[6,60] Ἃ δ´ εἰς χαλεπότητα καὶ πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων προστασίαν ὠνείδισέ μοι, μισόδημόν τε καὶ ὀλιγαρχικὸν ἀποκαλῶν, ὅτι τῆς ἀριστοκρατίας περιέχομαι, κοινὰ πάντων ὑμῶν ἐστι κατηγορήματα, ὅσοι οὐκ ἀξιοῦτε κρείττονες ὄντες ὑπὸ χειρόνων ἄρχεσθαι, οὐδ´ ἣν παρελάβετε ἀπὸ τῶν προγόνων πολιτείαν ὑπὸ τῆς κακίστης τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις πολιτειῶν δημοκρατίας ἀφαιρεθῆναι. οὐ γὰρ ἂν οὗτος ὀλιγαρχίαν ὄνομα θῆται τῇ τῶν κρατίστων ἡγεμονίᾳ, καὶ δὴ τὸ πρᾶγμα ὑπὸ τοῦ ὀνόματος διαβληθὲν ἀφανισθήσεται· ἡμεῖς δὲ πολλῷ ἂν δικαιότερον ἐπενέγκαιμεν ὄνειδος καὶ ἀληθέστερον, δημοκοπίαν καὶ τυραννικῶν ἔργων ἐπιθυμίαν. οὐδενὶ γὰρ δὴ ἄδηλον, ὅτι πᾶς τύραννος ἐκ δημοκόλακος φύεται, καὶ ταχεῖα ὁδός ἐστι τοῖς καταδουλοῦσθαι τὰς πόλεις βουλομένοις ἡ διὰ τῶν κακίστων ἄγουσα πολιτῶν ἐπὶ τὰς δυναστείας, οὓς θεραπεύων οὗτος διατετέλεκε καὶ οὐδὲ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος παύεται. εὖ γὰρ ἴστε, ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ἐτόλμησαν οἱ φαῦλοι καὶ ταπεινοὶ τηλικαῦτα ἐξαμαρτεῖν, εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ τοῦ σεμνοῦ καὶ φιλοπόλιδος τούτου ἐξηγέρθησαν, ὡς δὴ ἀκίνδυνον αὐτοῖς τὸ ἔργον ἐσόμενον, καὶ πρὸς τῷ μηδεμίαν ὑποσχεῖν δίκην κρείττονα μοῖραν τῆς προτέρας ἕξοντες. μάθοιτε δ´ ἄν, ὡς ἀληθῆ ἐγὼ ταῦτα λέγω, μνησθέντες, ὅτι δεδιττόμενος ὑμᾶς ὑπὲρ πολέμου καὶ διαλλαγὰς ἀναγκαίας ἀποφαίνων ἅμα ἔφη καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἀγαπήσουσιν οἱ πένητες ἀφεθέντες τῶν χρεῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ βοηθείας δεήσονταί τινος καὶ οὐκ ἀνέξονται ἔτι ὑφ´ ὑμῶν ὡς καὶ πρότερον ἀρχόμενοι· τελευτῶν δ´ ὑμᾶς ἠξίου στέργειν τὰ παρόντα καὶ συγχωρεῖν, ὅ τι ἂν ὁ δῆμος ἐπὶ τῇ καθόδῳ δικαιώσῃ λαβεῖν, μὴ διακρίναντας μήτ´ ἀπὸ καλῶν αἰσχρὰ μήτ´ ἀπὸ δικαίων ἄδικα. τοσαύτης ἄρα αὐθαδείας τὸ ἀνόητον οὗτος ἐμπέπληκε τῆς πόλεως ἀνὴρ πρεσβύτερος καὶ πάσας κεκαρπωμένος τὰς παρ´ ὑμῶν τιμάς. ἆρ´ ἦν σοι ἄξιον, Οὐαλέριε, καθ´ ἑτέρων τὰ μὴ προσόντα ὀνείδη λέγειν τοιαύταις ὄντι κατηγορίαις ἐνόχῳ;

[6,60] "As to my severity and my having acted as the patron of wicked men, with which he has reproached me, calling me an enemy of the people and a champion of oligarchy because I adhere to the (p35) aristocracy, these accusations apply equally to all those among you who, as men of superior worth, think it beneath you to be governed by your inferiors or to allow the form of government you have inherited from your ancestors to be overthrown by the worst of all constitutions, a democracy. For if this man sees fit to call the government of the best men an oligarchy, it does not therefore follow that the thing itself, because it is traduced by that appellation, will be destroyed. But we can bring a much juster and truer reproach against him, that of flattering the people and desiring tyrannical measures; for all the world knows that every tyrant springs from a flatterer of the people and that the direct road for those who wish to enslave their country is that which leads to domination through the favour of the worst citizens — the very ones whom this man has ever courted and does not cease even to this day to court. For you know full well that these vile and low wretches would not have dared to commit such offences, had they not been urged on by this high and mighty man, this lover of his country, and made to believe that the act would be attended with no danger and that not only would they go unpunished, but their lot would even be improved by it. You will be convinced of the truth of what I say if you will recall that, while he was frightening you with a war and showing the necessity of an accommodation, he we are told you at the same time also that the poor would not be contented with an abolition of their debts, but would also call for some assistance, and would (p37) no longer submit to be governed by you as before. And in closing he exhorted you to acquiesce in the present state of affairs and to grant everything the people should think fit to demand as the conditions of their return, without distinguishing whether those demands were honourable or shameful, just or unjust. With so much arrogance has the senseless multitude been inspired by this old man who has enjoyed every honour you could confer upon him. Did it, then, become you, Valerius, to utter against others the reproaches they have not deserved, when you yourself lie open to such accusations?