[8,72] Τούτοις δὴ τοῖς λόγοις τοῦ Κασσίου θαμινὰ μεταπείθοντος ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τὸν ὄχλον παρελθὼν εἷς τῶν δημάρχων, Γάϊος Ῥαβολήιος, ἀνὴρ οὐκ ἄφρων, τήν τε διχοστασίαν τῶν ὑπάτων ὑπέσχετο παύσειν οὐκ εἰς μακράν, καὶ τῷ δήμῳ ποιήσειν φανερόν, ὅ τι χρὴ ποιεῖν. ἐπισημασίας δὲ γενομένης αὐτῷ μεγάλης καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο σιωπῆς· Οὐχὶ ταῦτ´, εἶπεν, ὦ Κάσσιε, καὶ σὺ Οὐεργίνιε, τὰ κεφάλαιά ἐστι τοῦ νόμου; ἓν μέν, εἰ χρὴ τὴν δημοσίαν γῆν κατ´ ἄνδρα διανεμηθῆναι, ἕτερον δ´, εἰ χρὴ καὶ Λατίνους καὶ Ἕρνικας μέρος αὐτῆς λαβόντας ἔχειν; ὁμολογησάντων δ´ αὐτῶν· Εἶεν δή· σὺ μέν, εἶπεν, ὦ Κάσσιε, ἀμφότερα ταῦτ´ ἐπιψηφίζειν ἀξιοῖς τὸν δῆμον, σὺ δὲ δὴ πρὸς θεῶν, ὦ Οὐεργίνιε, λέξον ἡμῖν, πότερα θάτερον ἀκυροῖς τῆς Κασσίου γνώμης μέρος τὸ κατὰ τοὺς συμμάχους οὐκ οἰόμενος δεῖν ἰσομοίρους ἡμῖν Ἕρνικάς τε καὶ Λατίνους ποιεῖν, ἢ καὶ θάτερον μόνον ἀκυροῖς ἀξιῶν οὐδὲ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς διανέμειν τὰ κοινά; ταυτὶ γὰρ ἀπόκριναί μοι μηθὲν ἀποκρυψάμενος. εἰπόντος δὲ τοῦ Οὐεργινίου τῇ Λατίνων τε καὶ Ἑρνίκων ἀντιλέγειν ἰσομοιρίᾳ, τὸ δὲ κατὰ τοὺς πολίτας, εἰ πᾶσι δόξειε, διανέμεσθαι συγχωρεῖν, ἐπιστρέψας ὁ δήμαρχος εἰς τὸν ὄχλον εἶπεν· Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν τὸ μὲν ἕτερον τῆς γνώμης μέρος ἀμφοτέροις τοῖς ὑπάτοις συνδοκεῖ, τὸ δ´ ἕτερον ἀντιλέγεται πρὸς θατέρου, ἰσότιμοι δ´ ἀμφότεροι, καὶ οὐχ οἷόν τε βιάσασθαι θατέρῳ τὸν ἕτερον, ὃ μὲν δίδοται παρ´ ἀμφοτέρων, ἤδη λάβωμεν, ὑπὲρ οὗ δ´ ἀμφισβητοῦσιν, ἀναβαλώμεθα. ἐπισημήναντος δὲ τοῦ πλήθους ὡς τὰ κράτιστα ὑποθεμένῳ καὶ καταλύειν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου τὸ ποιοῦν διχοστασίαν μέρος ἀξιοῦντος, ἀπορῶν, ὅ τι χρὴ πράττειν, ὁ Κάσσιος καὶ οὔτ´ ἀναθέσθαι τὴν γνώμην προαιρούμενος οὔτε μένειν ἐπ´ αὐτῆς ἀντιπραττόντων τῶν δημάρχων δυνάμενος, τότε μὲν διέλυσε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ταῖς δ´ ἑξῆς ἡμέραις ἀρρωστίαν σκηπτόμενος οὐκέτι κατέβαινεν εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν, ἀλλ´ ὑπομένων ἔνδον ἐπραγματεύετο βίᾳ καὶ χειροκρασίᾳ κυρῶσαι τὸν νόμον· καὶ μετεπέμπετο Λατίνων τε καὶ Ἑρνίκων ὅσους ἐδύνατο πλείστους ἐπὶ τὴν ψηφοφορίαν. οἱ δὲ συνῄεσαν ἀθρόοι, καὶ δι´ ὀλίγου μεστὴ ξένων ἦν ἡ πόλις. ταῦτα μαθὼν ὁ Οὐεργίνιος κηρύττειν ἐκέλευσε κατὰ τοὺς στενωποὺς ἀπιέναι τοὺς μὴ κατοικοῦντας ἐν τῇ πόλει, χρόνον ὁρίσας οὐ πολύν. ὁ δὲ Κάσσιος τἀναντία ἐκέλευσε κηρύττειν παραμένειν τοὺς μετέχοντας τῆς ἰσοπολιτείας, ἕως ἂν ἐπικυρωθῇ ὁ νόμος.

[8,72] While Cassius by these arguments frequently changed the minds of the multitude in the meetings of the assembly, one of the tribunes, Gaius Rabuleius, a man not lacking in intelligence, came forward and promised that he would soon put an end to the dissension between the consuls and would also make it clear to the populace what they ought to do. And when a great demonstration of approval followed, down then silence, he said: "Are not these, Cassius and Verginius, the chief issues of this law — first, whether the public land should be distributed with an equal portion for everyone, and second, whether the Latins and the Hernicans should receive a share of it?" And when they assented, he continued: "Very well. You, Cassius, ask the people to vote for both provisions. But as for you, Verginius, tell us, for Heaven's sake, whether you oppose that part of Cassius' proposal which relates to the allies, believing that we ought not to make the Hernicans and the Latins equal sharers with us, or whether you oppose the other also, holding that we should not distribute the property of the state even among ourselves. Just answer these questions for me without concealing anything." When Verginius said that he opposed giving an equal share of the land to the Hernicans (p219) and the Latins, but consented to its being divided among the Roman citizens, if all were of that opinion, the tribune, turning to the multitude, said: "Since, then, one part of the proposed measure is approved of by both consuls and the other is opposed by one of them, and as both men are equal in rank and neither can use compulsion on the other, let us accept now the part which both are ready to grant us, and postpone the other, concerning which they differ." The multitude signified by their acclamations that his advice was most excellent and demanded that he strike out of the law that part which gave occasion for discord; whereupon Cassius was at a loss what to do, and being neither willing to withdraw his proposal nor able to adhere to it while the tribunes opposed him, he dismissed the assembly for that time. During the following days he feigned illness and no longer went down to the Forum; but remaining at home, he set about getting the law passed by force and violence, and sent for as many of the Latins and Hernicans as he could to come and vote for it. These assembled in great numbers and presently the city was full of strangers. Verginius, being informed of this, ordered proclamation to be made in the streets that all who were not residents of the city should depart; and he set an early time limit. But Cassius ordered the contrary to be proclaimed — that all who possessed the rights of citizens should remain till the law was passed.