[8,15] Τοῦτο καταμαθόντες οἱ πρεσβύτατοι τῶν Ῥωμαίων συστραφέντες ἔπειθον ἰδίᾳ τε καὶ ἐν κοινῷ τοὺς στασιωδεστάτους τῶν δημοτικῶν παύσασθαι τῶν εἰς τοὺς πατρικίους ὑποψιῶν τε καὶ κατηγοριῶν· διδάσκοντες {ὡς} εἰ δι´ ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐπιφανοῦς φυγὴν τοσοῦτος κίνδυνος κατέσχε τὴν πόλιν, τί χρὴ προσδοκᾶν, ἐὰν ἀναγκασθῶσιν οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν πατρικίων προπηλακισθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου ταὐτὸ φρονῆσαι· καὶ κατέσχον οὗτοι τὴν ἀκοσμίαν τοῦ πλήθους. παυσαμένου δὲ τοῦ πολλοῦ θορύβου συνελθοῦσα ἡ βουλὴ τοῖς μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν Λατίνων παροῦσι πρεσβευταῖς ἐπὶ συμμαχίας αἴτησιν ἀπεκρίνατο, μὴ ῥᾴδιον εἶναι σφίσι βοήθειαν ἀποστέλλειν κατὰ τὸ παρόν· αὐτοῖς δ´ ἐκείνοις ἐπιτρέπειν τὴν ἑαυτῶν στρατιὰν καταγράφειν καὶ ἡγεμόνας τῆς δυνάμεως ἰδίους ἐκπέμπειν τε, ὅταν αὐτοὶ ἐκπέμψωσι δύναμιν. ἐν γὰρ ταῖς συνθήκαις, αἷς ἐποιήσαντο πρὸς αὐτοὺς περὶ φιλίας, ἀπόρρητον ἦν τούτων ἑκάτερον. τοῖς δ´ ὑπάτοις ἐφῆκαν στρατόν τε συναγαγεῖν ἐκ καταλόγου καὶ τὴν πόλιν διὰ φυλακῆς ἔχειν καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους παρακαλεῖν, εἰς ὕπαιθρον δὲ μήπω τὰς δυνάμεις ἐξάγειν, ἕως ἂν ἅπαντα εὐτρεπῆ γένηται. καὶ ὁ δῆμος ταῦτ´ ἐπεκύρωσεν. ἦν δὲ βραχὺς ὁ λειπόμενος τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῖς ὑπάτοις χρόνος, ὥστ´ οὐδὲν ἔφθασαν τῶν ἐψηφισμένων ἐπὶ τέλος ἀγαγεῖν, ἀλλὰ παρέδοσαν ἡμιτελῆ πάντα τοῖς μεθ´ ἑαυτοὺς ὑπάτοις.

[8,15] This being observed by the oldest of the Romans, they joined together and sought to persuade the most seditious of the plebeians both in public and in private to put a stop to their suspicions and accusations against the patricians. If, they argued, by the banishment of one man of distinction the commonwealth had been brought into so great danger, what were they to expect if by their abusive treatment they forced the greater part of the patricians to entertain the same sentiments? Thus these men appeased the disorderliness of the populace. After the great tumult had been suppressed, the senate met and gave the following answer to the ambassadors who had come from the Latin League to ask for armed assistance: That it was not easy for them to send assistance for the time being; but that they gave the Latins leave to enrol their own army themselves and to send out their own generals in command of their forces until the Romans should send out a force; for by the treaty of friendship they had made with the Latins both these things were forbidden. The senate also ordered the consuls to raise an army by levy, to guard the city, and to summon the allies, but not to take the field with their forces till everything was in readiness. These resolutions were ratified by the people. Only a short time now remained of the consuls' term of office, so that they were unable to carry to completion any of the measures that had been voted, p43but handed over everything half finished to their successors.