§8.24.1ἀρχέτω δʼ ὁ περὶ τῶν δικαίων λόγος.
Let the argument concerning justice begin.
συνέστη τὸ δημοτικὸν ἐπὶ σοὶ παροξυνθὲν ὑπὸ τῶν δημάρχων, καὶ ἧκον ὡς ἀποκτενοῦντές σε ἄκριτον, οἷς φοβερὸς ἦσθα.
The plebeians, incited by the tribunes, banded together against you, and came intending to put you to death without trial, to whom you were an object of fear.
τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον ἐκωλύσαμεν ἡμεῖς οἱ ἐκ τοῦ συνεδρίου καὶ παρέσχομέν σοι μηθέν, ὃ μὴ δίκαιον ἦν τότε παθεῖν.
This deed we, the members of the senate, prevented, and we ensured that you suffered nothing which it was not just for you to suffer at that time.
μετὰ τοῦτο προὐκαλοῦντό σε οἱ κωλυθέντες ἀνελεῖν ἐπὶ δίκην, αἰτιασάμενοι πονηροὺς κατʼ αὐτῶν εἰπεῖν ἐν τῇ βουλῇ λόγους.
After this, those who had been prevented from putting you to death summoned you to trial, accusing you of having spoken harmful words against them in the senate.
§8.24.2ἐνέστημεν καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο, ὡς οἶσθα, καὶ οὐκ ἐπετρέψαμεν οὔτε γνώμης οὔτε λόγων ὑποσχεῖν σε δίκας.
We opposed this as well, as you know, and did not permit you to submit to trial either for your opinion or for your words.
ἀποτυχόντες καὶ τούτου τελευτῶντες ἧκον ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς αἰτιώμενοί σε τυραννίδι ἐπιχειρεῖν.
Having failed in this too, they finally came to us, accusing you of aiming at a tyranny.
ταύτην αὐτὸς ὑπέμεινας ἀπολογήσασθαι τὴν αἰτίαν, ἐπειδὴ πάμπολυ ἀπεῖχες αὐτῆς, καὶ παρέσχες τοῖς δημοτικοῖς περὶ σεαυτοῦ τὴν ψῆφον ἀναλαβεῖν.
You yourself undertook to make your defense against this charge, since you were very far removed from it, and you permitted the plebeians to cast their votes concerning you.
§8.24.3ἡ βουλὴ δὲ καὶ τότε παρῆν καὶ πολλὰς ἐποιεῖτο δεήσεις περὶ σοῦ.
And the senate also was present then and made many entreaties on your behalf.
τίνος οὖν ἡμεῖς οἱ πατρίκιοι τῶν συμβεβηκότων σοι κακῶν γεγόναμεν αἴτιοι, καὶ διὰ τί πολεμεῖς ἡμῖν τοσαύτην εὔνοιαν ἀποδειξαμένοις περὶ σὲ κατὰ τὸν τότε ἀγῶνα;
Of which of the evils that have befallen you, then, have we patricians been the cause, and why do you make war on us who showed such great goodwill toward you during that struggle?
ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ τὸ δημοτικὸν ἅπαν ἐξελασθῆναί σε βουλόμενον εὑρέθη· δυσὶ γοῦν ψήφοις ἑάλως μόναις, ὥστʼ οὐδὲ τούτοις ἂν εἴης σὺν δίκῃ πολέμιος, οἵ σε ὡς οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦντα ἀπέλυσαν.
Moreover, not even the whole body of the plebeians was found to desire your banishment; indeed, you were convicted by only two votes, so that you would not justly be an enemy even to those who acquitted you on the ground that you did no wrong.
§8.24.4τίθημι δʼ, εἰ βούλει, πᾶσι μὲν τοῖς δημόταις δόξαν, ὅλῃ δὲ τῇ βουλῇ φανὲν ταύτῃ χρήσασθαί σε τῇ συμφορᾷ, καὶ δίκαιον εἶναί σου τὸ πρὸς ἅπαντας ἡμᾶς μῖσος· ἀλλʼ αἱ γυναῖκές σε, ὦ Μάρκιε, τί δεινὸν εἰργάσαντο, ἀνθʼ ὅτου πολεμεῖς αὐταῖς;
But let us assume, if you wish, that it seemed good to all the plebeians, and appeared proper to the whole senate, that you should suffer this misfortune, and that your hatred against us all is just; yet what dreadful thing, Marcius, did the women do to you, that you make war on them?
ποίαν ἐπενέγκασαι περὶ φυγῆς ψῆφον ἢ τίνας εἰποῦσαι κατὰ σοῦ πονηροὺς λόγους;
What vote did they cast concerning your banishment, or what harmful words did they speak against you?
§8.24.5τί δʼ οἱ παῖδες ἡμῶν δράσαντες ἢ διανοηθέντες ἀδικεῖν περὶ σοῦ κινδυνεύουσιν ὑπὲρ αἰχμαλωσίας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ἃ παθεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰκός, ἐὰν ἡ πόλις ἁλῷ;
And what did our children do or design to do of injustice toward you, that they should run the risk of captivity and the other things which they are likely to suffer if the city is taken?
οὐ τὰ δίκαια διαιτᾷς, ὦ Μάρκιε, καὶ εἰ τοῦτον οἴει δεῖν τὸν τρόπον τὰ ὑπαίτια καὶ ἐχθρὰ μισεῖν, ὥστε μηδὲ τῶν ἀναιτίων φείδεσθαι καὶ φιλίων, οὐκ ἄρα τὰ προσήκοντα ἀνδρὶ ἀγαθῷ §8.24.6φρονεῖς.
You do not judge what is just, Marcius; and if you think you ought to hate the guilty and the hostile in such a manner as not to spare even the guiltless and the friendly, you are not indeed thinking thoughts worthy of a good man.
ἵνα δὲ πάντα ταῦτα ἀφῶ, τί ἂν ἔχοις εἰπεῖν, ὦ πρὸς Διός, εἴ τις ἔροιτό σε, τοὺς δὲ δὴ τάφους τῶν προγόνων τί παθὼν ἀνασκάπτεις καὶ τιμάς, ἃς κομίζονται παρʼ ἀνθρώπων, ἀφαιρῇ;
But to leave all these things aside, what would you have to say, by Zeus, if someone should ask you: 'By what suffering do you dig up the graves of your ancestors, and deprive them of the honors which they receive from men?
θεῶν δὲ βωμοὺς καὶ τεμένη καὶ νεὼς τίνος ἀδικήματος ὀργῇ συλᾷς καὶ κατακαίεις καὶ ἀνατρέπεις καὶ σεβασμῶν οὐκ ἐᾷς τυγχάνειν τῶν νομίμων; τί πρὸς ταῦτα φαίης ἄν;
And because of what wrong, in your anger, do you plunder, burn, and overturn the altars, sacred precincts, and temples of the gods, and not permit them to receive their customary worship?' What would you say to this?
ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ὁρῶ.
For my part, I see nothing.
§8.24.7ταῦτά σοι περί τε ἡμῶν αὐτῶν, ὦ Μάρκιε, τῶν ἐκ τοῦ συνεδρίου καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων πολιτῶν, οὓς ἀπολέσαι προθυμῇ κακὸν οὐδὲν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν πεπονθώς, τάφων τε καὶ ἱερῶν καὶ πόλεως τῆς γειναμένης τε καὶ θρεψαμένης τὰ δίκαια εἰρήσθω.
Let these things have been said in the name of justice, Marcius, concerning ourselves, the members of the senate, and concerning the other citizens whom you are eager to destroy though you have suffered no evil at their hands, and concerning the graves, the temples, and the city which begot and nurtured you.