[11,5] Ὡς δὲ ταῦτ´ εἶπεν, ὁ Φάβιος ἐκάθητο ὑπ´ αἰσχύνης οὐδὲν ἀποκρινόμενος, Ἄππιος δὲ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ δέκα πάντες ἀναπηδήσαντες ἐκώλυον αὐτὸν λέγειν. θορύβου δὲ πολλοῦ κατασχόντος τὸ συνέδριον καὶ τῶν μὲν πλείστων ἀγανακτούντων, τῶν δ´ ἐκ τῆς ἑταιρείας αὐτοὺς λέγειν ὀρθῶς ἡγουμένων, ἀνίσταται Μάρκος Ὁράτιος ὁ Βαρβᾶτος ἐπικληθεὶς ἀπόγονος Ὁρατίου τοῦ συνυπατεύσαντος Ποπλίῳ Οὐαλερίῳ Ποπλικόλᾳ μετὰ τὴν ἐκβολὴν τῶν βασιλέων, ἀνὴρ καὶ τὰ πολεμικὰ δεινὸς καὶ λέγειν οὐκ ἀδύνατος, Οὐαλερίῳ δ´ ἐκ παλαιοῦ φίλος· ὃς οὐκέτι κατασχὼν τὴν χολὴν ἔφησε· Θᾶττόν μ´ ἀναγκάσετε, Ἄππιε, τοὺς χαλινοὺς διαρρῆξαι οὐκέτι μετριάζοντες, ἀλλὰ τὸν Ταρκύνιον ἐκεῖνον ἐνδυόμενοι, οἵ γ´ οὐδὲ λόγου τυχεῖν ἐᾶτε τοὺς περὶ σωτηρίας τῶν κοινῶν βουλομένους λέγειν. πότερον ὑμῶν ἐξελήλυθεν ἐκ τῆς διανοίας, ὅτι σώζονται μὲν οἱ Οὐαλερίων ἀπόγονοι τῶν ἐξελασάντων τὴν τυραννίδα, λείπεται δὲ διαδοχὴ τῆς Ὁρατίων οἰκίας, οἷς πάτριόν ἐστιν ὁμόσε χωρεῖν τοῖς καταδουλουμένοις τὴν πατρίδα καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ μόνοις; ἢ τοσαύτην κατεγνώκατε καὶ ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ῥωμαίων ἀνανδρίαν, ὥστ´ ἀγαπήσειν ἐάν τις ἐᾷ ζῆν ἡμᾶς ὁπωσδήποτε, ὑπὲρ ἐλευθερίας δὲ καὶ παρρησίας μήτ´ ἐρεῖν μήτε πράξειν μηθέν; ἢ μεθύετε τῷ μεγέθει τῆς ἐξουσίας; ὑμεῖς Οὐαλερίου λόγον ἀφελεῖσθε ἢ τῶν ἄλλων τινὸς βουλευτῶν τίνες ὄντες ἢ ποίαν ἀρχὴν ἔχοντες νόμιμον; οὐκ εἰς ἐνιαυτὸν ἀπεδείχθητε τῶν κοινῶν προστάται; οὐ παρῴχηκεν ὁ τῆς ἀρχῆς ὑμῶν χρόνος; οὐκ ἰδιῶται τῷ νόμῳ γεγόνατε; ταῦτ´ εἰς τὸν δῆμον βουλεύεσθε ἐξενεγκεῖν. τί γὰρ δὴ καὶ τὸ κωλῦον ἔσται τὸν βουλόμενον ἡμῶν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν συγκαλεῖν, καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ὑμῶν, ἣν παρὰ τοὺς νόμους ἔχετε, κατηγορεῖν; ἀνάδοτε τοῖς πολίταις ψῆφον ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τούτου, πότερα δεῖ μένειν τὴν δεκαδαρχίαν ὑμῶν, ἢ τὰς πατρίους πάλιν ἀποδείκνυσθαι ἀρχάς· κἂν τοῦτο μανεὶς ὁ δῆμος ὑπομείνῃ, πάλιν τὴν αὐτὴν κατάστασιν ἔχετε καὶ κωλύετε λέγειν, ὁπόσα βούλεταί τις ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος. ἄξιοι γὰρ ἂν εἴημεν καὶ ταῦτα καὶ ἔτι χείρονα τούτων πάσχειν ἐφ´ ὑμῖν γενόμενοι καὶ ῥυπαίνοντες αἰσχρῷ βίῳ τὰς ἑαυτῶν τε καὶ τῶν προγόνων ἀρετάς.

[11,5] When Valerius had spoken thus, Fabius sat still through shame and made no answer; but Appius and all the other decemvirs, leaping up, sought to hinder Valerius from going on. Upon this, a great tumult filled the senate-chamber, the greater part of the senators expressing their resentment, while those who belonged to the decemvirs' faction justified what they said. Then Marcus Horatius, surnamed Barbatus, a descendant of that Horatius who had been consul with Publius Valerius Publicola after the expulsion of the kings, rose up, a man of great ability in warfare and not lacking in eloquence, and long a friend to Valerius. This man, unable longer to contain his resentment, said: "You decemvirs will very soon force me, Appius, to break through all restrain by your want of moderation and by acting the part of the haughty Tarquin, — you who do not even grant a hearing to those who desire to speak in the interest of the safety of the commonwealth. (p21) Has it slipped your mind that there still survive the descendants of that Valerius who banished the tyranny and that there are left successors of the house of the Horatii in whom it is hereditary to oppose, both with others and alone, those who would enslave their country? Or have you decided that both we and the rest of the Romans have so mean a spirit that we shall be content to be permitted to enjoy life on any terms whatever and will neither say nor do anything in favour of liberty and freedom of speech? Or are you intoxicated with the greatness of your power? Who are you men, of what legal magistracy do you hold, that you are going to deprive Valerius or any other senator of the privilege of speaking? Were you not ap leaders of the commonwealth for a year Has not the term of your magistracy expired? Have you not become private citizens by law? Plan to lay these matters before the people. For what is going to hinder any of us from assembling them and from challenging the authority which you are exercising contrary to the laws? Permit the citizens to vote upon this very point, whether your decemvirate shall continue or the traditional magistracies be re-established; and if the people are so mad as to submit to the former course, then enjoy once more the same régime and prevent anyone from saying what he wishes in defence of his country. For we should deserve to suffer not only this but even a worse fate if we let ourselves get into your power and sullied by a (p23) disgraceful life both our own virtues and those of our ancestors."