[7,61] Παυσαμένου δὲ τοῦ Μηνυκίου παρελθὼν ὁ δήμαρχος Σικίννιος οὔτ´ αὐτὸς ἔφη προδώσειν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῶν δημοτῶν οὔτε τοῖς προδιδοῦσιν ἐπιτρέψειν ἑκών, ἀλλ´ εἰ τῷ ὄντι παρέχουσιν οἱ πατρίκιοι τὸν ἄνδρα ἐπὶ δίκην τοῖς δημοτικοῖς, ἀναδώσειν περὶ αὐτοῦ ψῆφον, ἄλλο δὲ ποιήσειν παρὰ ταῦτ´ οὐδέν. μετὰ ταῦτα παρελθὼν ὁ Μηνύκιος εἶπεν· Ἐπειδὴ πάντως, ὦ δήμαρχοι, ψῆφον ἐπενεχθῆναι περὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς προθυμεῖσθε, μηθὲν ἔξω τοῦ ἐγκλήματος κατηγορεῖτε· ἀλλ´ ἐπειδὴ τυραννίδι αὐτὸν ἐπιχειρεῖν εἰσηγγείλατε, τοῦτο διδάσκετε καὶ περὶ τούτου τὰς πίστεις φέρετε. λόγων δ´, ὧν αὐτὸν αἰτιᾶσθε κατὰ τοῦ δήμου πρὸς τὴν βουλὴν εἰπεῖν, μήτε μέμνησθε μήτε κατηγορεῖτε. ἀφεῖσθαι γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐψηφίσατο ταύτης τῆς αἰτίας τὸ συνέδριον, καὶ ἐπὶ ῥητοῖς ἥκειν εἰς τὸν δῆμον ἐδικαίωσε. καὶ μετὰ τοῦτ´ ἀνέγνω τὸ προβούλευμα. ὁ μὲν δὴ ταῦτ´ εἰπών τε καὶ ἐπιμαρτυράμενος κατέβη. τῶν δὲ δημάρχων πρῶτος μὲν διέθετο τὴν κατηγορίαν Σικίννιος ἐκ πολλῆς ἐπιμελείας καὶ παρασκευῆς, πάνθ´ ὅσα πράττων ἢ λέγων ὁ ἀνὴρ κατὰ τοῦ δήμου διετέλεσεν εἰς κατασκευὴν τυραννίδος ἀναφέρων· ἔπειτα μετ´ ἐκεῖνον οἱ δυνατώτατοι τῶν δημάρχων εἰπεῖν.

[7,61] When Minucius had done speaking, Sicinius the tribune came forward and said that he would neither betray the liberty of the plebeians himself nor willingly permit others to betray it, but if the patricians really consented that the man should be tried by the plebeians, he would take their votes and do nothing more. After this Minucius came forward and said: "Since you are eager, tribunes, that a vote shall be taken by all means concerning this man, let not your accusations go beyond the formal charge, but, as you have alleged that he aims at tyranny, show this and bring your evidence to prove it. But neither mention nor charge him with the words you accuse him of having spoken in the senate against the people. For the senate has voted to acquit him of this accusation and has thought proper that he should appear before the people upon specific charges." And he thereupon read out the preliminary decree. Having said this and adjured them to adhere to it, he descended from the tribunal. Sicinius was the first of the tribunes to set forth the charge, which he did in a very studied and elaborate speech, attributing everything the man had continued to say or do against the people to a design to set up tyranny. Then, after him, the most influential of the tribunes spoke.