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they made, and turning upon one another they did many terrible things, so that the populace did not even keep their hands off the generals. For they struck their attendants and broke their rods, and they brought the generals themselves to trial on every pretext, both great and small. Appius Claudius, therefore, even during his term of office itself, they planned to throw into prison, both because he opposed them in everything and because he had decimated the men who served with him, when they had given way in battle to the Volscians. And decimation was something of this sort. Whenever the soldiers committed some great fault, the general, counting them into groups of ten, taking one from each group of ten, the one chosen by lot, punished with death. And Claudius, after he had departed from office, the men of the plebs immediately brought to trial, and although they did not vote against him, by postponing the vote they brought him to the necessity of suicide. And some of the tribunes both drew up other measures against the patricians and also that it be permitted to the plebs to assemble by itself and without them to deliberate and transact business on all things whatsoever it wished. And if anyone for some charge should be fined by the generals, they ordained that the people should judge these cases on appeal. And they increased the aediles and the tribunes, so that they might have as many of their own leaders as possible. While these things were being done, the patricians openly did not oppose them very much, except for a few things, but secretly they murdered many of the most audacious. But this did not restrain the rest, nor that once nine tribunes 2.138 were given to the fire by the people. For not only were those who served as tribunes after this not blunted, but they even grew more audacious. To this point the mob was brought by the patricians. For they were not persuaded to go on campaign when wars were imminent, unless they obtained what they desired, and if ever they did go out, they fought without enthusiasm, unless they had accomplished all that they wanted. And from this, many of their neighbors, taking courage either from their dissension or from their own strength, revolted. Of whom were also the Aequi, who, having conquered Marcus Minucius, who was then general, became proud. But learning that Minucius was defeated, those in Rome chose Lucius Quintius as dictator, a poor man and one who lived by farming, but distinguished for virtue and moderation, although letting his hair grow into curls, from which he was also named Cincinnatus. like many now around the palace; and since the evil crept in from there into the state, it is possible to see men with curled hair everywhere. This man, therefore, having been appointed dictator, and having marched out on the same day, and having employed speed with safety, and having attacked the Aequi with Minucius, destroyed most of them, and took the rest alive; whom he sent under the yoke and released. And the practice of the yoke was something like this. They would fix two stakes, that is, upright timbers at a distance from each other, in the ground, and place another across them, and through the middle of these they would lead the captured men naked; which brought glory to those doing it, but great dishonor to those suffering it, so that some chose to die rather than suffer such a thing. And having captured their city called Corvinum, he returned, and he took away the command from Minucius 2.139 on account of his defeat, and he himself laid down his office. The Romans, however, had a domestic war, which was composed of slaves and certain fugitives, who, coming by night, suddenly seized the Capitol. And the mob, even then, did not take up arms before they gained some advantage from the patricians. And indeed, attacking the rebels, they defeated them, but they lost many of their own men. For these reasons, therefore, the Romans, and being made cautious by certain portents, both rid themselves of their accusations against one another and voted to make the constitution more equal. And they sent three men to Greece for the laws and the customs among them. And when these had been brought back, they abolished the other magistracies and those of the tribunes, and chose eight men from the first citizens in their place, and they appointed Appius Claudius and Titus Genucius during that year as generals with supreme power.

