[11,21] Ταύτην ἀποδειξαμένου τὴν γνώμην Οὐαλερίου κεχαρισμένην τοῖς πλείοσιν, ὡς ἐκ τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῶν εἰκάσαι ῥᾴδιον ἦν, καὶ τῶν μετ´ ἐκεῖνον ἀνισταμένων - ἦν δ´ αὐτῶν τὸ νέον τῆς βουλῆς μέρος τὸ λειπόμενον - ταῦτα ἡγουμένων κράτιστα εἶναι πλὴν ὀλίγων, ἐπειδὴ πάντες ἀπεδείξαντο τὰς ἑαυτῶν γνώμας, καὶ τέλος ἔδει τὰ βουλεύματα λαβεῖν, Οὐαλέριος μὲν ἠξίου διαδικασίαν τοὺς δέκα προθεῖναι ταῖς γνώμαις, αὖθις ἐξ ἀρχῆς πάντας τοὺς βουλευτὰς καλοῦντας, καὶ πολλοῖς τῶν συνέδρων ἀναθέσθαι βουλομένοις τὰς προτέρας ἀποφάσεις ταῦτα λέγων πιθανὸς ἦν· Κορνήλιος δ´ ὁ συμβουλεύων τοῖς δέκα τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἐπιτρέψαι τοῦ πολέμου κατὰ τὸ καρτερὸν ἀπεμάχετο κεκρίσθαι τὸ πρᾶγμα ἤδη λέγων καὶ τέλος ἔχειν νόμιμον ἁπάντων ἐψηφικότων, ἠξίου τε διαριθμεῖν τὰς γνώμας καὶ μηδὲν ἔτι καινουργεῖν. τούτων δὲ λεγομένων ὑφ´ ἑκατέρου μετὰ πολλῆς φιλοτιμίας τε καὶ κραυγῆς, καὶ τοῦ συνεδρίου διαστάντος πρὸς ἑκάτερον, τῶν μὲν ἐπανορθώσασθαι τὴν ἀκοσμίαν τοῦ πολιτεύματος βουλομένων τῷ Οὐαλερίῳ συλλαμβανόντων, τῶν δὲ τὰ χείρω προαιρουμένων καὶ ὅσοις κίνδυνός τις ὑπωπτεύετο ἐκ τῆς μεταβολῆς ἔσεσθαι τῷ Κορνηλίῳ συναγορευόντων· λαβόντες ἀφορμὴν οἱ δέκα τοῦ πράττειν ὅ τι δόξειεν αὐτοῖς τὴν τοῦ συνεδρίου ταραχήν, τῇ Κορνηλίου προστίθενται γνώμῃ. καὶ παρελθὼν εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν, Ἄππιος, ἔφη· Περὶ τοῦ πρὸς Αἰκανοὺς καὶ Σαβίνους πολέμου συνεκαλέσαμεν ὑμᾶς, ὦ βουλή, διαγνωσομένους, καὶ λόγον ἀπεδώκαμεν ἅπασι τοῖς βουλομένοις ἀπὸ τῶν πρώτων ἄχρι τῶν νεωτάτων ἐν τῷ προσήκοντι καλοῦντες ἕκαστον τόπῳ. τριῶν δ´ ἀποδειξαμένων γνώμας διαφόρους, Κλαυδίου τε καὶ Κορνηλίου καὶ Οὐαλερίου τελευταίου, διέγνωτε περὶ αὐτῶν ὑμεῖς οἱ λοιποί, καὶ παριὼν ἕκαστος ἀπεφήνατο πάντων ἀκουόντων, ᾗ προσετίθετο γνώμῃ. ἁπάντων δὴ γεγονότων κατὰ νόμον, ἐπειδὴ τοῖς πλείοσιν ὑμῶν Κορνήλιος ἐδόκει τὰ κράτιστα ὑποθέσθαι, τοῦτον ἀπεφηνάμεθα νικᾶν καὶ τὴν ἀποδειχθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τούτου γνώμην γράψαντες ἐκφέρομεν. Οὐαλέριος δὲ καὶ οἱ μετ´ αὐτοῦ ἑστῶτες ὅταν αὐτοὶ τύχωσιν ἐξουσίας ὑπατικῆς, δίκας τ´ ἤδη τέλος ἐχούσας ἀναδίκους ποιείτωσαν, ἐὰν αὐτοῖς φίλον ᾖ, καὶ βουλεύματα διεγνωσμένα ὑπὸ πάντων ὑμῶν ἄκυρα καθιστάτωσαν. Ταῦτ´ εἰπὼν καὶ τὸν γραμματέα κελεύσας ἀναγνῶναι τὸ προβούλευμα, ἐν ᾧ τὴν καταγραφὴν τοῦ στρατοῦ καὶ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν τοῦ πολέμου τοὺς δέκα παραλαβεῖν ἐτέτακτο, διέλυσε τὸν σύλλογον.

[11,21] This opinion of Valerius pleased the (p69) majority of the senators, as was easy to conclude from their acclamations; and since those who rose up after him (those still remaining were the younger members of the senate) with few exceptions considered his measures the best, as soon as they all had delivered their own opinions and the discussion was due to be ended, Valerius asked the decemvirs to propose a division on the various opinions by calling upon all the senators over again from the beginning, and this request met with the approval of many of the senators who desired to retract their former opinions. But Cornelius, who advised giving the command of the war to the decemvirs, strenuously opposed this, declaring that the matter was already decided and legally ended, since all had voted; and he demanded that the votes be counted and that no further innovation be admitted. When these proposals were urged by both men with great contention and shouting, and the senate split toward one side and the other, the party desiring to correct the disorder in the government backing Valerius, and the party which espoused the worse cause and suspected that there would be some danger from the change giving their support to Cornelius, the decemvirs, taking advantage of the dissension in the senate to do as they saw fit, sided with the opinion of Cornelius.And Appius, one of their number, coming forward, said: "It was the war with the Aequians and Sabines, senators, which we called you together to deliberate about, and we have given all of you who so desired leave to speak, calling upon each one from the foremost (p71) down to the youngest in the proper order. And three senators having given different opinions, namely Claudius, Cornelius, last of all Valerius, the rest of you have come to your decision concerning them and each one has come forward and declared in the hearing of all which opinion he supported. Everything, therefore, having been done according to law, since the majority of you thought that Cornelius gave the best advice, we declare that he prevails, and we are engrossing and publishing the motion he made. Let Valerius and those who are leagued with him, when they shall obtain the consular power themselves, grant a rehearing, if they like, to causes already determined and annul resolutions passed by you all."Having said this and ordered the clerk to read the preliminary decree, in which it had been ordered that the enrolling of the army and the command of the war should be assumed by the decemvirs, he dismissed the meeting.