Texte grec :
| [7,59] Ὡς δὲ διεβοήθη ταῦτα, πολλὴ σπουδὴ καὶ
παράταξις ἐγίνετο τῶν τε δημοτικῶν καὶ τῶν πατρικίων· τῶν μὲν
ὡς τιμωρησομένων τὸν αὐθαδέστατον,
τῶν δ´ ἵνα μὴ γένοιτο ὑποχείριος τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ὡς ὑπὲρ
τῆς ἀριστοκρατίας ἀγωνιζόμενος. ἐδόκει δὲ πᾶσα κινδυνεύεσθαι
ἡ τοῦ βίου καὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας δικαίωσις
ἐν τῷ τότε ἀγῶνι ἀμφοτέροις. ἐπιστάσης δὲ τῆς τρίτης ἀγορᾶς ὁ
μὲν ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν ὄχλος, ὅσος οὔπω
πρότερον, συνεληλυθὼς εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἕωθεν εὐθὺς
κατεῖχε τὴν ἀγοράν· οἱ δὲ δήμαρχοι συνεκάλουν τὸ
πλῆθος ἐπὶ τὴν φυλέτιν ἐκκλησίαν, χωρία τῆς ἀγορᾶς
περισχοινίσαντες, ἐν οἷς ἔμελλον αἱ φυλαὶ στήσεσθαι
καθ´ αὑτάς. καὶ τότε πρῶτον ἐγένετο Ῥωμαίοις ἐκκλησία κατ´
ἀνδρὸς ψηφοφόρος {ἡ φυλετικὴ} πολλὰ {δὲ}
ἐναντιουμένων τῶν πατρικίων, ἵνα μὴ τοῦτο γένηται,
καὶ τὴν λοχῖτιν ἀξιούντων συνάγειν ἐκκλησίαν, ὥσπερ
αὐτοῖς πάτριον ἦν. ἐν γὰρ τοῖς πρότερον χρόνοις, ὅτε
μέλλοι ψῆφον ἐπιφέρειν ὁ δῆμος ὑπὲρ ὁτουδήτινος ὧν
ἐπιτρέψειεν ἡ βουλή, ἐκάλουν μὲν οἱ ὕπατοι τὴν λοχῖτιν
ἐκκλησίαν, ἱερὰ πρότερον ἐπιτελέσαντες, ἃ νόμος αὐτοῖς ἐστι, καὶ
μέχρι τοῦ καθ´ ἡμᾶς χρόνου τινὰ ἐξ
αὐτῶν ἔτι γίνεται. συνῄει δὲ τὸ πλῆθος εἰς τὸ πρὸ
τῆς πόλεως Ἄρειον πεδίον ὑπό τε λοχαγοῖς καὶ σημείοις
τεταγμένον ὥσπερ ἐν πολέμῳ, ἐπέφερον δὲ τὴν
ψῆφον οὐχ ἅπαντες ἀναλαβόντες, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἰδίους
ἕκαστοι λόχους, ὁπότε κληθεῖεν ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων. ὄντων δὲ τῶν
συμπάντων τριῶν καὶ ἐνενήκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν
λόχων καὶ τούτων εἰς ἓξ διῃρημένων συμμορίας πρώτη
μὲν ἐκαλεῖτο συμμορία καὶ τὴν ψῆφον ἐπέφερεν ἡ τῶν
ἐχόντων τὸ μέγιστον τίμημα τῆς οὐσίας καὶ τὴν πρώτην
λαμβανόντων τάξιν ἐν πολέμοις· ἐν οἷς ἦσαν ἱππέων μὲν
ὀκτωκαίδεκα λόχοι, πεζῶν δ´ ὀγδοήκοντα.
δευτέρα δ´ ἐψηφοφόρει συμμορία τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων
τοῖς βίοις καὶ τὴν ὑποβεβηκυῖαν τάξιν ἐν ταῖς μάχαις
{μαχομένων} καὶ ὁπλισμὸν οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐχόντων τοῖς
πρωτοστάταις, ἀλλ´ ἐλάττονα· τοῦτο δὲ τὸ πλῆθος εἰς
εἴκοσι λόχους συντεταγμένον ἦν, προσέκειντο δ´ αὐτοῖς δύο ἶλαι
τεκτόνων καὶ χαλκοτύπων καὶ ὅσοι ἄλλοι
πολεμικῶν ἔργων ἦσαν χειροτέχναι. οἱ δ´ ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ
συμμορίᾳ καλούμενοι λόχους μὲν ἐξεπλήρουν εἴκοσι,
τίμημα δ´ εἶχον ἔλαττον τῶν δευτέρων καὶ τάξιν τὴν
ἐπ´ ἐκείνοις {ἐλάττονα,} καὶ ὅπλα οὐκ ἴσα τοῖς πρὸ
αὐτῶν ἔφερον. οἱ δὲ μετὰ τούτους καλούμενοι τίμημά
τ´ οὐσίας ἔλαττον εἶχον καὶ τάξιν ἐν πολέμῳ τὴν ἀσφαλεστέραν
ἐλάμβανον καὶ ὁπλισμὸν εὐσταλέστερον εἶχον·
διῄρηντο δ´ εἰς εἴκοσι καὶ οὗτοι λόχους· συνετάττοντο
δὲ καὶ τούτοις δύο λόχοι βυκανιστῶν καὶ σαλπιστῶν.
