3.45
Before giving judgment,
Appius showed how liberty was upheld by that very
law to which the friends of Verginia had appealed in
support of their demand. But, he went on to say, it
guaranteed liberty only so far as its provisions
were strictly adhered to as regarded both persons
and cases. For where personal freedom is the matter
of claim, that provision holds good, because any one
can lawfully plead, but in the case of one who is
still in her father's power, there is none but her
father to whom her master need renounce possession.
His decision, therefore, was that the father should
be summoned, and in the meanwhile the man who
claimed her should not forego his right to take the
girl and give security to produce her on the arrival
of her reputed father. The injustice of this
sentence called forth many murmurs, but no one
ventured on open protest, until P. Numitorius, the
girl's grandfather, and Icilius, her betrothed,
appeared on the scene. The intervention of Icilius
seemed to offer the best chance of thwarting Appius,
and the crowd made way for him. The lictor said that
judgment had been given, and as Icilius continued
loudly protesting he attempted to remove him. Such
rank injustice would have fired even a gentle
temper. He exclaimed, "I am, at your orders, Appius,
to be removed at the point of the sword, that you
may stifle all comment on what you want to keep
concealed. I am going to marry this maiden, and I am
determined to have a chaste wife. Summon all the
lictors of all your colleagues, give orders for the
axes and rods to be in readiness -the betrothed of
Icilius shall not remain outside her father's house.
Even if you have deprived us of the two bulwarks of
our liberty -the aid of our tribunes and the right
of appeal to the Roman plebs -that has given you no
right to our wives and children, the victims of your
lust. Vent your cruelty upon our backs and necks;
let female honour at least be safe. If violence is
offered to this girl, I shall invoke the aid of the
Quirites here for my betrothed, Verginius that of
the soldiers for his only daughter; we shall all
invoke the aid of gods and men, and you shall not
carry out that judgment except at the cost of our
lives. Reflect, Appius, I demand of you, whither you
are going! When Verginius has come, he must decide
what action to take about his daughter; if he
submits to this man's claim, he must look out
another husband for her. Meantime I will vindicate
her liberty at the price of my life, sooner than
sacrifice my honour."