[12,2] Ὡς δ´ ἐμηνύθη τῇ βουλῇ, δικτάτορα προχειρίζονται, ὁ δὲ τὸν ἱππάρχην - - - ἐκέλευσεν ἔχοντι τοὺς ἱππεῖς ἥκειν ὡς αὐτὸν περὶ μέσας νύκτας, τοῖς δὲ βουλευταῖς εἰς τὸ Καπιτώλιον ἕωθεν ἔτι συλλέγεσθαι, τῷ δὲ Μηνυκίῳ τόν τε μηνυτὴν ἄγοντι καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἀποδείξεις κομίζοντι πρὸς τὸ βῆμα παρεῖναι, ἅπασι δὲ φυλάττειν ἀπόρρητα πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω τοῦ συνεδρίου τὰ βουλεύματα· μίαν εἶναι λέγων ἀσφάλειαν, εἰ μηδὲν ὁ Μαίλιος ἀκούσειε τῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ λεγομένων τε καὶ πραττομένων. διατάξας δὲ τἆλλα ὅσων ἐδεῖτο, μέχρι δύσεως ἡλίου πάντας ἐν τῷ βουλευτηρίῳ κατασχὼν σκότους ὄντος ἤδη διέλυσε τὸν σύλλογον· ὡς δὲ μέση νὺξ ἐγένετο, προελθὼν ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας - - - ἐξῄει περὶ τὸν ὄρθρον τοὺς ἐπιλέκτους ἀμφοτέρων τῶν ὑπάτων ἐπαγόμενος καὶ αὐτοὺς τοὺς ὑπάτους. οὗτοι μὲν οὖν τὸ Καπιτώλιον ἅμα τοῖς βουλευταῖς ἕωθεν κατειληφότες ἐφρούρουν· ὁ δὲ Μαίλιος οὐδὲν ἀκηκοὼς τούτων ἡμέρας γενομένης προελθὼν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐχρημάτιζε τοῖς δεομένοις ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος καθεζόμενος· καὶ μετ´ οὐ πολὺ παρῆν ὁ ἵππαρχος Σερουίλιος πρὸς αὐτὸν ἄγων τοὺς ἀκμαιοτάτους τῶν ἱππέων ἔχοντας ὑπὸ τοῖς ἱματίοις ξίφη καὶ στὰς πλησίον αὐτοῦ λέγει· ὁ δικτάτωρ σε κελεύει, Μαίλιε, πρὸς αὐτὸν ἥκειν· κἀκεῖνος ὑποτυχών, ποῖος, ἔφη, κελεύει με, Σερουίλιε, δικτάτωρ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν, ὁ ποῦ καὶ πότε γενόμενος; καὶ ἅμα διαταραχθεὶς περιέβλεψεν εἰς τοὺς περὶ τὸ βῆμα. ἀφασίας δὲ ἅπαντας κατασχούσης διὰ τὸ μηδένα γιγνώσκειν τὰ πραχθέντα ὑπὸ τῆς βουλῆς λέγει πάλιν ὁ Σερουίλιος· εἰσηγγέλθης χθὲς εἰς τὴν βουλήν, ὦ Μαίλιε, νεωτέροις ἐπιχειρεῖν πράγμασιν, ἴσως οὐκ ἀληθῶς· οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἄξιον ἀπὸ τῆς αἰτίας προκαταγιγνώσκειν. ταύτην ἐξετάσαι τὴν μήνυσιν ἡ βουλὴ προελομένη δικτάτορος ἔφησε δεῖν τοῖς πράγμασιν, ὡς οὐ τὸν ἐλάχιστον τῶν κινδύνων τρέχουσα, καὶ ἀπέδειξε τῆς ἐξουσίας ταύτης κύριον Λεύκιον Κοίντιον Κικιννᾶτον, ὃν οἶσθα δήπου καὶ σὺ κράτιστον ὄντα τῶν πατρικίων καὶ δὶς ἤδη ταύτην ἀνεπιλήπτως τετελεκότα τὴν ἀρχήν. οὗτος ὁ ἀνὴρ δικαστήριόν σοι καθίσαι καὶ λόγον ἀποδοῦναι βουλόμενος ἀπέσταλκεν ἡμᾶς, ἐμὲ τὸν ἵππαρχον ἅμα τοῖσδε τοῖς ἀνδράσιν, ἄξοντας σε ἀσφαλῶς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπολογίαν. εἰ δὲ μηδὲν ἀδικεῖν πέποιθας, ἴθι καὶ λέγε τὰ δίκαια περὶ σαυτοῦ πρὸς ἄνδρα φιλόπολιν, ὃς οὔτε διὰ τὸν κοινὸν φθόνον οὔτε δι´ ἄλλην ἄδικον πρόφασιν οὐδεμίαν ἐκποδὼν ποιῆσαί σε βουλήσεται. ὁ δ´ ὡς ἤκουσεν, ἀναπηδᾷ τε καὶ μεγάλα ἀναβοήσας, ἄνδρες, ἔφη, δημοτικοί, βοηθεῖτέ μοι συναρπαζομένῳ διὰ τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς εὔνοιαν ὑπὸ τῶν δυνατῶν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ δίκην {καλοῦμαι} πρὸς αὐτῶν, ἀλλ´ ἐπὶ θάνατον καλοῦμαι. βοῆς δὲ γενομένης καὶ θορύβου πολλοῦ περὶ τὸ βῆμα συγγνούς, ὅτι πλείους εἰσὶ τῶν βοηθούντων οἱ συλλαμβάνειν μέλλοντες αὐτόν, καὶ οὐ μακρὰν ἑτέρους ὑποκαθῆσθαι ἐν ὅπλοις, καταπηδᾷ ταχέως ἀπὸ τοῦ βήματος καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἐχώρει δρόμῳ σπεύδων εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καταφυγεῖν. καταλαμβανόμενος δ´ ὑπὸ τῶν ἱππέων εἰς ἐργαστήριον εἰστρέχει μαγειρικὸν καὶ κοπίδα τῶν κρεοκόπων ἁρπάσας παίει τὸν πρῶτον αὐτῷ προσελθόντα. ἔπειτα πολλῶν ἐπιπεσόντων ἀθρόων ἀμυνόμενος καὶ βραχὺν ἀντισχὼν χρόνον ἀπεκόπη ὑπό τινος τὸν βραχίονα καὶ πίπτει καὶ κατακοπεὶς ὥσπερ θηρίον ἀποθνήσκει. Μαίλιος μὲν δὴ μεγάλων ὀρεχθεὶς πραγμάτων καὶ μικροῦ πάνυ δεήσας τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίαν κατασχεῖν οὕτως ἀζήλου καὶ πικρᾶς καταστροφῆς ἔτυχεν. ἐξενεχθέντος δ´ εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν τοῦ νεκροῦ καὶ γενηθέντος πᾶσι φανεροῦ δρόμος ἦν καὶ βοὴ καὶ θόρυβος ἁπάντων τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν τῶν μὲν οἰκτειρόντων, τῶν δὲ ἀγανακτούντων, τῶν δὲ ὁμόσε τοῖς δεδρακόσι χωρεῖν ἐσπουδακότων. τοιαύτης δὲ ταραχῆς γενομένης μαθὼν ὁ δικτάτωρ, ὅτι διαπέπρακται τοῖς ἱππεῦσι τὸ προσταχθὲν ἔργον, κατέβαινεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἄκρας εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν τούς τε βουλευτὰς ἐπαγόμενος ἅπαντας καὶ τοὺς ἱππεῖς περὶ ἑαυτὸν ἔχων γυμνὰ φαίνοντας ξίφη· καὶ δημηγορήσας ἐπ´ ἐκκλησίας ἀπέλυσε τὸν ὄχλον.