πέμπτη δ´ ἐκαλεῖτο συμμορία τῶν ὀλίγου πάνυ τετιμημένων
ἀργυρίου, ὅπλα δ´ ἦν αὐτῶν σαυνία καὶ σφενδόναι· οὗτοι τάξιν
οὐκ εἶχον ἐν φάλαγγι, ἀλλὰ ψιλοὶ
καὶ κοῦφοι συνεστρατεύοντο τοῖς ὁπλίταις εἰς τριάκοντα
λόχους διῃρημένοι. οἱ δ´ ἀπορώτατοι τῶν πολιτῶν οὐκ
ἐλάττους τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ὄντες ἔσχατοι τὴν ψῆφον
ἀνελάμβανον, ἕνα μόνον ἔχοντες λόχον· οὗτοι στρατειῶν τ´ ἦσαν
ἐλεύθεροι τῶν ἐκ καταλόγου καὶ εἰσφορῶν τῶν κατὰ τιμήματα
γινομένων ἀτελεῖς καὶ δι´
ἄμφω ταῦτ´ ἐν ταῖς ψηφοφορίαις ἀτιμότατοι. εἰ μὲν
οὖν ἐπὶ τῶν πρώτων λόχων, οὓς οἵ θ´ ἱππεῖς ἐξεπλήρουν καὶ τῶν
πεζῶν οἱ τὴν πρώτην τάξιν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις λαμβάνοντες, ταὐτὸ
φρονήσαιεν ἑπτὰ καὶ ἐνενήκοντα λόχοι, τέλος εἶχεν ἡ ψηφοφορία,
καὶ οὐκέτι τοῖς
λοιποῖς ἓξ καὶ ἐνενήκοντα λόχοις ἀνεδίδοτο ἡ ψῆφος·
εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο γένοιτο, ἡ δευτέρα συμμορία τῶν δύο
καὶ εἴκοσι λόχων ἐκαλεῖτο, καὶ ἡ τρίτη· καὶ τοῦτο
συνέβαινεν, ἕως οὗ ταὐτὸ φρονήσωσιν ἑπτὰ καὶ ἐνενήκοντα
λόχοι. καὶ τὰ μὲν πολλὰ τῶν ἀγωνισμάτων ἐπὶ
τῶν πρώτων κλήσεων τέλος ἐλάμβανεν, ὥστε μηδὲν
ἔτι δεῖν τῶν ἐσχάτων. σπανίως δέ που πρᾶγμα οὕτως
ἐνδοιαζόμενον ἐνέπιπτεν, ὥστε μέχρι τῆς ἐσχάτης ψήφου τῆς τῶν
ἀπορωτάτων προελθεῖν· καὶ ἦν ὥσπερ
τέρας τοῦτο σχισθέντων δίχα τῶν προτέρων δύο καὶ
ἐνενήκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν λόχων τὴν τελευταίαν ψῆφον
ἐπενεχθεῖσαν ἐκείναις αἰτίαν γενέσθαι τῆς ἐπὶ θάτερα
ῥοπῆς. οἱ μὲν οὖν συναγωνιζόμενοι Μαρκίῳ ταύτην
ἠξίουν καλεῖν τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν τιμημάτων ἐκκλησίαν
ὑπολαμβάνοντες τάχα μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς πρώτης κλήσεως ὑπὸ
τῶν ὀκτὼ καὶ ἐνενήκοντα λόχων ἀπολυθήσεσθαι τὸν
ἄνδρα, εἰ δὲ μή γ´ ὑπὸ τῆς δευτέρας ἢ τρίτης. οἱ δὲ
δήμαρχοι ταῦθ´ ὑφορώμενοι καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν φυλετικὴν
ἐκκλησίαν ᾤοντο δεῖν συνάγειν καὶ τοῦ ἀγῶνος ἐκείνην ποιῆσαι
κυρίαν, ἵνα μήθ´ οἱ πένητες τῶν πλουσίων
μειονεκτῶσι μήθ´ οἱ ψιλοὶ τῶν ὁπλιτῶν ἀτιμοτέραν
χώραν ἔχωσι, μήτ´ ἀπερριμμένον εἰς τὰς ἐσχάτας κλήσεις τὸ
δημοτικὸν πλῆθος ἀποκλείηται τῶν ἴσων, ἰσόψηφοι δὲ καὶ
ὁμότιμοι πάντες ἀλλήλοις γενόμενοι μιᾷ
κλήσει τὴν ψῆφον ἐπενέγκωσι κατὰ φυλάς. καὶ ἐδόκουν
δικαιότερα οὗτοι τῶν ἑτέρων ἀξιοῦν δημοτικὸν
οἰόμενοι δεῖν, ἀλλ´ οὐκ ὀλιγαρχικὸν εἶναι τὸ τοῦ δήμου
δικαστήριον, καὶ τὴν περὶ τῶν ἀδικούντων τὸ κοινὸν
διάγνωσιν ἁπάντων εἶναι κοινήν.
