[6,65] Παυσαμένου δὲ τοῦ Κλαυδίου μεγάλη φωνὴ καὶ θόρυβος ἐξαίσιος ἄχρι πολλοῦ χρόνου κατεῖχε τὸ συνέδριον. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀριστοκρατικοὶ δοκοῦντες εἶναι καὶ τὰ δικαιότερα πρὸ τῶν ἀδίκων οἰόμενοι δεῖν σκοπεῖν τῇ Κλαυδίου γνώμῃ προσετίθεντο καὶ τοὺς ὑπάτους ἠξίουν μάλιστα μὲν τῇ κρείττονι προσχωρῆσαι μερίδι διαλογιζομένους, ὅτι βασιλικὸν ἔχουσι τὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς κράτος, οὐ δημοτικόν· εἰ δὲ μή γε, φυλάττειν αὑτοὺς ἴσους καὶ μὴ κατισχύειν μηδετέραν τῶν στάσεων, διαριθμησαμένους δὲ τὰς γνώμας τῶν συνέδρων ταῖς πλείοσι {γνώμαις} στοιχεῖν. εἰ δὲ τούτων ἀμφοτέρων ὑπεριδόντες αὐτοκράτορας αὑτοὺς ποιήσουσι τῶν διαλύσεων, οὐκ ἐπιτρέψειν αὐτοῖς ἔλεγον, ἀλλ´ ἐναντιώσεσθαι πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ λόγοις τ´ ἄχρις ἂν ἐξῇ, χρώμενοι καὶ ὅπλοις, ὅταν ἀναγκαῖον γένηται· ἦν δὲ τοῦτο στῖφος καρτερὸν καὶ σχεδὸν ἅπασα τῶν πατρικίων ἡ νεότης ταύτης εἴχετο τῆς προαιρέσεως. οἱ δὲ τῆς εἰρήνης ἐπιθυμοῦντες τῇ Μενηνίου τε καὶ Οὐαλερίου γνώμῃ προσέκειντο καὶ μάλιστα οἱ προβεβηκότες ταῖς ἡλικίαις ἐνθυμούμενοι τὰς συμφοράς, ὅσαι καταλαμβάνουσι τὰς πόλεις ἐκ τῶν ἐμφυλίων πολέμων. ἐξηττώμενοι δὲ τῆς κραυγῆς τῶν νέων καὶ τῆς ἀκοσμίας τό τε φιλότιμον αὐτῶν ὑφορώμενοι καὶ τὸν ἐπιπολασμόν, ὃν ἐποιοῦντο κατὰ τῶν ὑπάτων, δεδιότες, ὡς οὐ πρόσω χειροκρασίας ἐλευσόμενον, εἰ μή τις αὐτοῖς εἴξειεν, εἰς δάκρυα καὶ δεήσεις τῶν ἐναντιουμένων τελευτῶντες ἐτράποντο.

[6,65] When Claudius had done speaking, a great clamour and prodigious tumult filled the senate-chamber for a long time. For those who were reputed to be of the aristocratic party and thought they ought to consider the more just course in preference to the unjust concurred in the opinion of Claudius, and asked the consuls preferably to join the better side, considering that the power of the magistracy they held derived from the kings, not from the people; but if they could not do this, then to keep themselves neutral and not bring pressure to bear upon either faction, but after counting the opinions of the senators, to align themselves with the majority. And if they scorned both these courses and themselves assumed the sole power of concluding the accommodation, they said they would not permit it, but would (p51) oppose them with the utmost vigour, with words as far as they could, and, if it should prove necessary, with arms. these were a powerful group, and almost all the young patricians adhered to this policy. But all the lovers of peace espoused the opinion of Menenius and Valerius, particularly those who were advanced in years and remembered all the calamities which come upon states as the result of civil wars. Nevertheless, being overborne by the clamour and disorderly behaviour of the young men and viewing with concern their spirit of rivalry and fearing lest the insolence with which they treated the consuls might come close to violence unless some concession were made to them, they at last had recourse to weeping and entreating their opponents.