Ab urbe condita

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.”