[7,47] Τοιαῦτα διεξιόντος τοῦ Δεκίου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων δημάρχων ἃ παραλιπεῖν αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖνος ἐδόκει συναγορευσάντων, ἐπειδὴ γνώμας ἔδει τοὺς συνέδρους ἀποφαίνεσθαι, πρῶτοι μὲν οἱ πρεσβύτατοι τῶν ὑπατικῶν καλούμενοι κατὰ τὸν εἰωθότα κόσμον ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων ἀνίσταντο, ἔπειθ´ οἱ τούτων ὑποδεέστεροι κατ´ ἄμφω ταῦτα, τελευταῖοι δ´ οἱ νεώτατοι λόγον μὲν οὐθένα λέγοντες· ἔτι γὰρ ἦν δι´ αἰσχύνης τότε Ῥωμαίοις τοῦτο, καὶ νέος οὐδεὶς ἠξίου ἑαυτὸν σοφώτερον εἶναι πρεσβύτου· ἐπεκύρουν δὲ τὰς κειμένας ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπατικῶν γνώμας. ἅπασι δὲ προσετάττετο παριοῦσι καθάπερ ἐν δικαστηρίῳ μεθ´ ὅρκου τὴν ψῆφον ἐπιφέρειν. Ἄππιος μὲν οὖν Κλαύδιος, ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ πρότερον ἔφην, ὅτι μισοδημότατος ἦν τῶν πατρικίων καὶ οὐδέποτε ταῖς πρὸς τὸ δημοτικὸν ἠρέσκετο διαλλαγαῖς, οὐκ εἴα γενέσθαι τὸ προβούλευμα τοιούτοις λόγοις χρώμενος.

[7,47] (p279) After Decius had spoken in this manner and the rest of the tribunes had supported him by adding what they thought he had omitted, and it was now time for the senators to deliver their opinions, first the oldest and the most honoured of the ex-consuls, being called upon by the consuls in the customary order, rose up, and after them those who were inferior to them in both these respects, and last of all, the youngest senators, who made no speeches (for that was still looked upon then as disgraceful by the Romans, and no young man presumed to be wiser than an old man), but seconded the opinions delivered by the ex-consuls. It was required, however, that all the senators should come forward and give their votes upon oath as in a court of justice. Then Appius Claudius, whom I mentioned before as the greatest enemy to the plebeians of all the patricians, one who could never relish the agreement made with the plebeians, opposed the passing of the preliminary decree, speaking as follows: