[6,35] Συναχθείσης δὲ περὶ τούτου βουλῆς, κληθεὶς πρῶτος ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων Τῖτος Λάρκιος, ἀξιώσει τε προὔχειν δοκῶν καὶ φρονῆσαι τὰ δέοντα ἱκανώτατος, προελθὼν ἔλεξεν· Ἐμοί, ὦ βουλή, ἃ μὲν οἱ ἄλλοι δοκοῦσιν εἶναι φοβερὰ καὶ ταχείας δεόμενα βοηθείας, οὔτε φοβερὰ εἶναι δοκεῖ οὔτε πάνυ κατεπείγοντα, πῶς χρὴ τοῖς συμμάχοις ἐπικουρῆσαι ἢ καθ´ ὅν τινα τρόπον τοὺς πολεμίους ἀμύνασθαι· ἃ δ´ οὔτε μέγιστα τῶν κακῶν νομίζουσιν οὔτε ἀναγκαῖα ἐν τῷ παρόντι, ἀμελείᾳ τε αὐτὰ ὡς οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς βλάψοντα παραδόντες ἔχουσι, ταῦτα φοβερώτατά μοι φαίνεται, καὶ εἰ μὴ ταχέως αὐτὰ ἐπιστήσομεν, ἐσχάτης ἀνατροπῆς καὶ συγχύσεως τῶν κοινῶν αἴτια, ἥ τε τῶν δημοτῶν ἀπείθεια τῶν οὐκ ἀξιούντων τὰ ἐπιταττόμενα ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων πράττειν, καὶ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸ ἀνήκοον αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ ἐλευθεριάζον χαλεπότης. οἶμαι δὲ μηδὲν ἡμᾶς δεῖν ἐν τῷ παρόντι σκοπεῖν, εἰ μὴ ὅπως ἐξαιρεθήσεται ταῦτ´ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ μιᾷ πάντες γνώμῃ τὰ κοινὰ πρὸ τῶν ἰδίων αἱρούμενοι πολιτευσόμεθα. ὁμονοοῦσα μὲν γὰρ ἡ τῆς πόλεως δύναμις ἱκανὴ ἔσται καὶ φίλοις ἀσφάλειαν παρασχεῖν καὶ ἐχθροῖς δέος, στασιάζουσα δ´ ὥσπερ νῦν τούτων οὐδέτερον ἂν δύναιτο διαπράξασθαι. θαυμάσαιμι δ´ ἄν, εἰ μὴ καὶ ἑαυτὴν διεργάσαιτο καὶ παράσχοι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς δίχα πόνου τὸ κράτος· ὅ, μὰ τὸν Δία καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους θεούς, οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν οἴομαι τοιαῦτα πολιτευομένων ὑμῶν γενήσεσθαι.

[6,35] The senate having been assembled to consider this business, Titus Larcius, esteemed a man of superior dignity and consummate prudence, was first called upon by the consuls to deliver his opinion. And coming forward, he said: "To me, senators, the things which others regard as terrible and as requiring speedy relief appear neither terrible nor very urgent, I mean, how we are to assist our allies or in what manner repulse our enemies. Whereas the things which they look upon neither as the greatest of evils nor pressing at present, but continue to ignore as not likely to do us any injury, are the very things that appear most terrible to me; and if we do not soon put a stop to them, they will prove to be the causes of the utter overthrow and ruin of the commonwealth. I refer to the disobedience of the plebeians, who refuse to carry out the orders of the consuls, as well as to our own severity (p347) against this disobedient and independent spirit of theirs. It is my opinion, therefore, that we ought to consider nothing else at present than by what means these evils are to be removed from the state and how all of us Romans with one mind are to prefer public to private considerations in the measures we pursue. For the power of the commonwealth when harmonious will be sufficient both to give security to our allies and to inspire fear in our enemies, but when discordant, as at present, it can effect neither. And I should be surprised if it did not even destroy itself and yield the victory to the enemy without any trouble. Yes, by Jupiter and all the other gods, I believe this will soon happen if you continue to pursue such measures.