[4,84] Τοιαῦτα τοῦ Βρούτου δημηγοροῦντος ἀναβοήσεις τε συνεχεῖς ἐφ´ ἑκάστῳ τῶν λεγομένων ἐκ τοῦ πλήθους ἐγίνοντο διασημαίνουσαι τὸ βουλόμενόν τε καὶ ἐπικελευόμενον, τοῖς δὲ πλείοσιν αὐτῶν καὶ δάκρυα ὑφ´ ἡδονῆς ἔρρει θαυμαστῶν καὶ ἀπροσδοκήτων ἀκούουσι λόγων· πάθη τε ποικίλα τὴν ἑκάστου ψυχὴν κατελάμβανεν οὐδὲν ἀλλήλοις ἐοικότα· λύπαι τε γὰρ ἡδοναῖς ἐκέκραντο, αἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τοῖς προγεγονόσι δεινοῖς, αἱ δ´ ἐπὶ τοῖς προσδοκωμένοις ἀγαθοῖς, καὶ θυμοὶ συνεξέπιπτον φόβοις, οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ κακῶς δράσαι τὰ μισούμενα τῆς ἀσφαλείας ὑπερορᾶν ἐπαίροντες, οἱ δὲ κατὰ λογισμὸν τοῦ μὴ ῥᾳδίαν εἶναι τὴν καθαίρεσιν τῆς τυραννίδος ὄκνον ταῖς ἐπιβολαῖς ἐπιφέροντες. ἐπεὶ δ´ ἐπαύσατο λέγων, ὥσπερ ἐξ ἑνὸς στόματος ἅπαντες τὴν αὐτὴν φωνὴν ἀνέκραγον ἄγειν σφᾶς ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα. καὶ ὁ Βροῦτος ἡσθείς, Ἐάν γε πρότερον, ἔφη, τὰ δόξαντα τῷ συνεδρίῳ μαθόντες ἐπικυρώσητε {τὸ δοχθέν.} δέδοκται γὰρ ἡμῖν φεύγειν Ταρκυνίους πόλιν τε τὴν Ῥωμαίων καὶ χώραν, ὅσης ἄρχουσι Ῥωμαῖοι, καὶ γένος τὸ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἅπαν· καὶ μηδενὶ ἐξεῖναι περὶ καθόδου Ταρκυνίων μήτε πράττειν μηδὲν μήτε λέγειν, ἐὰν δέ τις παρὰ ταῦτα ποιῶν εὑρίσκηται τεθνάναι. ταύτην εἰ βουλομένοις ὑμῖν ἐστι τὴν γνώμην εἶναι κυρίαν, διαστάντες κατὰ τὰς φράτρας ψῆφον ἐπενέγκατε, καὶ τοῦθ´ ὑμῖν πρῶτον ἀρξάτω τὸ δικαίωμα τῆς ἐλευθερίας. Ἐγίνετο ταῦτα· καὶ ἐπειδὴ πᾶσαι τὴν φυγὴν τῶν τυράννων αἱ φρᾶτραι κατεψηφίσαντο, παρελθὼν πάλιν ὁ Βροῦτος λέγει· Ἐπειδὴ τὰ πρῶτα ἡμῖν κεκύρωται κατὰ τὸ δέον, ἀκούσατε καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ὅσα βεβουλεύμεθα περὶ τῆς πολιτείας. ἡμῖν σκοπουμένοις, τίς ἀρχὴ γενήσεται τῶν κοινῶν κυρία, βασιλείαν μὲν οὐκέτι καταστήσασθαι δοκεῖ, ἄρχοντας δὲ δύο καθ´ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν ἀποδεικνύναι βασιλικὴν ἕξοντας ἐξουσίαν, οὓς ἂν ὑμεῖς ἐν ἀρχαιρεσίαις ἀποδείξητε ψῆφον ἐπιφέροντες κατὰ λόχους. εἰ δὴ καὶ ταῦτα βουλομένοις ἐστὶν ὑμῖν, ἐπιψηφίσατε. Ἐπῄνει καὶ ταύτην τὴν γνώμην ὁ δῆμος, καὶ ψῆφος οὐδεμία ἐγένετο ἐναντία. μετὰ τοῦτο παρελθὼν ὁ Βροῦτος ἀποδείκνυσι μεσοβασιλέα τὸν ἐπιμελησόμενον τῶν ἀρχαιρεσιῶν κατὰ τοὺς πατρίους νόμους Σπόριον Λουκρήτιον· κἀκεῖνος ἀπολύσας τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐκέλευσεν ἅπαντας ἥκειν εἰς τὸ πεδίον, ἔνθα σύνηθες αὐτοῖς ἦν ἀρχαιρεσιάζειν, ἔχοντας τὰ ὅπλα ἐν τάχει. ἀφικομένων δ´ αὐτῶν ἄνδρας αἱρεῖται δύο τοὺς πράξοντας ὅσα τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἐξῆν, Βροῦτόν τε καὶ Κολλατῖνον· καὶ ὁ δῆμος καλούμενος κατὰ λόχους ἐπεκύρωσε τοῖς ἀνδράσι τὴν ἀρχήν. καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ πόλιν ἐν τῷ τότε χρόνῳ πραχθέντα τοιαῦτ´ ἦν.

[4,84] While Brutus was thus addressing the people everything he said was received by them with continual acclamations signifying both their approval and their encouragement. Most of them even wept with pleasure at hearing these wonderful and unexpected words, and various emotions, in no wise resembling one another, affected the mind of each of his hearers. For pain was mingled with pleasure, the former arising from the terrible experiences that were past and the latter from the blessings that were anticipated; and anger went hand in hand with fear, the former encouraging them to despise their own safety in order to injure the objects of their hatred, while the latter, occasioned by the thought of the difficulty of overthrowing the tyranny, inspired them with reluctance toward the enterprise. But when he had done speaking, they all cried out, as from a single mouth, to lead them to arms. Then Brutus, pleased at this, said: "On this condition, that you first hear the resolution of the senate and confirm it. For we have resolved that the Tarquinii and all their posterity shall be banished both from the city of Rome and from all the territory ruled by the Romans; that no one shall be permitted to say or do anything about their restoration; and that if anyone shall be found to be working contrary to these decisions he shall be put to death. If it is your pleasure that this resolution be confirmed, divide yourselves into (p525) your curiae and give your votes; and let the enjoyment of this right be the beginning of your liberty." This was done; and all the curiae having given their votes for the banishment of the tyrants, Brutus again came forward and said: "Now that our first measures have been confirmed in the manner required, hear also what we have further resolved concerning the form of our government. It was our decision, upon considering what magistracy should be in control of affairs, not to establish the kingship again, but to appoint two annual magistrates to hold the royal power, these men to be whomever you yourselves shall choose in the comitia, voting by centuries. If, therefore, this also is your pleasure, give your votes to that effect." The people approved of this resolution likewise, not a single vote being given against it. After that, Brutus, coming forward, appointed Spurius Lucretius as interrex to preside over the comitia for the election of magistrates, according to ancestral custom. And he, dismissing the assembly, ordered all the people to go promptly in arms to the field where it was their custom to elect their magistrates. When they were come thither, he chose two men to perform the functions which had belonged to the kings — Brutus and Collatinus; and the people, being called by centuries, confirmed their appointment. Such were the measures taken in the city at that time.