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ἐποιήσαντο, τραπόμενοι δ' ἐπ' ἀλλήλους επραξαν πολλὰ καὶ δεινά, ὡς μηδὲ τῶν στρατηγῶν ἀποσχέσθαι τὸ πλῆθος. τούς τε γὰρ ὑπηρέτας αὐτῶν επαιον καὶ τὰς ῥάβδους κατέκλων, αὐτούς τε τοὺς στρατηγοὺς ὑπ' εὐθύνην ηγον ἐπὶ πάσῃ προφάσει καὶ μείζονι καὶ ἐλάττονι. Αππιον ουν Κλαύδιον καὶ παρ' αὐτὴν τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἐμβαλεῖν ἐβουλεύσαντο, οτι τε αὐτοῖς ἠναντιοῦτο εἰς απαντα καὶ οτι τοὺς συστρατευσαμένους αὐτῷ ἐδεκάτευσεν, ἐπειδὴ τοῖς Οὐολούσκοις ἐν μάχῃ ἐνέδοσαν. ἡ δεκάτευσις δὲ τοιόνδε τι ην. οτε τι οἱ στρατιῶται μέγα ἡμάρτησαν, ὁ στρατηγὸς εἰς δεκάδας αὐτοὺς ἀριθμῶν, ενα λαβὼν ἐξ ἑκάστης δεκάδος τὸν κλήρῳ λαχόντα θανάτῳ ἐκόλαζεν. ἀπελθόντα δ' ἐκ τῆς ἀρχῆς τὸν Κλαύδιον εὐθὺς οἱ τοῦ πλήθους εἰς ἀγῶνα κατέστησαν, καὶ οὐ κατεψηφίσαντο μέν, τὴν ψῆφον δὲ ὑπερθέμενοι ἐς ἀνάγκην αὐτὸν αὐτοχειρίας κατέστησαν. καί τινες δὲ τῶν δημάρχων αλλα τε κατὰ τῶν εὐπατριδῶν συνέγραψαν καὶ τὸ ἐξεῖναι τῷ πλήθει καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸ συνιέναι καὶ ανευ ἐκείνων βουλεύεσθαι καὶ χρηματίζειν πάνθ' οσα αν ἐθελήσῃ. καν τις ἐπ' αἰτίᾳ τινὶ παρὰ τῶν στρατηγῶν προστιμηθῇ, εκκλητον ἐπὶ τούτοις τὸν δῆμον δικάζειν εταξαν. καὶ τοὺς ἀγορανόμους δὲ καὶ τοὺς δημάρχους ἐπηύξησαν, ινα πλείστους τοὺς αὐτῶν προϊσταμένους εχωσι. Πραττομένων δὲ τούτων οἱ εὐπατρίδαι φανερῶς μὲν οὐ πάνυ ἀντέπραττον πλὴν βραχέων, λάθρᾳ δὲ συχνοὺς τῶν θρασυτάτων ἐφόνευον. ἀλλ' ουτε τοῦτο τοὺς λοιποὺς ἐπέσχεν ουθ' οτι ποτὲ ἐννέα δήμαρχοι 2.138 πυρὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου ἐδόθησαν. οὐ μόνον γὰρ οἱ μετὰ ταῦτα δημαρχοῦντες οὐκ ἠμβλύνοντο, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον καὶ ἐθρασύνοντο. εἰς τοῦτο ὑπὸ τῶν εὐπατριδῶν προήχθη ὁ ομιλος. ουτε γὰρ στρατεύειν ἐπείθοντο πολέμων ἐπικειμένων, εἰ μὴ ων ὠρέγοντο ετυχον, καὶ ει ποτε δ' ἐξῆλθον, ἀπροθύμως ἐμάχοντο, εἰ μὴ πάνθ' οσα ἐβούλοντο ηνυσαν. κἀντεῦθεν πολλοὶ τῶν προσοίκων αὐτοῖς, τῇ ἐκείνων διχοστασίᾳ η τῇ ἑαυτῶν θαρροῦντες ἰσχύϊ, ἐνεωτέρισαν. ων ησαν καὶ Αἰκουοί, οι Μάρκον Μινούκιον στρατηγοῦντα τότε νικήσαντες ἐφρονηματίσθησαν. μαθόντες δὲ τὸν Μινούκιον ἡττημένον οἱ ἐν τῇ ̔Ρώμῃ δικτάτωρα Λούκιον Κυΐντιον ειλοντο, πένητα μὲν ανδρα καὶ γεωργίᾳ συνεζηκότα, ἐς ἀρετὴν δὲ καὶ σωφροσύνην διαπρεπῆ, καίτοι τὰς κόμας ἐς πλοκάμους ἀνιέντα, οθεν καὶ Κικινάτος ὠνόμαστο. οιοι νῦν πολλοὶ περὶ τὰ βασίλεια· ἐκεῖθεν δὲ τοῦ κακοῦ παρεισφθαρέντος εἰς τὸ πολίτευμα καὶ ἁπανταχοῦ κικινάτους εστιν ὁρᾶν. ουτος ουν δικτάτωρ προχειρισθείς, καὶ αὐθημερὸν ἐκστρατεύσας, καὶ τάχει σὺν ἀσφαλείᾳ χρησάμενος, καὶ τοῖς Αἰκουοῖς προσβαλὼν μετὰ τοῦ Μινουκίου, πλείστους μὲν διέφθειρε, τοὺς δ' αλλους ἐζώγρησεν· ους ὑπὸ ζυγὸν διαγαγὼν ἀφῆκεν. ἡ δὲ πρᾶξις ἡ τοῦ ζυγοῦ τοιάδε τις ην. σταυροὺς δύο, ορθια δηλαδὴ ξύλα διέχοντα ἀλλήλων, εἰς τὴν γῆν κατεπήγνυον, καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐπετίθουν ἐγκάρσιον ετερον, καὶ διὰ μέσου τούτων τοὺς ἁλόντας διῆγον γυμνούς· ο τοῖς μὲν δρῶσι λαμπρότητα, πολλὴν δ' ἀτιμίαν τοῖς πάσχουσιν εφερεν, ωστε τινὰς τοῦ τοιοῦτόν τι παθεῖν προαιρεῖσθαι θανεῖν. καὶ πόλιν δὲ αὐτῶν Κορουῖνον καλουμένην ἑλὼν ἐπανῆλθε, καὶ τὸν Μι2.139 νούκιον διὰ τὴν ητταν τὴν στρατηγίαν ἀφείλετο, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπέθετο τὴν ἀρχήν. Οἱ μέντοι ̔Ρωμαῖοι οἰκεῖον ἐσχήκασι πόλεμον, ος ἐκ δούλων συνέστη καὶ φυγάδων τινῶν, οι νυκτὸς ἐπελθόντες ἐξαπιναίως τοῦ Καπιτωλίου ἐκράτησαν. ὁ δ' ομιλος καὶ τότε οὐ πρότερον ἐν τοῖς οπλοις ἐγένετο πρίν τι πλέον σχεῖν τῶν εὐπατριδῶν. ἐπελθόντες δέ γε τοῖς στασιάσασιν ἐκράτησαν μὲν αὐτῶν, πολλοὺς δὲ τῶν σφετέρων ἀπέβαλον. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα τοίνυν οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι καὶ διά τινα σημεῖα εὐλαβηθέντες τῶν τε πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀπηλλάγησαν ἐγκλημάτων καὶ τὴν πολιτείαν ἰσωτέραν ποιήσασθαι ἐψηφίσαντο. καὶ τρεῖς ανδρας εἰς τὴν ̔Ελλάδα διὰ τοὺς νόμους καὶ τὰ παρ' ἐκείνοις εθη πεπόμφασι. καὶ κομισθέντων αὐτῶν τάς τε αλλας ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς τῶν δημάρχων κατέλυσαν, καὶ ανδρας ὀκτὼ ἐκ τῶν πρώτων ἀνθείλοντο, καὶ Αππιον Κλαύδιον Τίτον τε Γενούκιον ἀπέδειξαν κατὰ τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ἐκεῖνον στρατηγοὺς αὐτοκράτορας.