[10,40] Τοιαῦτ´ εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ τὸ μὲν πλῆθος οὕτως οἰκείως διετέθη πρὸς τοὺς λόγους καὶ τοσαύτην ἀπεδείξατο ἀγανάκτησιν πρὸς τὸ ἀντίπαλον, ὥσθ´, ὅπερ ἔφην καὶ κατ´ ἀρχάς, μηδὲ λόγον ἔτι βούλεσθαι τῶν ἀντιλεξόντων ὑπομένειν. ὁ μέντοι δήμαρχος Ἰκίλλιος ἀναστὰς τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἔφη πάντα ὀρθῶς εἰπεῖν Σίκκιον καὶ μακρὸν ἔπαινον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς διεξῆλθε· τὸ δὲ μὴ μεταδιδόναι λόγου τοῖς ἀντιλέξαι βουλομένοις οὔτε δίκαιον ἀπέφαινεν οὔτε πολιτικόν, ἄλλως τε καὶ περὶ νόμου τῆς ζητήσεως γινομένης, ὃς ἔμελλε κρείττονα ποιήσειν τὴν δίκην τῆς βίας. ταύτῃ γὰρ ἀφορμῇ χρήσεσθαι τοὺς μηδὲν ἴσως καὶ δικαίως τοῖς πολλοῖς φρονοῦντας τοῦ ταράττειν πάλιν καὶ διιστάναι τὰ συμφέροντα τῆς πόλεως. ταῦτ´ εἰπὼν καὶ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἀποδείξας ἡμέραν τοῖς κατηγόροις τοῦ νόμου διέλυσε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. οἱ δὲ ὕπατοι συναγαγόντες ἰδιωτικὸν συνέδριον πατρικίων τῶν ἀνδρειοτάτων τε καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τῇ πόλει τότ´ ἀνθούντων ἐδίδασκον αὐτούς, ὡς κωλυτέος εἴη σφίσιν ὁ νόμος, λόγοις μὲν πρῶτον, ἐὰν δὲ μὴ πείθωσι τὸν δῆμον, ἔργοις. ἐκέλευόν τε ἅπασιν ἥκειν ἕωθεν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἅμα τοῖς ἑταίροις τε καὶ πελάταις, ὅσοις ἂν ἕκαστοι πλείστοις δύνωνται. ἔπειτα τοὺς μὲν περὶ αὐτὸ τὸ βῆμα καὶ τὸ ἐκκλησιαστήριον ἑστῶτας ὑπομένειν, τοὺς δὲ κατὰ πολλὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς μέρη συστρέψαντας ἑαυτοὺς διαστῆναι, ὥστε διειλῆφθαι τὸ δημοτικὸν διεσπασμένον καὶ κωλύεσθαι πρὸς αὐτῶν εἰς ἓν συνελθεῖν. ἐδόκει ταῦτα κράτιστα εἶναι, καὶ πρὶν ἡμέραν λαμπρὰν γενέσθαι τὰ πολλὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς κατείχετο ὑπὸ τῶν πατρικίων.

[10,40] When he had spoken to this effect, the plebeians were so won over by his words and showed so great indignation against their adversaries that, as I said at the outset, they were unwilling to tolerate even another word from those who were intending to speak against the law. Icilius the tribune, however, rose and said that everything else Siccius had said was excellent, and he praised the man at length; but as to not permitting those who wished to oppose the measure to speak, that, he declared, was neither just nor democratic, especially as the debate was about a law which would make justice superior to violence. For such an opportunity would be used by those who entertained no sentiments of equality and justice toward the masses to disturb them again and cause factious divisions about the interests of the commonwealth. Having spoken thus and assigned (p303) the following day to the opponents of the law, he dismissed the assembly. The consuls, on their side, called a private meeting of those patricians who were the bravest and in the highest repute in the city at the time, and showed them that they must hinder the law from passing, first by their words, and if they could not persuade the populace, then by their deeds. They bade them all come early in the morning to the Forum with as many friends and clients as each of them could get together; then some of them should take their stand round the tribunal itself and the comitium and remain there, while others, forming in groups, took up positions in many different parts of the Forum, in order to keep the plebeians divided and hinder them from uniting in one body. This seemed to be the best plan, and before it was broad daylight the greater part of the Forum was occupied by the patricians.