§7.63.1τοῦτο καταμαθὼν ὁ Δέκιος ἐκεῖνος, ὁ καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ βουλῇ ποιησάμενος λόγους καὶ τὸ προβούλευμα περὶ τῆς δίκης γραφῆναι παρασκευάσας, ἀνέστη καὶ σιωπὴν γενέσθαι κελεύσας ἔλεξεν· ἐπειδή, ὦ δημόται, τῶν ἐν τῇ βουλῇ λεχθέντων ὑπὸ Μαρκίου λόγων, καὶ τῶν διὰ τούτους ἀκολουθησάντων ἔργων βιαίων τε καὶ ὑπερηφάνων ἀπολύουσιν αὐτὸν οἱ πατρίκιοι καὶ οὐδʼ ἡμῖν ἐπιτρέπουσι κατηγορεῖν, ἀκούσατε, οἷον ὑμῖν ἔργον ἕτερον ἔξω τῶν λόγων ὁ γενναῖος οὗτος ἀνὴρ τυγχάνει διαπεπραγμένος, ὡς αὔθαδες καὶ τυραννικόν, καὶ οἷον ὑμῶν κατέλυσε νόμον αὐτὸς ἰδιώτης ὢν μάθετε. §7.63.2ἴστε δήπου πάντες, ὅτι τὰ ἐκ τῶν πολέμων λάφυρα, ὅσων ἂν ἡμῖν ὑπάρχῃ τυχεῖν διʼ ἀρετήν, δημόσια εἶναι κελεύει ὁ νόμος, καὶ τούτων οὐχ ὅπως τις ἰδιώτης γίνεται κύριος, ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ αὐτὸς ὁ τῆς δυνάμεως ἡγεμών·
When that Decius—the one who had also made the speeches in the senate and had arranged for the preliminary decree concerning the trial to be drawn up—perceived this, he stood up and, having ordered silence, said: "Since, fellow citizens, the patricians acquit Marcius of the words spoken by him in the senate, and of the violent and arrogant deeds that followed because of them, and do not even permit us to accuse him, hear what other deed, apart from his words, this noble man has happened to commit, how arrogant and tyrannical it is, and learn what law of yours he has violated, though he is himself a private citizen." "You all know, of course, that the law commands that the spoils of war, as many as we may happen to obtain through our valor, shall be public property, and that not only no private citizen may become master of these, but not even the commander of the force himself; rather, the quaestor, taking them over, sells them and brings the money into the public treasury.
ὁ δὲ ταμίας αὐτὰ παραλαβὼν ἀπεμπολᾷ καὶ εἰς τὸ δημόσιον ἀναφέρει τὰ χρήματα· καὶ τοῦτον τὸν νόμον, ἐξ οὗ τήνδε οἰκοῦμεν τὴν πόλιν, οὐχ ὅπως κατέλυσέ τις, ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ᾐτιάσατο μὴ οὐχὶ καλῶς ἔχειν·
And this law, ever since we have inhabited this city, no one has ever abolished, nor even complained that it was not well framed.
ἀλλʼ οὗτος ὁ Μάρκιος πρῶτος καὶ μόνος ὑπεριδὼν αὐτοῦ κειμένου καὶ κυρίου ὄντος ἠξίωσε σφετερίσασθαι τὰ κοινὰ ἡμῶν, ὦ δημόται, λάφυρα, πέρυσι καὶ οὐ πάλαι. §7.63.3ποιησαμένων γὰρ ὑμῶν καταδρομὴν τῆς Ἀντιατῶν γῆς καὶ πολλὰ μὲν σώματα, πολλὰ δὲ βοσκήματα, πολὺν δὲ σῖτον, πολλὰ δʼ ἄλλα χρήματα περιβαλομένων οὔτε τῷ ταμίᾳ ταῦτʼ ἀπέδειξεν οὔτʼ αὐτὸς ἀποδόμενος εἰς τὸ δημόσιον ἀνήνεγκε τὸ ἀργύριον, ἀλλὰ διένειμε καὶ κατεχαρίσατο τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ φίλοις ἅπασαν τὴν λείαν·
But this Marcius, being the first and only one to disregard it, though it was established and in force, saw fit to appropriate our common spoils, fellow citizens—last year, and not long ago." "For when you made an incursion into the territory of the Antiates and captured many prisoners, many cattle, much grain, and many other goods, he neither delivered them to the quaestor nor, having sold them himself, brought the money into the public treasury, but distributed and made a present of the entire booty to his own friends.
τοῦτο δὴ τυραννίδος τεκμήριον εἶναι φημὶ τὸ ἔργον·
This deed indeed I declare to be a proof of tyranny.
πῶς γὰρ οὔ; ὃς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ κόλακάς τε καὶ σωματοφύλακας καὶ τῆς μελλούσης τυραννίδος συνεργοὺς ἐκ τῶν δημοσίων εὐηργέτει χρημάτων· §7.63.4καὶ νόμου κατάλυσιν εἶναι φανερὰν ταύτην λέγω.
For how could it not be, when he, from public resources, benefited his own flatterers, bodyguards, and accomplices of his future tyranny?" "And I say that this is a manifest violation of the law.
δυεῖν δὴ θάτερον ἀποφηνάτω παρελθὼν Μάρκιος, ἢ ὡς οὐ διένειμε τὰ λάφυρα τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ φίλοις, ἃ ἔλαβεν ἐκ τῆς πολεμίας, ἢ ὡς ταῦτα ποιῶν οὐ καταλύει τοὺς νόμους·
Let Marcius come forward and show one of two things: either that he did not distribute the spoils to his friends, which he took from the enemy, or that in doing this he did not violate the laws.
ὧν οὐδέτερον ἕξει πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰπεῖν.
He will be able to say neither of these to you.
αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀμφότερα ἴστε, καὶ τὸν νόμον καὶ τὸ ἔργον, καὶ οὐκ ἔνεσθʼ ὑμῖν ἀποψηφισαμένοις αὐτοῦ τὰ δίκαια καὶ τὰ εὔορκα δοκεῖν ἐγνωκέναι.
For you yourselves know both—the law and the deed—and it is not possible for you, if you acquit him, to seem to have decided what is just and in accordance with your oaths.
ἐάσας δὴ τοὺς στεφάνους καὶ τὰ ἀριστεῖα καὶ τὰ τραύματα καὶ τὴν ἄλλην τερατείαν πρὸς ταῦτα λέγε, ὦ Μάρκιε· παραδίδωμι γὰρ ἤδη σοὶ τὸν λόγον.
Therefore, Marcius, leaving aside the crowns, the rewards for valor, the wounds, and your other melodrama, speak to these points; for I now yield the floor to you."