[11,32] Ἔτι δ´ αὐτοῦ βουλομένου λέγειν οἱ μὲν ῥαβδοῦχοι κελευσθέντες ὑπὸ τῆς ἐξουσίας ἀνεῖργον αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ βήματος καὶ πειθαρχεῖν τοῖς κεκριμένοις ἐκέλευον· ὁ δὲ Κλαύδιος ἐπιλαβόμενος τῆς παιδὸς ἀπάγειν ἐβούλετο τοῦ θείου καὶ τοῦ μνηστῆρος ἀντεχομένην. ἰδόντες δὲ πένθος ἐλεεινὸν οἱ περὶ τὸ βῆμα πάντες ἀνέκραγον ἅμα καὶ παρ´ οὐδὲν ἡγησάμενοι τὴν τοῦ κρατοῦντος ἐξουσίαν ὠθοῦνται τοῖς βιαζομένοις ὁμόσε, ὥστε δείσαντα τὴν ἐπιφορὰν αὐτῶν τὸν Κλαύδιον τήν τε κόρην ἀφεῖναι καὶ ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ στρατηγοῦ καταφυγεῖν. ὁ δ´ Ἄππιος καταρχὰς μὲν εἰς πολλὴν ταραχὴν κατέστη ἠγριωμένους ἅπαντας ὁρῶν καὶ πολὺν ἠπόρει χρόνον, ὅ τι χρὴ ποιεῖν, ἔπειτα τὸν Κλαύδιον καλέσας ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα καὶ μικρὰ διαλεχθεὶς πρὸς αὐτὸν ὡς ἐδόκει, τοῖς τε περιεστῶσι διασημήνας ἡσυχίαν παρασχεῖν λέγει τοιάδε· Ἐγὼ τὸ μὲν ἀκριβές, ὦ δημόται, περὶ τῆς διεγγυήσεως τοῦ σώματος, ἐπειδὴ τραχυνομένους ὑμᾶς πρὸς τὴν ἀπόφασιν ὁρῶ, παρίημι· χαρίζεσθαι δ´ ὑμῖν βουλόμενος πέπεικα τὸν ἐμαυτοῦ πελάτην ἐᾶσαι μὲν τοῖς συγγενέσι τῆς παρθένου δοῦναι τὴν διεγγύησιν, ἕως ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῆς παραγένηται. ἀπάγεσθε οὖν, ὦ Νομιτώριε, τὴν κόρην, καὶ τὴν ἐγγύην ὁμολογεῖτε περὶ αὐτῆς εἰς τὴν αὔριον ἡμέραν. ἀπόχρη γὰρ ὁ χρόνος ὑμῖν οὗτος ἀπαγγεῖλαί τε Οὐεργινίῳ τήμερον καὶ τριῶν ἢ τεττάρων ὡρῶν αὔριον ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος δεῦρο ἀγαγεῖν. πλείονα δ´ αὐτῶν χρόνον αἰτουμένων οὐδὲν ἔτι ἀποκρινάμενος ἀνέστη καὶ τὸν δίφρον ἐκέλευσεν ἆραι.

[11,32] While he wished to go on speaking, the lictors by order of the magistrate kept him and his friends back from the tribunal and commanded them to obey the sentence; and Claudius laid hold on the girl as she clung to her uncle and her betrothed, and attempted to lead her away. But the people who stood round the tribunal, upon seeing her piteous grief, all cried out together, and disregarding the authority of the magistrate, crowded upon those who were endeavouring to use force with her, so that Claudius, fearing their violence, let the girl go and fled for refuge to the feet of the general. Appius was at first greatly disturbed as he saw all the people (p109) enraged, and for a considerable time was in doubt what he ought to do. Then, after calling Claudius to the tribunal and conversing a little with him, as it seemed, he made a sign for the bystanders to be silent and said: "I am waiving the strict letter of the law, citizens, relative to the bailing of her person, inasmuch as I see you growing exasperated at the sentence I have pronounced; and desiring to gratify you, I have prevailed upon my client to consent that the relations of the maiden shall go bail for her till the arrival of her father.Do you men, therefore, take the girl away, Numitorius, and acknowledge yourselves bound for her appearance to-morrow. For this much time is sufficient for you both to give Verginius notice to-day and to bring him here from the camp in three or four hours to-morrow." When they asked for more time, he gave no answer but rose up and ordered his seat to be taken away.