Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita 3.46.1-4

The crowd is stirred up and a confrontation seems imminent as lictors surround Icilius, but Appius stops short of further action, accusing Icilius of being a troublemaker still thirsting for the tribunate and seeking a pretext for sedition, and declares that he will not give him the satisfaction that day; out of respect for the absent father, the paternal name, and liberty itself, he will give no ruling that day but will ask Marcus Claudius to stand down and allow Verginia to be released until the next day, warning that if her father does not appear he will not lack either the law or the resolve to act, and that his own lictors will be sufficient to deal with agitators.

 

Tier 1

Multi homines erant excitatae et certamen futurum esse videbatur. Lictores circum Icilium steterant; ultra minas tamen id non processit, cum Appius diceret Verginiam non defendi ab Icilio. Appius quoque dixit Icilium esse inquietum virum et nunc Icilium tribunatum spirare et petere locum seditionis.

Appius dixit se non paraturum esse materiam Icilio illo die, sed ut Icilius sciat id non datum esse petulantiae suae sed Verginio absenti et patrio nomini et libertati. Appius dixit se non dicturum esse ius illo die neque decretum daturum esse.

Appius dixit se rogaturum esse ut Marcus Claudius ire sine puella et ut Marcus Claudius permitteret Verginiam cum amicis ire in diem proximum.

Appius dixit nisi pater adfuisset proximo die, se denuntiare Icilio et iis similibus Icili, neque se qui legem facit, legem defuturum esse, neque se esse sine constantiam;

Appius dixit se non convocaturum lictores amicorum ut coercendos auctores seditionis: se contentum futurum esse suis lictoribus.

Written by Robert Amstutz