[7,36] Κατιδὼν δ´ αὐτὸν ἀμηχανοῦντα Λεύκιος Ἰούνιος Βροῦτος, ἐκεῖνος ὁ δημαγωγὸς ὁ τεχνησάμενος, ἐφ´ οἷς ἔσονται δικαίοις αἱ διαλλαγαί, δεινὸς ἀνὴρ τά τ´ ἄλλα καὶ πόρους εὑρεῖν ἐν ἀπόροις, προσέρχεται μόνος μόνῳ καὶ ὑποτίθεται μὴ φιλονεικεῖν ἐγχειρήματι θερμῷ καὶ παρανόμῳ συναγωνιζόμενον, ὁρῶντα τούς τε πατρικίους ἅπαντας ἠρεθισμένους καὶ ἑτοίμους ὄντας, εἰ κληθεῖεν ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων, ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα χωρεῖν, τοῦ δὲ δήμου τὸ καρτερώτατον μέρος ἐνδοιάζον καὶ οὐκ ἀγαπητῶς δεχόμενον ἀνδρὸς ἐπιφανεστάτου τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει παράδοσιν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ καὶ ταῦτ´ ἀκρίτου. συνεβούλευε δ´ αὐτῷ τότε μὲν εἶξαι καὶ μὴ χωρεῖν ὁμόσε τοῖς ὑπάτοις, μή τι μεῖζον κακὸν ἐργάσηται, προθεῖναι δὲ τῷ ἀνδρὶ δίκην ὁρίσαντα χρόνον ὅσον δή τινα, καὶ ψῆφον ἀναδοῦναι τοῖς πολίταις ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ κατὰ φυλάς· ὅ τι δ´ ἂν αἱ πλείους ψῆφοι καθαιρῶσι, τοῦτο ποιεῖν· τυραννικὸν μὲν γὰρ εἶναι καὶ βίαιον, ὃ νῦν ἐπειρᾶτο διαπράττεσθαι, τὸν αὐτὸν ὑπάρχειν καὶ κατήγορον καὶ δικαστὴν καὶ τοῦ μέτρου τῆς τιμωρίας κύριον· πολιτικὸν δὲ τὸ κατὰ νόμους ἀπολογίας τυχόντα τὸν ὑπαίτιον, ὅ τι ἂν τοῖς πλείοσι δικασταῖς δόξῃ, τοῦτο παθεῖν. πείθεται τούτοις ὁ Σικίννιος μηδὲν ὁρῶν βούλευμα κρεῖττον καὶ παρελθὼν ἔφη· Τὴν μὲν σπουδὴν ὁρᾶτε τῶν πατρικίων τὴν εἰς τὰ φονικὰ καὶ βίαια ἔργα, ὦ δημόται, ὡς ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς αὐθάδους ὅλην ἀδικοῦντος τὴν πόλιν ἧττον τίθενται τὸ πλῆθος τὸ ὑμέτερον. οὐ μὴν ὁμοίους γ´ αὐτοῖς γίνεσθαι χρὴ καὶ ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ὠθεῖσθαι οὔτ´ ἄρχοντας πολέμου οὔτ´ ἀμυνομένους· ἀλλ´ ἐπειδὴ πρόφασιν εὐπρεπῆ προβάλλονταί τινες τὸν νόμον, ᾧ βοηθοῦντες αὐτὸν ἀφαιροῦνται τῆς κολάσεως, ὃς οὐκ ἐᾷ τῶν πολιτῶν οὐθέν´ ἀποκτεῖναι ἄκριτον, συγχωρήσωμεν αὐτοῖς τὸ δίκαιον τοῦτο, καίπερ οὐδὲ νόμιμα πάσχοντες οὐδὲ δίκαια ὑπ´ αὐτῶν, καὶ δείξωμεν, ὅτι τοῖς εὐγνώμοσι μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς βιαίοις περιεῖναι τῶν ἀδικούντων ἡμᾶς πολιτῶν βουλόμεθα. ὑμεῖς μὲν οὖν ἄπιτε καὶ τὸν μέλλοντα καιρὸν ἐκδέχεσθε οὐ πολὺν ἐσόμενον· ἡμεῖς δὲ παρασκευασάμενοι τὰ κατεπείγοντα προθήσομεν χρόνον τῷ ἀνδρὶ εἰς ἀπολογίαν καὶ τὴν δίκην ἐφ´ ὑμῶν συντελέσομεν. ὅταν δὲ γένησθε τῆς ψήφου κατὰ τὸν νόμον κύριοι, τιμήσατε αὐτῷ ἧς ἂν ἄξιον εὕρητε ζημίας. καὶ περὶ μὲν τούτου τοσαῦτα. τῆς δὲ τοῦ σίτου διαπράσεώς τε καὶ διαθέσεως, ἵν´ ἐκ τοῦ δικαιοτάτου γένηται, εἰ μή τις ἔσται τούτοις καὶ τῇ βουλῇ φροντίς, αὐτοὶ ἐπιμελησόμεθα. ταῦτ´ εἰπὼν διέλυσε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.

[7,36] Seeing him in this perplexity, Lucius Junius Brutus, that demagogue who had contrived the terms of the accommodation, a man of great (p247) sagacity in all matters, but particularly in finding possible solutions in impossible situations, came to him and taking him aside, advised him not to persist contentiously in attempting to carry out a reckless and illegal undertaking when he saw not only that the whole body of the patricians was aroused to anger and ready, if the consuls called upon them, to rush to arms, but also that the sturdiest element among the populace were hesitating and in no mood readily to acquiesce in delivering up to death the most illustrious person in the city, and that without a trial. He therefore advised him to yield for the present and not to take issue with the consuls, lest he should cause some greater mischief, but to appoint a trial for the man, setting some time or other for it, and let the citizens give their votes by tribes concerning him; and then to do whatever the majority of the votes should determine. For it was an act of tyranny and violence, he said, that Sicinius was now attempting to accomplish, in constituting the same person at once the accuser and judge and also the one to determine the degree of punishment, whereas the procedure of all civil government is for the accused to have an opportunity to make his defence according to the laws and then to suffer such punishment as the majority of his judges may determine. Sicinius yielded to these arguments, as he saw no better plan; and coming forward, he said: "You see, plebeians, the eagerness of the patricians for deeds of bloodshed and violence, which induces them to prefer one arrogant man, who wrongs the whole (p249) commonwealth, to your entire body. Nevertheless, we ought not to imitate them and rush headlong to our ruin, either by beginning war or by defending ourselves against attack. But since some are putting forward the law as a specious pretence and are attempting to snatch him from punishment by rallying to the support of this law which allows no citizen to be put to death without a trial, let us concede them this claim, though we ourselves are not treated by them in either a lawful or a just manner; and let us show that we choose to surpass in reasonableness rather than in violence our fellow-citizens who injure us. As for you, plebeians, depart, therefore, and wait for the destined moment, which will not be long in coming. We on our part will meanwhile get everything ready that is urgent, and having appointed a day for the man to make his defence, we will bring about his trial before you as judges. And when you are legally possessed of the right of giving your votes, inflict such punishment on him as you shall find he deserves. So much for this matter. As to the sale and distribution of the corn in the most equitable manner, if these men and the senate do not take some thought about it, we shall look after the business. Having said this, he dismissed the assembly.