§8.74.1ταύτην εἰσηγησαμένου τὴν γνώμην Ἀππίου καὶ σφόδρα δόξαντος εὐδοκιμεῖν δεύτερος ἐρωτηθεὶς Αὖλος Σεμπρώνιος Ἀτρατῖνος ἔλεξεν· Ἄππιον μὲν οὐ νῦν ἔχω πρῶτον ἐπαινεῖν, ὡς φρονῆσαί τε ἱκανώτατον πρὸ πολλοῦ τὰ μέλλοντα καὶ γνώμας τὰς καλλίστας τε καὶ ὠφελιμωτάτας ἀποδεικνύμενον βέβαιόν τε καὶ ἀμετακίνητον ἐν τοῖς κριθεῖσι καὶ οὔτε φόβῳ εἴκοντα οὔτε χάρισιν ὑποκατακλινόμενον.
When Appius had proposed this opinion and seemed to have won great approval, Aulus Sempronius Atratinus, being the second to be asked his opinion, spoke as follows: "I do not now for the first time praise Appius, as one most capable of foreseeing future events long in advance, and as one who declares the finest and most useful opinions, remaining firm and immovable in his decisions, neither yielding to fear nor giving way to favors.
ἀεὶ γὰρ ἐπαινῶν αὐτὸν καὶ θαυμάζων διατελῶ τοῦ τε φρονίμου καὶ τῆς γενναιότητος, ἣν παρὰ τὰ δεινὰ ἔχει.
For I constantly praise and admire him for his wisdom and the nobility which he shows in the face of dangers.
γνώμην τʼ οὐχ ἑτέραν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ταύτην ἀποδείκνυμαι, μικρὰ ἔτι προσθεὶς αὐτῇ, ἅ μοι παραλιπεῖν Ἄππιος ἐδόκει.
And I myself declare not a different opinion, but this very same one, adding a few things to it which Appius seemed to me to have omitted.
§8.74.2Ἕρνικας μὲν γὰρ καὶ Λατίνους, οἷς νεωστὶ δεδώκαμεν τὴν ἰσοπολιτείαν, οὐδʼ αὐτὸς οἶμαι δεῖν κληρουχεῖν τὰ ἡμέτερα.
For as to the Hernicians and Latins, to whom we have recently granted equal citizenship, I myself do not think we ought to distribute our lands to them.
οὐ γάρ, ἐξ οὗ προσῆλθον εἰς τὴν φιλίαν ἡμῖν, ταύτην τὴν γῆν κτησάμενοι ἔχομεν, ἀλλὰ παλαίτερον ἔτι τοῖς ἑαυτῶν κινδύνοις οὐθενὸς ἄλλου προσωφελήσαντος ἀφελόμενοι τοὺς ἐχθρούς.
For we do not hold this land having acquired it since they entered into friendship with us, but even earlier, at our own risk, when no one else assisted us, we took it from our enemies.
ἀποκρινώμεθά τʼ αὐτοῖς, ὅτι τὰς μὲν πρότερον ὑπαρχούσας ἡμῖν κτήσεις, ὅσας ἕκαστοι εἴχομεν, ὅτε τὴν φιλίαν συνετιθέμεθα, ἰδίας τε καὶ ἀναφαιρέτους ἑκάστοις δεῖ μένειν, ὅσων δʼ ἄν, ἀφʼ οὗ τὰς συνθήκας ἐποιησάμεθα, κοινῇ στρατεύσαντες ἐκ πολέμου κύριοι γενώμεθα, τούτων ὑπάρξει τὸ ἐπιβάλλον ἑκάστοις λάχος.
Let us answer them, therefore, that our former possessions, as many as each of us had when we concluded the friendship, must remain private and inalienable to each, but of whatever lands we may become masters from war by joint campaigns since we made the treaty, of these there shall be the falling share to each.
§8.74.3ταῦτα γὰρ οὔτε τοῖς συμμάχοις ὡς ἀδικουμένοις ὀργῆς παρέξει δικαίας προφάσεις, οὔτε τῷ δήμῳ δέος, μὴ δόξῃ τὰ κερδαλεώτερα πρὸ τῶν εὐπρεπεστέρων αἱρεῖσθαι.
For this will neither provide the allies with just excuses for anger as though they were being wronged, nor will it give the people fear lest they should seem to choose the more profitable things before the more honorable.
τῇ τε αἱρέσει τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οὓς Ἄππιος ἠξίου ὁριστὰς γενέσθαι τῆς δημοσίας γῆς, πάνυ εὐδοκῶ.
And as to the selection of the men whom Appius demanded to be boundary-markers of the public land, I entirely approve.
πολλὴν γὰρ ἡμῖν τοῦτʼ οἴσει παρρησίαν πρὸς τοὺς δημοτικούς, ἐπεὶ νῦν γʼ ἄχθονται κατʼ ἀμφότερα, καὶ ὅτι αὐτοὶ τῶν δημοσίων οὐθὲν ἀπολαύουσι κτημάτων, καὶ ὅτι ἐξ ἡμῶν τινες οὐ δικαίως αὐτὰ καρποῦνται.
For this will bring us great frankness towards the plebeians, since now indeed they are vexed on both accounts: both because they themselves enjoy none of the public possessions, and because some of us enjoy them unjustly.
ἐὰν δὲ δημοσιωθέντα ἴδωσι καὶ τὰς ἀπʼ αὐτῶν προσόδους εἰς τὰ κοινὰ καὶ ἀναγκαῖα δαπανωμένας, οὐδὲν ὑπολήψονται σφίσι διαφέρειν τῆς γῆς ἢ τῶν ἐξ αὐτῆς καρπῶν μετέχειν.
But if they see these lands made public and the revenues from them spent on common and necessary purposes, they will suppose it makes no difference to them whether they have a share in the land or in the fruits from it.
§8.74.4ἐῶ γὰρ λέγειν, ὅτι τῶν ἀπόρων ἐνίους μᾶλλον εὐφραίνουσιν αἱ ἀλλότριαι βλάβαι τῶν ἰδίων ὠφελειῶν.
For I refrain from saying that some of the poor are more delighted by the losses of others than by their own benefits.
οὐ μὴν ἀποχρῆν γʼ οἴομαι τούτων ἑκάτερον ἐν τῷ ψηφίσματι γράφειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διʼ ἄλλης τινὸς οἴομαι δεῖν θεραπείας μετρίας τὸν δῆμον οἰκειώσασθαί τε καὶ ἀναλαβεῖν· ἣν μετὰ μικρὸν ἐρῶ, τὴν αἰτίαν πρῶτον ὑμῖν ἀποδειξάμενος, μᾶλλον δὲ τὴν ἀνάγκην, διʼ ἣν καὶ τοῦτο πρακτέον ἡμῖν.
However, I do not think it is sufficient to write each of these two things in the decree, but I think we must also conciliate and recover the people by some other moderate care, which I shall tell you after a moment, having first demonstrated to you the cause, or rather the necessity, on account of which this too must be done by us."