1A more turbulent year followed, in the consulship of Lucius Valerius and Titus Aemilius, both because of the struggles of the orders over the agrarian law and because of the trial of Appius Claudius, whom, as the fiercest opponent of the law and upholding the cause of the occupiers of public land as though he were a third consul, Marcus Duillius and Gnaeus Siccius summoned to trial. 3Never before had a defendant so hated by the plebs been summoned to the people's judgement, laden with their anger at himself and at his father. 4The senators too had seldom exerted themselves so much on anyone's behalf: the champion of the senate and defender of its majesty, set against all the tumults of tribunes and plebs, who had merely overstepped the limit in the contest, was being thrown to an angry plebs.
4One man among the senators, Appius Claudius himself, held the tribunes, the plebs and his own trial as nothing. 5Neither the threats of the plebs nor the entreaties of the senate could ever induce him, not only to change his dress or go round canvassing men as a suppliant, but not even to soften and moderate in any way the usual harshness of his speech when he had to plead his case before the people. 6There was the same expression on his face, the same defiance in his look, the same spirit in his speech, so much so that a great part of the plebs feared Appius no less as a defendant than they had feared him as consul.
7He pleaded his case once, in the accusatory spirit in which he had always been accustomed to do everything; 7and he so astounded both tribunes and plebs by his firmness that they themselves of their own will adjourned the day of trial, and then let the matter drag on. 8Not very much time passed in the meantime; 8yet before the adjourned day came he dies of an illness. 9When the tribunes of the plebs tried to prevent the funeral eulogy, the plebs were unwilling for the last day of so great a man to be cheated of its customary honour, and listened to the eulogy of the dead man with ears as fair as they had listened to the accusation of the living, and attended his funeral in great numbers.