[7,16] Ἐδικαίουν δ´ οἱ μὲν ὕπατοι τὴν κρείττονα ἔχοντες ἐξουσίαν ἁπάντων ἄρχειν τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, οἱ δὲ δήμαρχοι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἑαυτῶν εἶναι χωρίον ὥσπερ ἐκείνων τὴν βουλήν, καὶ ὁπόσα ἐπὶ τοῖς δημόταις ἦν κρίνειν τε καὶ ψηφίζεσθαι, τούτων αὐτοὶ πᾶν ἔχειν τὸ κράτος. συνηγωνίζετο δὲ τοῖς μὲν ἡ πληθὺς ἐπιβοῶσα καὶ ὁμόσε χωρεῖν, εἰ δέοι, τοῖς κωλύουσι παρεσκευασμένη, τοῖς δ´ ὑπάτοις οἱ πατρίκιοι συστρέψαντες αὑτούς. ἐγίνετο δὲ πολὺς ἀγὼν περὶ τοῦ μὴ εἶξαι ἑκατέροις, ὡς ἐν μιᾷ τῇ τότε ἥττῃ παραχωρουμένης τῆς εἰς τὸν λοιπὸν χρόνον ἑκατέρων δικαιώσεως. ἥλιός τε περὶ καταφορὰν ἦν ἤδη, καὶ συνέτρεχεν ἐκ τῶν οἰκιῶν τὸ ἄλλο πλῆθος εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν, καὶ ἔμελλον, εἰ νὺξ ἐπιλαμβάνοι τὴν ἔριν, εἰς πληγάς τε καὶ λίθων χωρήσειν βολάς. ἵνα δὴ μὴ τοῦτο γένοιτο, προελθὼν ὁ Βροῦτος τοὺς ὑπάτους ἠξίου δοῦναι λόγον αὐτῷ, παύσειν ὑπισχνούμενος τὴν στάσιν. κἀκεῖνοι δόξαντες σφίσι παρακεχωρῆσθαι, ὅτι τῶν δημάρχων παρόντων οὐ παρ´ ἐκείνων ὁ δημαγωγὸς ᾐτήσατο τὴν χάριν, ἐπιτρέπουσιν αὐτῷ λέγειν. σιωπῆς δὲ γενομένης ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν ὁ Βροῦτος εἶπεν, ἠρώτησε δὲ τοὺς ὑπάτους τοιάνδε τινὰ ἐρώτησιν· Ἆρά γ´, ἔφη, μέμνησθ´, ὅτι διαλυομένοις ἡμῖν τὴν στάσιν τοῦτο συνεχωρήθη τὸ δίκαιον ὑφ´ ὑμῶν, ὅταν οἱ δήμαρχοι συναγάγωσι τὸν δῆμον ὑπὲρ ὁτουδήτινος, μὴ παρεῖναι τῇ συνόδῳ τοὺς πατρικίους μηδ´ ἐνοχλεῖν; Μεμνήμεθ´, ἔφησεν ὁ Γεγάνιος. καὶ ὁ Βροῦτος ὑποφέρει· Τί οὖν παθόντες ἐμποδὼν ἵστασθ´ ἡμῖν καὶ οὐκ ἐᾶτε τοὺς δημάρχους ἃ βούλονται λέγειν; ἀποκρίνεται πρὸς ταῦθ´ ὁ Γεγάνιος· Ὅτι οὐκ αὐτοὶ συνεκάλεσαν τὸν δῆμον εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἀλλ´ ἡμεῖς οἱ ὕπατοι. εἰ μὲν οὖν ὑπὸ τούτων ἡ σύνοδος ἐγένετο, οὐθὲν ἂν ἠξιοῦμεν οὔτε κωλύειν οὔτε πολυπραγμονεῖν· ἐπειδὴ δ´ ἡμεῖς συνηγάγομεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, οὐχὶ τούτους ἀγορεύειν κωλύομεν, ἀλλ´ ὑπὸ τούτων αὐτοὶ κωλύεσθαι οὐ δικαιοῦμεν. καὶ ὁ Βροῦτος ὑποτυχών· Νικῶμεν, ἔφησεν, ὦ δημόται, καὶ παρακεχώρηται ἡμῖν ὑπὸ τῶν διαφόρων ὅσα ἠξιοῦμεν. νῦν μὲν οὖν ἄπιτε καὶ παύσασθε φιλονεικοῦντες· αὔριον δ´ ὑμῖν ὑπισχνοῦμαι φανερὰν ποιήσειν ὅσην ἔχετε ἰσχύν. καὶ ὑμεῖς γ´, ὦ δήμαρχοι, παραχωρήσατε αὐτοῖς τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἐν τῷ παρόντι· οὐ γὰρ εἰς τέλος παραχωρήσετε· μαθόντες δ´ ὅσον ἔχει κράτος ὑμῶν ἡ ἀρχή· γνώσεσθε γὰρ οὐκ εἰς μακράν· ἐγὼ τοῦθ´ ὑμῖν ὑποδέχομαι ποιήσειν φανερόν· μετριωτέραν αὐτῶν ἀποδώσετε τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν. ἐὰν δὲ φενακίζων ὑμᾶς εὑρεθῶ, χρήσασθ´ ὅ τι βούλεσθέ μοι.

[7,16] The consuls thought it reasonable that, as they had the superior power, they should have the command of everything in the city, while the tribunes insisted that the assembly of the people was their particular sphere, as the senate was that of the consuls, and that whatever the people had the authority to judge and determine was subject to their power alone. The populace supported the tribunes, shouting their approval and being prepared, if necessary, to account any who attempted to hinder them, while the patricians rallied to the support of the consuls. And a violent contest ensued, each side insisting not yielding to the other, as if their defeat on this single occasion would mean the giving up of their claims for all time to come. It was now near sunset and the rest of the population were running out of their houses to the Forum; and if night had descended upon their strife, they would have proceeded to blows and the throwing of stones. To prevent this, Brutus came forward and asked the consuls to give him leave to speak, promising to appease the tumult; and they, looking upon this as a yielding to them, since, even though the tribunes were present, this leader of the people had not asked the favour of those magistrates, gave him leave. (p195) Then, when silence reigned, Brutus, instead of making a speech, merely put questions of the following nature to the consuls: "Do you remember," he said, "that when we put an end to the sedition by an accommodation this right was granted to us — that when the tribunes should assemble the people to consider any matter whatever the patricians should not be present at the assembly or create any disturbance there?" "We remember," answered Geganius. Then Brutus added: "What is the matter with you, then, that you oppose us and do not allow the tribunes to say what they please?" To this Geganius replied: "Because it was not the tribunes who assembled the people, but we, the consuls. If, now, the assembly had been called by them, we should not have presumed either to hinder them at all or to interfere; but since we ourselves assembled them, we do not hinder the tribunes from speaking, but we feel that it is not right that we should be hindered by them." Then Brutus said: "We have won, plebeians, and our adversaries have yielded everything to us we desired. For the present, therefore, dap and cease your strife; to-morrow, I promise you, I will show you how great is the strength you possess. And do you, tribunes, yield the Forum to them for the present; for in the end you will not yield it. When you learn how great a power your magistracy is possessed of (for you will have that knowledge soon; I myself undertake to make it clear to you), you will render their arrogance more moderate. But if you find I am imposing upon you, do to me whatever you will."