Texte grec :
| [6,88] Ὁ μὲν οὖν δῆμος ὡς τούτων ἤκουσε,
μεγάλῃ βοῇ καὶ μέχρι πολλοῦ κατεχούσῃ τόν τε ἄνδρα
ἐπῄνει, καὶ τοὺς πρεσβευτὰς παρεκάλει συγχωρῆσαι
σφίσι καὶ τοῦτο. οἱ δὲ πρέσβεις μεταστάντες ἐκ τῆς
ἐκκλησίας καὶ διαλεχθέντες ὀλίγα πρὸς ἀλλήλους παρῆσαν
οὐ διὰ μακροῦ. σιωπῆς δὲ γενομένης παρελθὼν
ὁ Μενήνιος εἶπε· Τὸ μὲν πρᾶγμα, ὦ δημόται, μέγα
καὶ πολλῶν μεστὸν ὑποψιῶν ἀτόπων· δέος τε καὶ φροντὶς
ἡμᾶς εἰσέρχεται, μή ποτε δύο πόλεις ποιήσωμεν ἐν
μιᾷ· πλὴν τό γ´ ἐφ´ ἡμῖν εἶναι μέρος οὐδὲ πρὸς ταύτην
ἐναντιούμεθα τὴν δέησιν ὑμῶν. τοῦτο μέντοι
χαρίσασθε ἡμῖν, ὃ καὶ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐστιν· ἐπιτρέψατε
τῶν πρεσβευτῶν τισιν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀφικομένοις δηλῶσαι τῇ
βουλῇ ταῦτα· καὶ γὰρ εἰ τὴν ἐξουσίαν παρ´
αὐτῆς ἔχομεν, ὅπως ἂν βουλώμεθα, ποιήσασθαι τὰς
διαλλαγὰς αὐτοκράτορες ὄντες τῶν ὑποσχέσεων, αὐτοί
γέ τοι λαβεῖν τοῦτ´ οὐ δικαιοῦμεν, ἀλλ´ ἐπειδὴ παρὰ
δόξαν ἡμῖν ἀπήντηται πρᾶγμα καινόν, ἀφελόμενοι τὴν
ἰδίαν ἐξουσίαν τῷ συνεδρίῳ φέροντες ἀναθήσομεν·
πεπείσμεθα μέντοι κἀκείνῳ ταὐτὰ δόξειν ἅπερ ἡμῖν.
ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἐνθάδε μενῶ καὶ σὺν ἐμοί τι μέρος τῆς
πρεσβείας, Οὐαλέριος δὲ πορεύσεται καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ σὺν
αὐτῷ. ἐδόκει ταῦτα· καὶ κατὰ σπουδὴν ἀναβάντες ἐπὶ
τοὺς ἵππους ἤλαυνον εἰς τὴν πόλιν οἱ μέλλοντες δηλώσειν τῇ
βουλῇ τὰ γενόμενα. προθέντων δὲ τῶν
ὑπάτων λόγον τοῖς συνέδροις, Οὐαλερίου μὲν ἦν γνώμη
διδόναι καὶ ταύτην τῷ δήμῳ τὴν χάριν· Ἄππιος δέ,
ὅσπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἠναντιοῦτο ταῖς διαλλαγαῖς, καὶ τότε
ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ ἀντέλεγε βοῶν καὶ θεοὺς ἐπιμαρτυρόμενος
καί, ὅσων μέλλοι σπέρμα κακῶν βαλεῖν, τῇ πολιτείᾳ
προλέγων. ἀλλ´ οὐκ ἔπειθε τοὺς πολλοὺς ὡρμηκότας, ὥσπερ
εἶπον, διαλύσασθαι τὴν στάσιν. γίνεται
δὴ ψήφισμα τῆς βουλῆς, τά τε ἄλλα, ὅσα οἱ πρέσβεις
ὑπέσχοντο τῷ δήμῳ, πάντα εἶναι κύρια, καὶ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν,
ἣν ᾐτεῖτο, ἐπιτρέπειν. ταῦθ´ οἱ πρέσβεις διοικησάμενοι τῇ
κατόπιν ἡμέρᾳ παρῆσαν ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον
καὶ τὰ δόξαντα τῇ βουλῇ διεσάφησαν. μετὰ τοῦτο
Μενηνίου παραινέσαντος τοῖς δημόταις ἀποστεῖλαί τινας
εἰς τὴν πόλιν, οἷς ἡ βουλὴ τὰ πιστὰ δώσει, πέμπεται
Λεύκιος Ἰούνιος Βροῦτος, ὑπὲρ οὗ πρότερον εἴρηκα,
καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ Μάρκος Δέκιος καὶ Σπόριος Ἰκίλιος.
τῶν δὲ παρὰ τῆς βουλῆς ἀφιγμένων οἱ μὲν ἡμίσεις
ἅμα τοῖς περὶ τὸν Βροῦτον εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὑπέστρεψαν,
Ἀγρίππας δὲ μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν κατέμεινεν ἐπὶ τοῦ
στρατοπέδου διαγράψαι παρακληθεὶς τὸν νόμον τοῖς
δημοτικοῖς καθ´ ὃν ἀποδείξουσι τὰς ἀρχάς.
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Traduction française :
| [6,88] When the people heard these words, they cheered Brutus loud and long, and
asked the envoys to grant them this also. These, having withdrawn from the assembly
and conferred briefly, returned after a short time. And when silence prevailed,
Menenius came forward and said: "This is a matter of great moment, plebeians, and
one full of strange suspicions, and we feel some alarm and concern lest we shall form
two states in one. However, so far as we ourselves are concerned, we do not oppose
even this request of yours. But grant us this privilege, which is also for your own
interest. Allow some of the envoys to go to the city and inform the senate of these
matters; for even though we have the power from them to conclude the
accommodation in such a manner as we think fit and may at our own discretion make
such promises in their name as we please, yet we do not think proper to take this
upon ourselves, but since a new matter has been unexpectedly proposed to us, we will
divest ourselves of our own power and refer the matter to the senate. However, we are
persuaded that the senate will be of the same opinion as we are. I, therefore, will
remain here together with some of the other envoys, and Valerius with the rest shall
go to the senate." (p119) This was agreed upon, and the persons appointed to inform
the senate of what had happened took horse and rode in all haste to Rome. When the
consuls had proposed the matter to the senators, Valerius expressed the opinion that
this favour also should be granted to the people. On the other hand, Appius, who
from the first had opposed the accommodation, spoke openly in opposition on this
occasion also, crying out, calling the gods to witness, and foretelling what seeds of
future evils to the commonwealth they were about to sow. But he was not able to
prevail with the majority of the senate, who, as I said, were determined to put an end
to the sedition. Accordingly, a decree of the senate was passed confirming all the
promises made by the envoys to the people and granting the safeguard they desired.
The envoys, having transacted this business, returned to the camp the next day and
made known the decision of the senate. Thereupon Menenius advised the plebeians
to send some persons to receive the pledges which the senate was to give; and
pursuant to this, Lucius Junius Brutus, whom I mentioned before, was sent, and with
him Marcus Decius and Spurius Icilius. Of the envoys who had come from the senate
one half returned to the city with Brutus and his associates; but Agrippa with the rest
remained in the camp, having been asked by the plebeians to draw up the law for the
creation of their magistrates.
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