The latter was what they hoped for from their knowledge of
his character.
Marcius came forward to speak in his defence, and the people stood
listening in dead silence. But when, instead of the apologetic speech
which they expected, he began to speak with a freedom which seemed more
like accusing them than defending himself, while the tones of his voice
and the expression of his countenance showed a fearless contempt for his
audience, the people became angry, and plainly showed their
disapprobation of what he said. Upon this, Sicinnius, the boldest of the
tribunes, after a short consultation with his colleagues, came forward
and said that the tribunes had condemned Marcius to suffer the penalty
of death, and ordered the aediles to lead him at once to the Capitol,
and cast him down the Tarpeian rock. When the aediles laid hold of him,
many of the people themselves seemed struck with horror and remorse, and
the patricians in the wildest excitement, called upon one another to
rescue him, and by main force tore him from his assailants and placed
him in the midst of themselves. Some of them held out their hands and
besought the populace by signs, as no voice could be heard in such an
uproar. At last the friends and relations of the tribunes, seeing that
it was impossible to carry out their sentence on Marcius without much
bloodshed, persuaded them to alter the cruel and unprecedented part of
the sentence, and not to put him to death by violence, or without a
trial, but to refer the matter to the people, to be voted upon by them.
Pages:
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571