[8,58] Ὁ δὲ Μάρκιος ἀντιλέγειν μὲν πρὸς οὐδέτερον τούτων ἐδικαίου, περὶ δὲ τῆς τάξεως αὐτῶν διεφέρετο λόγον ἀξιῶν ἀποδοῦναι πρότερον τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτῷ κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον, ἔπειτ´, ἐὰν ἅπασι δόξῃ Οὐολούσκοις, ἀποθήσεσθαι τὴν ἀρχήν. τούτων δ´ οὐ μίαν ᾤετο πόλιν δεῖν, ἐν ᾗ τὸ πλεῖον ὑπὸ τοῦ Τύλλου διέφθαρτο μέρος, γενέσθαι κυρίαν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἔθνος ἅπαν εἰς τὴν ἔννομον ἀγορὰν συναχθέν, εἰς ἣν ἔθος ἦν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι περὶ τῶν μεγίστων βουλεύεσθαι μέλλοιεν, ἐξ ἁπάσης πόλεως προβούλους ἀποστέλλειν. ὁ δὲ Τύλλος ἀντέλεγε πρὸς ταῦτα καλῶς εἰδώς, ὅτι δεινὸς εἰπεῖν ἁνὴρ πολλῶν καὶ καλῶν ἔργων λόγον ἀποδιδοὺς ἐν ἡγεμονικῷ ἀξιώματι μένων πείσει τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ τοσούτου δεήσει τιμωρίαν προδοτῶν ὑποσχεῖν, ὥστε καὶ λαμπρότερος ἔτι καὶ τιμιώτερος ὑπ´ αὐτῶν ἔσται, τόν τε πόλεμον, ὅπως ἂν βούληται, καταλύσασθαι συγχωρησάντων ἁπάντων γενήσεται κύριος. καὶ ἦν μέχρι πολλοῦ λόγων τε καὶ ἀντιμαχήσεων τῶν ἐπ´ ἀλλήλοις γινομένων καθ´ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν πολὺς ἀγών· ἔργῳ γὰρ οὐχ οἷόν τ´ ἦν οὐδετέρῳ βιάσασθαι τὸν ἕτερον τῆς ἰσοτίμου ἀρχῆς ἀξιώσει κρατυνόμενον. ὡς δ´ οὐδὲν τῆς φιλονεικίας ἐγίνετο πέρας, ἡμέραν προειπὼν ὁ Τύλλος, ἐν ᾗ τὸν Μάρκιον ἐκέλευσεν ἥκειν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀποθησόμενον καὶ δίκην ὑφέξοντα τῆς προδοσίας, θρασυτάτους τ´ ἄνδρας εὐεργεσιῶν ἐλπίσιν ἐπάρας ἀρχηγοὺς ἀνοσίου ἔργου γενέσθαι, παρῆν εἰς τὴν ἀποδειχθεῖσαν ἀγορὰν καὶ παρελθὼν ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα πολλῇ κατηγορίᾳ ἐχρήσατο τοῦ Μαρκίου, καὶ εἰ μὴ βούλοιτο ἀποθέσθαι τὴν ἀρχὴν ἑκών, τῷ δήμῳ παρεκελεύετο παύειν αὐτὸν ἁπάσῃ δυνάμει.

[8,58] Marcius did not think proper to oppose either of these demands, but objected to their order, insisting he ought first to give an account of his conduct in the war, after which he would resign his command if all the Volscians should so decide. But he thought that no single city in which the greater part of the citizens had been corrupted by Tullus (p173) ought to be given sole authority in the matter, but rather the whole nation meeting in their lawful assembly, to which it was the custom for them to send deputies from every city when they were to deliberate upon affairs of the greatest importance. This Tullus opposed, well knowing that Marcius, eloquent as he was, when he came to give an account of the many splendid actions he had performed, if he still retained a general's prestige, would persuade the multitude, and would be so far from suffering the punishment of a traitor that he would actually become still more illustrious and be more highly honoured by them, and would be authorized by general consent to put an end to the war in such manner as he pleased. And for a long time there was great strife as they daily engaged in arguing and wrangling with one another in the assemblies and the forum; for it was not possible for either of them to employ force against the other, since both were protected by the prestige of an equal command. But when there was no end to their contention, Tullus appointed a day on which he commanded Marcius to appear for the purpose of laying down his office and standing trial for treason; and having encouraged some of the most daring, by hopes of rewards, to be the ringleaders in an impious deed, he appeared at the assembly on the day appointed, and coming forward to the tribunal, inveighed at length against Marcius and exhorted the people to use all the force at their command to depose him if he would not voluntarily resign his power.