s 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.
Upon this Sicinnius, turning to the patricians, demanded what they meant
by rescuing Marcius from the people when they intended to punish him.
They at once retorted, "Nay, what do you mean by dragging one of the
bravest and best men in Rome to a cruel and illegal death?" "You shall
not," answered Sicinnius, "make that a ground of quarrel with the
people, for we allow you what you demand, that this man be put on his
trial. You, Marcius, we summon to appear in the forum on the third
market-day ensuing, and prove your innocence if you can, as the votes of
your countrymen will be then taken about your conduct."

XIX. The patricians were glad enough to terminate the affair in this
way, and retired rejoicing, bearing Marcius with them. During the time
which was to elapse before the third market-day (which the Romans hold
on every ninth day, and therefore call them nundinae), they had some
hope that a campaign against the people of Antium would enable them to
put off the trial until the people's anger had abated through length of
time and warlike occupations; afterwards, as they came to terms at once
with the Antiates, the patricians held frequent meetings, in which they
expressed their fear of the people, and considered by what means they
c