st
of the Syracusans, who reproach others with the meanness of their
condition. But who is there among you, who has promised that he would
open the gates to me, and receive my armed troops within the city? You
hate and execrate those who did so; and not even here can you abstain
from speaking with insult of them; so far is it from being the case
that you would yourselves have done any thing of the kind. The very
meanness of the condition of those persons, conscript fathers, with
which these men reproach them, forms the strongest proof that I did
not turn away from any man who was willing to render a service to our
state. Before I began the siege of Syracuse I attempted a peace, at
one time by sending ambassadors, at another time by going to confer
with them; and after that they refrained not from laying violent hands
on my ambassadors, nor would give me an answer when I held an
interview with their chief men at their gates, then, at length, after
suffering many hardships by sea and land, I took Syracuse by force of
arms. Of what befell them after their city was captured they would
complain with more justice to Hannibal, the Carthaginians, and those
who were vanquished with them, than to the senate of the victorious
people. If, conscript fathers, I had intended to conceal the fact that
I had despoiled Syracuse, I should never have decorated the city of
Rome with her spoils. As to what things I either took from individuals
or bestowed upon them, as conqueror, I feel assured that I have acted
agreeably to the laws of war, and the deserts of each. That you should
confirm what I have done, conscript fathers, certainly concerns the
commonwealth more than myself, since I have discharged my duty
faithfully; but it is the duty of the state to take care, lest, by
rescinding my acts, they should render other commanders for the time
to come less zealous. And since, conscript fathers, you have heard
both what the Sicilians and I had to say, in the presence of each
other, we will go out of the senate-house together, in order that in
my absence the senate may deliberate more freely." Accordingly, the
Sicilians having been dismissed, he himself also went away to the
Capitol to levy soldiers.

32. The other consul then proposed to the fathers the consideration of
the requests of the Sicilians, when a long debate took place. A great
part of the senate acquiesced in an opinion which originated with
Titus Manlius Torquatus, "that the war