[8,75] Ἴστε δήπου τοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ῥηθέντας ὑπὸ τοῦ δημάρχου λόγους, ὅτ´ ἤρετο τῶν ὑπάτων τὸν ἕτερον τοῦτον Οὐεργίνιον, ἥντινα γνώμην ἔχει περὶ τῆς κληρουχίας, πότερα τοῖς μὲν πολίταις συγχωρεῖ διανέμειν τὰ δημόσια, τοῖς δὲ συμμάχοις οὐκ ἐᾷ, ἢ τῶν κοινῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων οὐδ´ ἡμῖν συγχωρεῖ μέρος λαγχάνειν. καὶ οὗτος ὡμολόγησε τὸ καθ´ ἡμᾶς μέρος οὐ κωλύειν τῆς κληρουχίας, ἐὰν ἅπασι ταῦτα κράτιστα εἶναι δοκῇ· καὶ ἡ συγχώρησις ἥδε τούς τε δημάρχους ἐποίησεν ἡμῖν συναγωνιστὰς καὶ τὸν δῆμον ἐπιεικέστερον. τί οὖν μαθόντες, ἃ τότε συνεχωρήσαμεν, νῦν ἀναθησόμεθα; ἢ τί πλέον ἡμῖν ἔσται τὰ γενναῖα καὶ τὰ καλὰ πολιτεύματα καὶ ἄξια τῆς ἡγεμονίας πολιτευομένοις, ἐὰν μὴ πείθωμεν τοὺς χρησομένους; οὐ πείσομεν δέ, καὶ τοῦτ´ οὐδεὶς ὑμῶν ἀγνοεῖ. χαλεπώτερα γὰρ ἂν τῶν μὴ τυγχανόντων ἀποτίσειαν οἱ ψευσθέντες τῆς ἐλπίδος καὶ τὰ ὁμολογηθέντα μὴ κομιζόμενοι. οἰχήσεται δὴ πάλιν φέρων αὐτοὺς ὁ τὰ πρὸς ἡδονὴν πολιτευόμενος, καὶ οὐδὲ τῶν δημάρχων τις ἔτι μεθ´ ἡμῶν στήσεται. τί οὖν ὑμῖν πράττειν παραινῶ καὶ τί προστίθημι τῇ Ἀππίου γνώμῃ, μάθετε, ἀλλὰ μὴ προεξαναστῆτε μηδὲ θορυβήσητε, πρὶν ἅπαντα ἀκούσητε, ἃ λέγω. τοῖς αἱρεθησομένοις ἐπὶ τὴν ἐξέτασιν τῆς χώρας καὶ περιορισμὸν εἴτε δέκα ἀνδράσιν εἴθ´ ὁσοισδήποτ´ ἐπιτρέψατε διαγνῶναι, τίνα τ´ αὐτῆς δεῖ καὶ ὁπόσην κοινὴν εἶναι πάντων καὶ κατὰ πενταετίαν μισθουμένην αὔξειν τὰς τοῦ ταμιείου προσόδους· ὁπόσην τ´ αὖ καὶ ἥντινα τοῖς δημόταις ἡμῶν διαιρεθῆναι· ἣν δ´ ἂν ἐκεῖνοι κληροῦχον ἀποδείξωσι γῆν, ὑμᾶς διαγνόντας εἴθ´ ἅπασιν εἴθ´ οἷς δὴ οὐκέτ´ ἔστι κλῆρος εἴτε τοῖς ἐλάχιστον ἔχουσι τίμημα εἴθ´ ὅπως ἂν βούλησθε κατανεῖμαι· τοὺς δ´ ὁριστὰς αὐτῆς ἄνδρας καὶ τὸ ὑμέτερον ψήφισμα, ὃ περὶ τῆς κληρουχίας ἐξοίσετε, καὶ τἆλλα, ὅσα δεῖ γενέσθαι, ἐπειδὴ βραχὺς ὁ λειπόμενός ἐστι τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῖς ὑπάτοις χρόνος, τοὺς εἰσιόντας ὑπάτους, ὡς ἂν αὐτοῖς κράτιστα δοκῇ ἕξειν, ἐπιτελέσαι. οὔτε γὰρ ὀλίγων τηλικαῦτα πράγματα δεῖται χρόνων, οὔτε ἡ νῦν στασιάζουσα ἀρχὴ φρονιμώτερον ἂν καταμάθοι τὰ συμφέροντα τῆς μετ´ αὐτὴν ἀποδειχθησομένης, ἐὰν ἐκείνη γ´, ὥσπερ ἐλπίζομεν, ὁμονοῇ. χρήσιμον δὲ πρᾶγμα ἐν πολλοῖς καὶ ἥκιστα σφαλερὸν ἀναβολή, καὶ πολλὰ ὁ χρόνος ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ μετατίθησι· καὶ τὸ μὴ στασιάζον ἐν τοῖς προεστηκόσι τῶν κοινῶν ἁπάντων ἀγαθῶν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν αἴτιον. ἐγὼ μὲν δὴ ταύτην ἀποφαίνομαι γνώμην· εἰ δέ τις ἄλλο κρεῖττον εἰσηγεῖται, λεγέτω.

[8,75] "You are aware, no doubt, of the words spoken by the tribune in the assembly when he asked one of the consuls, Verginius here, what his opinion was concerning the allotment of the land, whether he consented to divide the public possessions among the citizens but not among the allies, or would not consent that even we should receive a share of what belongs to us all in common. And Verginius admitted that he was not attempting to hinder the allotting of the (p229) land so far as it related to us Romans, if this seemed best to everybody. This concession not only caused the tribunes to espouse our cause, but also rendered the populace more reasonable. What has come over us, then, that we are now to change our mind about what we then conceded? Or what advantage shall we gain by pursuing our noble and excellent principles of government, principles worthy of our supremacy, if we cannot persuade those who are to make use of them? But we shall not persuade them, and this not one of you fails to know. for, of all who fail to get what they want, those will feel the harshest resentment who are cheated of their hopes and are not getting what has been agreed upon. Surely the politician whose principle it is to please will run off with them again, and after that not one even of the tribunes will stand by us. Hear, therefore, what I advise you to do, and the amendment I add to the motion of Appius; but do not rise up or create any disturbance before you have heard all I have to say. After you have appointed commissioners, whether ten or whatever number, to inspect the land and fix its boundaries, empower them to determine which and how great a part of it should be held in common and, by being let for five years, increase the revenues of the treasury, and again, how great a part and which should be divided among our plebeians. And whatever land they appoint to be allotted you should allot after determining whether it shall be distributed among all the citizens, or among those who have no land as yet, or among those who have the lowest property rating, or in whatever manner you shall (p231) think proper. As regards the men who are to fix the bounds of the land and the decree you will publish concerning its division and everything else that is necessary, I advise, since the present consuls have but a short time to continue in office, that their successors shall carry out these purposes in such manner as they think will be for the best. For not only do matters of such moment require no little time, but the present consuls, who are at variance, can hardly be expected to show greater insight in discovering what is advantageous than their successors, if, as we hope, the latter shall be harmonious. For delay is in many cases a useful thing and anything but danger, and time brings about many changes in a single day; furthermore, the absence of dissension among those who preside over the public business is the cause of all the blessings enjoyed by states. As for me, this is the opinion I have to express; but if anyone has anything better to propose, let him speak."