[12,2] When the information had been given to the senate, they chose a dictator, and he, having appointed his Master of Horse, ordered him to come to him with the knights about midnight, and he ordered the senators to assemble on the Capitol while it was still early morning; he commanded Minucius to appear before the tribunal bringing along the informer and the proofs as well, and bade all to keep these plans secret from everybody outside the senate, declaring that there was just one means of safety, which was for Maelius to hear naught of what was being said or done about him. 2 After making all the other necessary arrangements, he kept all the members in the senate-house until sunset, and only dismissed the session when it was already dark. When it was midnight, setting out from his house - - - he went forth about dawn, taking along the chosen forces of both consuls and the consuls themselves. 3 These together with the senators seized the Capitol at dawn and kept it under guard. (p207) Maelius, who had heard nothing of all this, proceeded to the Forum when day had come, and seated upon the tribunal, gave advice to those who consulted him. In a short time the Master of Horse, Servilius, appeared before him with the flower of the knights, who carried swords under their clothing; and halting near him, he said: 4 "The dictator commands you, Maelius, to come to him." And the other, answering, said: "What dictator, Servilius, commands me to go to him? Where and when did he become dictator? At the same time he looked round in consternation at the people surrounding the tribunal. When all were speechless, inasmuch as no one was aware of the action taken by the senate, Servilius said once more: "An act of impeachment was brought against you yesterday before the senate, Maelius, for attempting a revolution; perhaps the charge was false, for it is not right to prejudge anyone on the basis of the charge alone. 5 The senate, having decided to investigate the report, declared that the situation required a dictator, since they were running no slight risk; and they invested with this authority Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus, who, as you yourself are doubtless aware, is the best of the patricians and has twice already discharged the duties of this magistracy in an irreproachable manner. 6 This man, desiring to set up a court to try you and to give you an opportunity to defend yourself, has sent us — me, the Master of Horse, together with these men here — to conduct you in safety to make your defence. If you are confident you have done no wrong, come and offer your justification before a man who loves his country and will not wish to put you out of the way either because of the general ill will toward you or (p209) or any other unjust ground." 7 Maelius, upon hearing this, leaped up and cried out in a loud voice: "Plebeians, help me; for I am being snatched away by the men in power because of my goodwill toward you. For it is not to a trial that I am summoned by them, but to death." When a clamour arose and there was a great uproar round the tribunal, Maelius, aware that those who were intending to arrest him were more numerous than those who were rallying to his aid and that not far away others were lying in wait under arms, quickly leaped down from the tribunal and ran off through the Forum in his haste to reach the refuge of his own home. 8 But when he was being overtaken by the knights, he ran into a butcher's shop, and seizing a cleaver used by the meat-cutters, he struck the first man who approached him. Then, when many fell upon him at once, he defended himself and held out for a short time; but soon his arm was cut off by someone and he fell down, and being hacked in pieces, died like a wild beast. 9 Thus Maelius, who craved greatness and came very close to gaining the leadership over the Roman people, came to an unenviable and bitter end. When his body had been carried into the Forum and exposed to the view of all the citizens, there was a rush thither and a clamour and uproar on the part of all who were in the Forum, as some bewailed his fate, others angrily protested, and still others were eager to come to blows with the perpetrators of the deed. 10 The dictator, (p211) apprised by such a tumult that the knights had carried out the task assigned to them, descended from the citadel to the Forum, bringing with him all the senators and surrounded by the knights displaying naked swords; and after haranguing the people in their assembly he dismissed the crowd.