[10,34] Συναγανακτοῦντος δ´ αὐτοῖς τοῦ πλήθους ἐκάλουν τοὺς ὑπάτους ἐπὶ τὸν δῆμον ὡς τῶν πεπραγμένων ὑφέξοντας λόγον. ὡς δ´ οὐ προσεῖχον αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖνοι τὸν νοῦν, ἐπὶ τὴν βουλὴν παρῆσαν - ἔτυχον γὰρ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τούτων συνεδρεύοντες - καὶ παρελθόντες ἐδέοντο μήθ´ αὑτοὺς τὰ αἴσχιστα πεπονθότας ὑπεριδεῖν μήτε τὸν δῆμον ἀφαιρεθέντα τὴν ἐξ αὐτῶν βοήθειαν, διεξιόντες ὅσα ἦσαν πεπονθότες ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπάτων καὶ τῆς περὶ αὐτοὺς συνωμοσίας οὐ μόνον εἰς τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὰ σώματα προπηλακισθέντες. ἠξίουν τε δυεῖν θάτερον ποιεῖν τοὺς ὑπάτους· εἰ μὲν ἀρνοῦνται μηδὲν ὧν οἱ νόμοι κεκωλύκασιν εἰς τὰ τῶν δημάρχων πλημμελῆσαι σώματα, παραγενομένους εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀπομόσαι, εἰ δ´ οὐχ ὑπομένουσι τὸν ὅρκον, ἥκειν ἐπὶ τοὺς δημότας λόγον ὑφέξοντας· ἀναδώσειν γὰρ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ταῖς φυλαῖς τὴν ψῆφον. οἱ δ´ ὕπατοι πρὸς ταῦτ´ ἀπελογοῦντο διδάσκοντες, ὅτι τῆς ὕβρεως οἱ δήμαρχοι ἄρξειαν αὐθαδείᾳ χρησάμενοι καὶ τολμήσαντες εἰς ὑπάτων σώματα παρανομεῖν, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ὑπηρέταις τε καὶ ἀγορανόμοις ἐπιτάττοντες ἄγειν εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἄρχοντας, οἷς τὸ πάντων ἀποδέδοται κράτος, ἔπειτ´ αὐτοὶ τολμήσαντες ὁμόσε χωρεῖν σὺν τοῖς ἰταμωτάτοις τῶν δημοτικῶν· τάς τε ἀρχὰς διδάσκοντες ὅσον ἀλλήλων διαφέρουσιν, ἡ μὲν ὑπατικὴ τὸ τῶν βασιλέων ἔχουσα κράτος, ἡ δὲ δημαρχικὴ τῆς βοηθείας ἕνεκα παρεληλυθυῖα τῶν κατισχυομένων, ᾗ τοσούτου δεῖν ἐξεῖναι κατὰ τῶν ὑπάτων τινὸς ψῆφον ἀναδιδόναι τοῖς ὄχλοις, ὥστε μηδὲ κατὰ τῶν ἄλλων πατρικίων τοῦ φαυλοτάτου ταύτην ἀποδεδόσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἂν μὴ ἡ βουλὴ ψηφίσηται. ἠπείλουν τε, ὅταν ἐκεῖνοι ψῆφον ἀναδῶσι τοῖς δημόταις, αὐτοὶ τὰ ὅπλα περιθήσειν τοῖς πατρικίοις. τοιούτων δὴ ῥηθέντων λόγων δι´ ὅλης ἡμέρας οὐδὲν ἐξήνεγκεν ἡ βουλὴ τέλος, ἵνα μήτε τὴν τῶν ὑπάτων ἀρχὴν μειώσειε μήτε τὴν τῶν δημάρχων, ἑκάτερον ὁρῶσα μεγάλων κινδύνων αἴτιον ἐσόμενον.

[10,34] The multitude sharing in their resentment, the tribunes summoned the consuls to appear before their assembly in order to render an account of their actions. But as these paid no heed to them, they went to the senate, which happened to be deliberating about this very matter, and coming forward, asked the members not to permit either (p283) the tribunes themselves to be treated in a most outrageous manner or the populace to be deprived of their assistance. They enumerated all the injuries they had received at the hands of the consuls and their faction, who had insulted not only their authority but also their persons; and they asked that the consuls do one of two things — either, in case they denied that they had done any wrong against the persons of the tribunes contrary to the laws, that they go before the popular assembly and make their denial under oath, or, if they could not bring themselves to take that oath, that they appear before the plebeians to render an account of their conduct; and they (the tribunes) would take the vote of the tribes concerning them. The consuls defended themselves against these charges by saying that the tribunes had begun the violence by their arrogant behaviour and by daring to commit lawless acts against the persons of the consuls, first by ordering their attendants and the aediles to hale to prison magistrates in whom the whole power of the commonwealth is vested, and later by entering the struggle themselves together with the boldest of the plebeians. They pointed out how great a difference there is between the two magistracies — between the consulship, in which the royal power resides, and the tribuneship, which was introduced for the relief of the oppressed and, far from having the right to take the vote of the masses against one of the consuls, has not been given authority to do so against even the meanest of the other patricians, unless the senate shall so vote. And they threatened that they themselves would arm the patricians when the tribunes should take the votes of the plebeians. After such recriminations (p285) had lasted the whole day, the senate came to no decision, being unwilling to lessen the power of either the consuls or the tribunes, since they saw that either course would be stand attended with great dangers.