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Traduction française :
| [7,59] When news of this was spread abroad, there was great enthusiasm and
marshalling of both the plebeian and the patricians, the former feeling that they were
about to avenge themselves (p319) upon the most arrogant of all men, and the latter
striving earnestly to save the champion of the aristocracy from falling into the hands
of his enemies; and to both parties it seemed that their whole claim to life and liberty
was at stake in this trial. When the third market-day arrived, such a crowd of people
from the country as had never before been known had come together in the city and
held possession of the Forum from the very break of day. The tribunes then
summoned the populace to the tribal assembly, first having roped off portions of the
Forum in which the tribes were to take their places separately. And this was the first
time the Romans ever met in their trial assembly to give their votes against a man,
the patricians very violently opposing it and demanding that the centuriate assembly
should be convened, as was their time-honoured custom. For in earlier times,
whenever the people were to give their votes upon any point referred to them by the
senate, the consuls had summoned the centuriate assembly, after first offering up the
sacrifices required by law, some of which are still performed down to our time. The
populace was wont to assemble in the field of Mars before the city, drawn up under
their centurions and their standards as in war. They did not give their votes all at the
same time, but each by their respective centuries, when these were called upon by the
consuls. And there being in all one hundred and ninety-three centuries, and these
distributed into six (p321) classes, that class was first called and gave its vote which
consisted of those citizens who had the highest property rating and who stood in the
foremost rank in battle; in this were comprised eighteen centuries of horse and eighty
of foot. The class that voted in the second place was composed of those of smaller
fortunes who occupied an inferior position in battle and had not the same armour as
the front-line fighters, but less; this multitude formed twenty centuries, and to them
were added two centuries of carpenters, armourers and other artificers employed in
making engines of war. Those who were called to vote in the third class made up
twenty centuries; they had a lower rating than those of the second class and were
posted behind them, and the arms they carried were not equal to those of the men in
front of them. Those next called had a still lower property rating and had a safer
post in battle and their armour was lighter; these also were divided into twenty
centuries, and arrayed with them were two centuries of horn-blowers and trumpeters.
The class which was called in the fifth place consisted of those whose property was
rated very low, and their arms were javelins and slings; these had no fixed place in
the battle-line, but being light-armed men and mobile, they attended the heavy-
armed men and were distributed into thirty centuries. The poorest of the citizens,
who were not less numerous than all the rest, (p323) voted last and made but one
century; they were exempt from the military levies and from the war-taxes paid by
the rest of the citizens in proportion to their ratings, and for both these reasons were
given the least honour in voting. If, therefore, in the case of the first centuries, which
consisted of the horse and of such of the foot as stood in the foremost rank in battle,
ninety-seven centuries were of the same opinion, the voting was at an end and the
remaining ninety-six centuries were not called upon to give their votes. But if this was
not the case, the second class, composed of twenty-two centuries, was called, and
then the third and so on till ninety-seven centuries were of the same opinion.
Generally the points in dispute were determined by the classes first summoned, so
that it was then needless to take those of the later classes. It seldom happened that a
matter was so doubtful that the voting went on till the last class was reached,
consisting of the poorest citizens; and it was in the nature of a miracle when, in
consequence of the first hundred and ninety-two centuries being equally divided, the
addition of this last vote to the rest turned the scale one way or the other. The
supporters of Marcius, accordingly, demanded that this assembly based on the census
should be called, expecting that he might perhaps be acquitted by the first class with
its ninety-eight centuries, or, if not, at least by the second or third class. On the other
hand, the tribunes, who also suspected this outcome, thought they ought to call the
tribal assembly (p325) and to empower it to decide this cause, to the end that neither the
poor might be at a disadvantage as compared with the rich nor the light-armed men
have a less honourable station than the heavy-armed, nor the mass of plebeians, by
being relegated to the last calls, be excluded from equal rights with the others, but
that all the citizens might be equal to one another in their votes and equal in honour,
and at one might give their votes by tribes. The claim of the tribunes seemed to be
more just than that of the patricians in that they thought the tribunal of the people
ought to be a popular, not an oligarchic, tribunal, and that the cognizance of crimes
committed against the commonwealth ought to be common to all.
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