§8.75.1ἴστε δήπου τοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ῥηθέντας ὑπὸ τοῦ δημάρχου λόγους, ὅτʼ ἤρετο τῶν ὑπάτων τὸν ἕτερον τοῦτον Οὐεργίνιον, ἥντινα γνώμην ἔχει περὶ τῆς κληρουχίας, πότερα τοῖς μὲν πολίταις συγχωρεῖ διανέμειν τὰ δημόσια, τοῖς δὲ συμμάχοις οὐκ ἐᾷ, ἢ τῶν κοινῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων οὐδʼ ἡμῖν συγχωρεῖ μέρος λαγχάνειν.
You doubtless know the words spoken by the tribune in the assembly, when he asked Verginus, this one of the consuls, what opinion he held concerning the distribution of land, whether he permitted the public lands to be distributed to the citizens while not allowing it to the allies, or did not even permit us to obtain a share of our common possessions.
καὶ οὗτος ὡμολόγησε τὸ καθʼ ἡμᾶς μέρος οὐ κωλύειν τῆς κληρουχίας, ἐὰν ἅπασι ταῦτα κράτιστα εἶναι δοκῇ· καὶ ἡ συγχώρησις ἥδε τούς τε δημάρχους ἐποίησεν ἡμῖν συναγωνιστὰς καὶ τὸν δῆμον ἐπιεικέστερον.
And he agreed that he would not prevent the distribution of land as far as our share was concerned, if this should seem best to all; and this concession made the tribunes our fellow-combatants and the people more moderate.
§8.75.2τί οὖν μαθόντες, ἃ τότε συνεχωρήσαμεν, νῦν ἀναθησόμεθα;
Why, then, having learned what, shall we now retract what we then conceded?
ἢ τί πλέον ἡμῖν ἔσται τὰ γενναῖα καὶ τὰ καλὰ πολιτεύματα καὶ ἄξια τῆς ἡγεμονίας πολιτευομένοις, ἐὰν μὴ πείθωμεν τοὺς χρησομένους;
Or what advantage will it be to us to conduct noble and beautiful policies, worthy of our hegemony, if we do not persuade those who are to use them?
οὐ πείσομεν δέ, καὶ τοῦτʼ οὐδεὶς ὑμῶν ἀγνοεῖ.
And we shall not persuade them, and none of you is ignorant of this.
χαλεπώτερα γὰρ ἂν τῶν μὴ τυγχανόντων ἀποτίσειαν οἱ ψευσθέντες τῆς ἐλπίδος καὶ τὰ ὁμολογηθέντα μὴ κομιζόμενοι.
For those who are deceived in their hope and do not receive what was agreed upon would exact a harsher retribution than those who never obtained them.
οἰχήσεται δὴ πάλιν φέρων αὐτοὺς ὁ τὰ πρὸς ἡδονὴν πολιτευόμενος, καὶ οὐδὲ τῶν δημάρχων τις ἔτι μεθʼ ἡμῶν στήσεται.
Indeed, the politician who acts to please them will once again go off carrying them away, and not even one of the tribunes will stand with us anymore.
§8.75.3τί οὖν ὑμῖν πράττειν παραινῶ καὶ τί προστίθημι τῇ Ἀππίου γνώμῃ, μάθετε, ἀλλὰ μὴ προεξαναστῆτε μηδὲ θορυβήσητε, πρὶν ἅπαντα ἀκούσητε, ἃ λέγω.
Learn, then, what I advise you to do and what I add to the opinion of Appius; but do not rise up beforehand nor make a disturbance before you have heard all that I say.
τοῖς αἱρεθησομένοις ἐπὶ τὴν ἐξέτασιν τῆς χώρας καὶ περιορισμὸν εἴτε δέκα ἀνδράσιν εἴθʼ ὁσοισδήποτʼ ἐπιτρέψατε διαγνῶναι, τίνα τʼ αὐτῆς δεῖ καὶ ὁπόσην κοινὴν εἶναι πάντων καὶ κατὰ πενταετίαν μισθουμένην αὔξειν τὰς τοῦ ταμιείου προσόδους· ὁπόσην τʼ αὖ καὶ ἥντινα τοῖς δημόταις ἡμῶν διαιρεθῆναι· ἣν δʼ ἂν ἐκεῖνοι κληροῦχον ἀποδείξωσι γῆν, ὑμᾶς διαγνόντας εἴθʼ ἅπασιν εἴθʼ οἷς δὴ οὐκέτʼ ἔστι κλῆρος εἴτε τοῖς ἐλάχιστον ἔχουσι τίμημα εἴθʼ ὅπως ἂν βούλησθε κατανεῖμαι· τοὺς δʼ ὁριστὰς αὐτῆς ἄνδρας καὶ τὸ ὑμέτερον ψήφισμα, ὃ περὶ τῆς κληρουχίας ἐξοίσετε, καὶ τἆλλα, ὅσα δεῖ γενέσθαι, ἐπειδὴ βραχὺς ὁ λειπόμενός ἐστι τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῖς ὑπάτοις χρόνος, τοὺς εἰσιόντας ὑπάτους, ὡς ἂν αὐτοῖς κράτιστα δοκῇ ἕξειν, ἐπιτελέσαι.
Commit to those who shall be chosen for the examination and bounding of the land, whether ten men or however many, to determine: what part of it and how much ought to be common to all and, being leased every five years, to increase the revenues of the treasury; and again, how much and what part ought to be distributed to our plebeians; and as for whatever land they may designate for distribution, that you, after deciding, should distribute it either to all, or to those who no longer have an allotment, or to those who have the smallest property assessment, or in whatever way you wish; and that, since the remaining time of office for the consuls is short, the incoming consuls should carry out, in such a way as seems best to them, the appointment of the markers of this land, your decree which you shall bring forward concerning the distribution, and all other things that must be done.
§8.75.4οὔτε γὰρ ὀλίγων τηλικαῦτα πράγματα δεῖται χρόνων, οὔτε ἡ νῦν στασιάζουσα ἀρχὴ φρονιμώτερον ἂν καταμάθοι τὰ συμφέροντα τῆς μετʼ αὐτὴν ἀποδειχθησομένης, ἐὰν ἐκείνη γʼ, ὥσπερ ἐλπίζομεν, ὁμονοῇ.
For such great matters do not require a short time, nor would the present magistrates, who are at variance, understand the public interest more wisely than those who shall be appointed after them, if indeed the latter, as we hope, are of one mind.
χρήσιμον δὲ πρᾶγμα ἐν πολλοῖς καὶ ἥκιστα σφαλερὸν ἀναβολή, καὶ πολλὰ ὁ χρόνος ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ μετατίθησι· καὶ τὸ μὴ στασιάζον ἐν τοῖς προεστηκόσι τῶν κοινῶν ἁπάντων ἀγαθῶν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν αἴτιον.
And delay is a useful thing in many matters and least dangerous, and time changes many things in a single day; and the absence of faction among those who govern is the cause of all good things in states.
ἐγὼ μὲν δὴ ταύτην ἀποφαίνομαι γνώμην· εἰ δέ τις ἄλλο κρεῖττον εἰσηγεῖται, λεγέτω.
I, then, declare this opinion; and if anyone else proposes anything better, let him speak.