[4,78] Τὰ δὲ κοινά, ὑπὲρ ὧν ὑμᾶς εἰς ἐκκλησίαν συνεκάλεσα, ταῦτ´ ἐστί. Ταρκύνιον οὔτε κατὰ τοὺς πατρίους ἡμῶν ἐθισμοὺς καὶ νόμους τὴν δυναστείαν κατασχόντα οὔτ´, ἐπειδὴ κατέσχεν ὅπως δή ποτε λαβών, καλῶς αὐτῇ καὶ βασιλικῶς χρώμενον, ἀλλ´ ὑπερβεβληκότα πάντας ὕβρει τε καὶ παρανομίᾳ τοὺς ὅπου δή ποτε γενομένους τυράννους, ἀφελέσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν βεβουλεύμεθα συνελθόντες οἱ πατρίκιοι, πάλαι μὲν δέον, ἐν καιρῷ δὲ νῦν αὐτὸ ποιοῦντες ἐπιτηδείῳ, ὑμᾶς τ´, ὦ δημόται, συνεκαλέσαμεν, ἵνα τὴν προαίρεσιν ἀποδειξάμενοι τὴν ἑαυτῶν συναγωνιστὰς ἀξιώσωμεν ἡμῖν γενέσθαι, πράττοντας ἐλευθερίαν τῇ πατρίδι, ἧς οὔτε πρότερον ἡμῖν ἐξεγένετο μεταλαβεῖν, ἐξ οὗ Ταρκύνιος τὴν ἀρχὴν κατέσχεν, οὔθ´ ὕστερον, ἐὰν νῦν μαλακισθῶμεν, ἐξέσται. εἰ μὲν οὖν χρόνον εἶχον, ὅσον ἐβουλόμην, ἢ πρὸς ἀγνοοῦντας ἔμελλον λέγειν, ἁπάσας διεξῆλθον ἂν τὰς τοῦ τυράννου παρανομίας, ἐφ´ αἷς οὐχ ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ἅπασιν εἴη δίκαιος ἀπολωλέναι· ἐπειδὴ δ´ ὅ τε καιρός, ὃν τὰ πράγματά μοι δίδωσι, βραχύς, ἐν ᾧ λέγειν μὲν ὀλίγα δεῖ, πράττειν δὲ πολλά, καὶ πρὸς εἰδότας οἱ λόγοι, τὰ μέγιστα καὶ φανερώτατα τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐδ´ ἀπολογίας οὐδεμιᾶς δυνάμενα τυχεῖν, ταῦθ´ ὑμᾶς ὑπομνήσω.

[4,78] (p507) "The state of public affairs, because of which I have called you together, is this: Inasmuch as Tarquinius neither obtained the sovereignty in accordance with our ancestral customs and laws, nor, since he obtained it — in whatever manner he got it — has he been exercising it in an honourable or kingly manner, but has surpassed in insolence and lawlessness all the tyrants the world ever saw, we patricians met together and resolved to deprive him of his power, a thing we ought to have done long ago, but are doing now when a favourable opportunity has offered. And we have called you together, plebeians, in order to declare our own decision and then ask for your assistance in achieving liberty for our country, a blessing which we night have hitherto been able to enjoy since Tarquinius obtained the sovereignty, nor shall hereafter be able to enjoy if we show weakness now. Had I as much time as I could wish, or were I about to speak to men unacquainted with the facts, I should have enumerated all the lawless deeds of the tyrant for which he deserves to die, not once, but many times, at the hands of all. But since the time permitted me by the circumstances is short, and in this brief time there is little that needs to be said but much to be done, and since I am speaking to those who are acquainted with the facts, I shall remind you merely of those of his deeds that are the most heinous and the most conspicuous and do not admit of any excuse.