[14,13] Τοῦ ὑπάτου Μαρκίου Πριβερνάτας πολιορκοῦντος, ἐπεὶ οὐδεμία τούτοις σωτηρίας ἐλπὶς ὑπελείπετο, ἐπρεσβεύοντο πρὸς αὐτόν· τοῦ δ´ εἰπόντος· φράσατέ μοι, πῶς αὐτοὶ κολάζετε τοὺς ἀφισταμένους ὑμῶν οἰκέτας; ἀποκρίνεται πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ πρεσβευτής· ὡς δεῖ κολάζεσθαι τοὺς ποθοῦντας ἀπολαβεῖν τὴν ἔμφυτον ἐλευθερίαν. καὶ ὁ Μάρκιος ἀποδεξάμενος αὐτοῦ τὴν παρρησίαν φησίν· ἐὰν δὲ δὴ καὶ πεισθῶμεν ὑμῖν ἀφεῖναι τὰς ὀργάς, τίνα δώσετε πίστιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδὲν ἔτι ποιήσειν ἐχθρῶν ἔργον; ἀποκρίνεται πάλιν ὁ πρεσβευτής· ἐπὶ σοὶ τοῦτ´ ἔστι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις Ῥωμαίοις, Μάρκιε· κομισάμενοι μὲν γὰρ ἅμα τῇ πατρίδι καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν βέβαιοι διὰ παντὸς ὑμῖν ἐσόμεθα φίλοι, δουλεύειν δ´ ἀναγκασθέντες οὐδέποτε. ἠγάσθη τε δὴ τῆς μεγαλοφροσύνης τοὺς ἄνδρας ὁ Μάρκιος καὶ τὴν πολιορκίαν ἔλυσε.

[14,13] When the consul Marcius was besieging Privernum no hope of saving themselves was left to the inhabitants, they sent envoys to him. To his query, "Tell me, how do you yourselves punish your household slaves who run away from you? the envoy answered: "As those must be punished who long to recover their native freedom." 2 Marcius, accepting his frankness of speech, asked: "If, then, (p281) we listen to you and give up our anger, what assurance will you give us that you will not again commit any hostile act?" The envoy answered again: "That rests with you and the other Romans, Marcius. For if we get back our liberty along with our country, we shall be your staunch friends always; but if we are compelled to be slaves, never." Marcius admired the lofty spirit of the men and raised the siege.