When they had into the senatehouse. Marcellus made the following speech:“I have not so far forgotten, senators, the majesty of Rome or the dignity of my office as to stoop to defend myself, as consul, against the charges of these Greeks, if they concerned me alone. The question is not so much what I have done as what they ought to have suffered. Had they not been enemies it is a matter of indifference whether I maltreated Syracuse now or in Hiero's lifetime. But if they have proved false to us, opened their gates to the enemy, threatened our envoys with drawn swords, shut their city and walls against us and called in a Carthaginian army to protect them against us, who is there who can feel any indignation at their having suffered hostile violence. after havinz practised it?I declined the offers of their leaders to deliver up the city, and looked upon Sosis and the Spaniard Moericus as much more suitable persons to be trusted in a matter of such impo rtance. As you make their humble station in life a reproach to others, you do not yourselves belong to the lowest class in Syracuse, and yet who amongst you promised to open your gat es and admit my armed force int o your city? Those who did this are the objects of your hatred and execration; n吐eV℃n in this place do .you shrink from insulting them, thereby how far you urselves were from contem- ing of the kind. That low social position, senators, these men make a ground of reproach, proves most clearly that from violence e leaders with for the persons of my envoys protected themand that I was unable to "get any reply from thwhom I conferred at their gates, that I took actitook.the city by storm, after a vast expendituexertion by sea and land. on and finally re of toil and “As to the incidents attending its capture, these men would be more justified in their complaints before Hannibal and his vanquished adorned the City of Rome with its spoils. With regard to what I, ascon q conque ror,ue took awa y or bestowed in individual cases am quite sat ed that I acted in accordance with the laws O war, according to the deserts of each individual. Whether you ve of my action or not is a question that concerns the more than it concerns Ine. I only did my duty, but it willbea serious matter for the republic, if by rescinding my acts you make other generals in the future more remiss in doing their duty. And since you have heard what both the Sicilians and I have had to say in each other's presence, we 袱11 leave the House together in order that the senate may be able to discuss the matter more freely in my absence." The Sicilians were accordingly dismissed;Marcellus proceeded to the Capitol to enrol troops.