[11,29] Σιωπῆς δὲ γενομένης Μάρκος Κλαύδιος ὁ τῆς παιδὸς ἐπιλαβόμενος τοιοῦτον διεξῆλθε λόγον· Οὐδὲν οὔτε προπετὲς οὔτε βίαιον πέπρακταί μοι περὶ τὴν κόρην, Ἄππιε Κλαύδιε· κύριος δ´ αὐτῆς ὢν κατὰ τοὺς νόμους ἄγω. ὃν δὲ τρόπον ἐστὶν ἐμή, μάθε. ἔστι μοι θεράπαινα πατρικὴ πολλοὺς πάνυ δουλεύουσα χρόνους. ταύτην κύουσαν ἡ Οὐεργινίου γυνὴ συνήθη καὶ εἰσοδίαν οὖσαν ἔπεισεν ἐὰν τέκῃ, δοῦναι τὸ παιδίον αὐτῇ. κἀκείνη φυλάττουσα τὰς ὑποσχέσεις γενομένης αὐτῇ ταύτης τῆς θυγατρὸς πρὸς μὲν ἡμᾶς ἐσκήψατο νεκρὸν τεκεῖν, τῇ δὲ Νομιτωρίᾳ δίδωσι τὸ παιδίον· ἡ δὲ λαβοῦσα ὑποβάλλεται καὶ τρέφει παίδων οὔτ´ ἀρρένων οὔτε θηλειῶν οὖσα μήτηρ. πρότερον οὖν ἐλάνθανέ με ταῦτα, νῦν δὲ διὰ μηνύσεως ἐπιγνοὺς καὶ μάρτυρας ἔχων πολλοὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς καὶ τὴν θεράπαιναν ἐξητακὼς ἐπὶ τὸν κοινὸν ἁπάντων καταφεύγω νόμον, ὃς οὐ τῶν ὑποβαλλομένων, ἀλλὰ τῶν μητέρων εἶναι τὰ ἔκγονα δικαιοῖ, ἐλευθέρων μὲν οὐσῶν ἐλεύθερα, δούλων δὲ δοῦλα, τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἔχοντα κυρίους, οὓς ἂν καὶ αἱ μητέρες αὐτῶν ἔχωσι. κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν νόμον ἀξιῶ τὴν θυγατέρα τῆς ἐμῆς θεραπαίνης ἄγειν καὶ δίκας ὑπέχειν βουλόμενος, ἐὰν ἀντιποιῆταί τις ἐγγυητὰς καθιστὰς ἀξιοχρέους ἄξειν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν δίκην· εἰ δὲ ταχεῖαν βούλεταί τις γενέσθαι τὴν διάγνωσιν, ἕτοιμος ἐπὶ σοῦ λέγειν τὴν δίκην αὐτίκα μάλα, καὶ μὴ διεγγυᾶν τὸ σῶμα μηδ´ ἀναβολὰς τῷ πράγματι προσάγειν· ὁποτέραν δ´ ἂν οὗτοι βουληθῶσι τῶν αἱρέσεων, ἑλέσθωσαν.

[11,29] When silence had been obtained, Marcus Claudius, who had seized the girl, spoke to this effect: "I have done nothing either rash or violent in regard to the girl, Appius Claudius; but, as I am her master, I am taking her according to the laws. Hear now by what means she is mine.I have a female slave who (p99) belonged to my father and has served a great many years. This slave, being with child, was persuaded by the wife of Verginius, whom she was acquainted with and used to visit, to give her the child when she should bear it. and she, keeping her promise, when this daughter was born, pretended to us that she had given birth to a dead child, but she gave the babe to Numitoria; and the latter, taking the child, palmed it off as her own and reared it, although she was the mother of no children either male nor female. Hitherto I was ignorant of all this; but now, having learned of it through information given me and having many credible witnesses and having also examined the slave, I have recourse to the law, common to all mankind, which declares it right that the offspring belong, not to those who palm off others' children as their own, but to their mothers, the children of freeborn mothers being free, and those of slave mothers slaves, having the same masters as their mothers.In virtue of this law I claim the right to take the daughter of my slave woman, consenting to submit to a trial and, if anyone puts in a counter claim, offering sufficient securities that I will produce her at the trial. But if anyone wishes to have the decision rendered speedily, I am ready to plead my cause before you at once, instead of offering pledges for her person and interposing delays to the action. Let this claimants choose whichever of these alternatives they wish."