοὺς σωθέντας ἐν εἰρήνῃ· καὶ εἰ τυραννίδα κατασκευαζόμενός τις τὸ δημοτικὸν ἐλαύνει μέρος ἐκ πόλεως, ὑφʼ οὗ μάλιστʼ αὔξεταί τε καὶ τρέφεται τυραννίς· ἔτι δʼ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ὅσον μὲν ἦν τοῦ δημοτικοῦ μέρους ἐπιεικὲς καὶ φιλόχρηστον ἀπολύειν ἐβόα τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ διʼ αἰσχύνης ἐλάμβανεν, εἰ καὶ δίκην ὑπεῖχε τὴν ἀρχὴν περὶ τοιαύτης αἰτίας ἀνὴρ τοσαυτάκις ὑπεριδὼν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς ἕνεκα τῆς ἁπάντων φυλακῆς.
When Marcius also tore open his clothing and displayed his chest full of wounds and every other part of his body covered with blows, and asked if they thought it was the work of the same men to save citizens from wars, but to destroy those saved in time of peace; and if someone establishing a tyranny expels the plebeian part, by which a tyranny is chiefly increased and nourished; while he was still speaking, all that part of the plebeians which was reasonable and well-disposed shouted to acquit the man, and felt ashamed that a man who had so often disregarded his own life for the preservation of all should even stand trial at all on such a charge.
§7.62.4ὅσοι δʼ ἦσαν φύσει βάσκανοι καὶ μισόχρηστοι καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν εὐκίνητοι στάσιν, ἤχθοντο μὲν ἀπολύειν τὸν ἄνδρα μέλλοντες, οὐκ εἶχον δʼ, ὅ τι ἂν ἄλλο ποιῶσι διὰ τὸ μηδεμίαν εὑρίσκειν ἀφορμὴν τυραννίδος ἐπιθέσεως φαινομένην, ὑπὲρ ἧς τὰς ψήφους ἀνειλήφεσαν.
But those who were by nature malicious and ill-disposed, and easily stirred up to every sedition, were indeed vexed that they were about to acquit the man, but did not know what else to do, because they found no clear pretext of an attempt at tyranny, for which they had taken up their ballots.