Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita 3.45.9-12

Icilius declares that even though the two bulwarks of plebeian liberty — tribunician help and the right of appeal — have been taken away, that does not give the decemvirs license over the bodies of their wives and children; he vows that if violence is done to Verginia he will call on the citizens, her father on the soldiers, and all will appeal to gods and men alike, and that his life will leave him sooner than his loyalty to his betrothed, urging Appius to consider carefully where he is headed.

 

Tier 1

Icilius: "Etiam si abstulistis dua columna libertatis defendendae, tribunicium auxilium et ius provocandi plebis Romanae, non datum est tibi capere liberos nostros et coniuges quoque libidine tuo.

Fure in tergum et in collo meo sed saltem (at least) pudicitia Verginiae tuta sit.

Si tu Verginiam noces, ego invocabo fidem praesentium Quiritium pro mea Verginia, Verginius ipse invocabit fidem militum pro sola filia, nos omnes invocabimus fidem et deorum et Hominum, neque tu umquam poteris referre istud decretum sine sanguine nostro.

Ego postulo, Appi, tu iterum iterumque consideres quo eas. Verginius viderit quid agat de filia cum venerit;

Verginius hoc tantum sciat si reliquerit vindicias (disputed possession) huius feminae, necesse erit Verginio petere novum sponsum filiae suae. Vita deseret me vindicantem sponsam in libertatem citius quam fides me deseret.

Written by Robert Amstutz