[7,46] Ἐῶ τἆλλα, ἀλλ´ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ σοῦ καὶ τῆς σῆς θεοβλαβείας τίνας οὐκ ἐποιήσαντο δεήσεις ἁπάντων κοινῇ τε καὶ καθ´ ἕκαστον τῶν δημοτικῶν παραιτούμενοί σε τῆς τιμωρίας; ἔπειτα τοῖς μὲν ὑπάτοις καὶ τῇ βουλῇ τοσαύτην πόλιν ἐπιτροπευούσῃ καλῶς εἶχεν, ὦ Μάρκιε, δικαστὴν τὸν δῆμον ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐνεκαλοῦντο ὑπομένειν, σοὶ δ´ ἆρ´ οὐχὶ καλῶς ἔχει; καὶ δεῖσθαί γε τῶν δημοτῶν ὑπὲρ ἀφέσεως τῆς σῆς οὗτοι μὲν ἅπαντες οὐδὲν αἰσχρὸν εἶναι νομίζουσι, σὺ δὲ δι´ αἰσχύνης λαμβάνεις τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο; καὶ οὐκ ἀπόχρη σοι ταῦτ´, ὦ γενναῖε, ἀλλ´ ὥσπερ τι καλὸν ἐξειργασμένος ὑψαυχενῶν καὶ μεγαληγορῶν περιέρχῃ καὶ μηδὲν ὑφεῖναι τοῦ φρονήματος ἀπομαχόμενος· ἐῶ γάρ, ὅτι καὶ λοιδορούμενος τῷ δήμῳ καὶ προσεγκαλῶν καὶ ἀπειλῶν. ἔπειτ´ οὐ νεμεσᾶτε αὐτῷ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας, ὦ πατέρες, εἰ τηλικούτων αὑτὸν ἀξιοῖ μόνος, ἡλίκων οὐδ´ ἅπαντες ὑμεῖς ἑαυτούς; ὃν ἐχρῆν, εἰ καὶ πάντες ὑμεῖς ἀνεδέχεσθε τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πόλεμον ψηφίσασθαι, τὸ μὲν εὔνουν καὶ πρόθυμον ὑμῶν ἀγαπᾶν, μὴ δέχεσθαι δὲ χάριν ἰδίαν ἐπὶ κοινῇ βλάβῃ, ἀλλ´ ὑπομένειν ἀπολογούμενον καὶ δίκην ὑπέχοντα εἰ δέοι καὶ πάντα πάσχοντα. ταῦτα γὰρ ἦν ἔργα ἀγαθοῦ πολίτου καὶ τὸ καλὸν ἔργοις ἀσκοῦντος, οὐ λόγοις. ἃ δὲ νῦν οὗτος βιάζεται, τίνος ἐστὶ σημεῖα βίου; ποίων μηνύματα προαιρέσεων, ὅρκους παραβαίνειν, δεξιὰς παρασπονδεῖν, ὁμολογίας ἀναιρεῖν, δήμῳ πολεμεῖν, εἰς ἀρχόντων σώματα ὑβρίζειν, καὶ μηδ´ ἐφ´ ἑνὶ τούτων τὸ σῶμα ὑπεύθυνον ποιεῖν, ἀλλ´ ἄκριτον ἀναπολόγητον μηδενὸς δεηθέντα μηθένα φοβηθέντα μηθενὶ τῶν τοσούτων πολιτῶν ἴσον γενόμενον ἀδεῶς περινοστεῖν; ἆρ´ οὐ τυραννικοῦ τρόπου σημεῖα ταῦτ´ ἐστίν; ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ. καὶ τοῦτον ὅμως εἰσί τινες οἱ παραψύχοντες καὶ παρακροτοῦντες ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν, οἷς ἐντέτηκε τὸ πρὸς τοὺς δημοτικοὺς μῖσος ἀδιάλλακτον, καὶ οὐ δύνανται συνιδεῖν, ὅτι οὐθὲν μᾶλλον κατὰ τοῦ ταπεινοτέρου μέρους τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει φύεται τουτὶ τὸ κακὸν ὡς καὶ κατὰ τοῦ σεμνοτέρου· ἀλλ´ οἴονται τοῦ διαφόρου φύσει καταδουλωθέντος καὶ δὴ τὸ καθ´ ἑαυτοὺς ἕξειν ἀσφαλῶς. οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει τἀληθές, ὦ γνώμης ἁμαρτάνοντες τῆς ἀρίστης· διδάσκαλον δὲ τὴν πεῖραν ἣν ὁ Μάρκιος παρέχεται καὶ τὸν χρόνον λαβόντες, ὀθνείοις θ´ ἅμα καὶ οἰκείοις σωφρονισθέντες παραδείγμασι γνοίητ´ ἄν, ὅτι μοσχευομένη κατὰ τοῦ δήμου τυραννὶς καθ´ ὅλης τῆς πόλεως μοσχεύεται, καὶ νῦν μὲν ἀφ´ ἡμῶν ἄρχεται, κρατήσασα δ´ οὐδ´ ὑμῶν φείσεται.

[7,46] "I omit all the rest. But in your own behalf, and to deprecate the punishment due to your madness, what intercessions did they not employ with all the plebeians both collectively and individually? Then, if it was seemly, Marcius, for the consuls and the senate, who have the oversight of so great a commonwealth, to submit to the judgment of the populace concerning any charges brought against them, is it not seemly also for you to do likewise? And though these men all argued it as no disgrace to entreat the plebeians to acquit you, do you think this same course disgraceful for yourself? And is this not enough for you, sir, but, just as if you had performed some fine action, do you go about preening yourself and indulging in boastful talk, refusing to abate anything of your pride? I say nothing, you see, of your also reviling, accusing, and threatening the people. And do you not resent his arrogance, fathers, in setting a greater value upon himself alone than even all of you set upon yourselves? And yet, even if you were all willing to vote to engaged in war for his sake, he ought to be satisfied with this proof of your goodwill and zeal and not to accept a private favour at the expense of the public injury, but to consent to make his (p277) defence, standing trial and, if need be, suffering any punishment. For such would be the behaviour of a good citizen who practises what is honourable in his actions, not merely in his words. But as for the violent deeds in which this man now indulges, of what kind of life do they give evidence? Of what kind of principles is it an indication to violate oaths, to break solemn pledges, to nullify covenants, to make war upon the people, to abuse the persons of magistrates, and to refuse to make oneself accountable for any of these actions, but submitting to no trial, offering no defence, courting no man, fearing no man, and disdaining equally with any one of this great multitude of citizens, to strut about with impunity? Are not these the indications of a tyrannical disposition? I, at any rate, think so. And yet, encouraging and applauding this man are some of your own number, in whose minds is implanted an implacable hatred against the plebeians, and they cannot see that the growth of this evil threatens the humbler portion of the citizens no more than it does the more exalted portion, but imagine that when their adversary is enslaved their own situation will be secure. But this is not so in reality, misguided men. if you will learn from the example afforded by Marcius and from history, and will be admonished by precedents both foreign and native, you will know that tyranny fostered against the people is fostered against the whole commonwealth, and that, though it begins at present with us, yet after it has gained strength it will not spare you either."