[6,46] Ὡς δ´ ἠγγέλθη ταῦτα τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει, πολὺς θόρυβος καὶ οἰμωγὴ ἦν καὶ διὰ τῶν στενωπῶν δρόμος, τοῦ μὲν δήμου καταλιπεῖν τὴν πόλιν παρασκευαζομένου, τῶν δὲ πατρικίων ἀποτρέπειν ἀξιούντων καὶ βίαν τοῖς μὴ βουλομένοις προσφέρειν· βοή τε περὶ τὰς πύλας καὶ πολὺς ἀνακλαυθμὸς ἦν λόγοι τε κατ´ ἀλλήλων ἐχθροὶ καὶ ἔργα πολεμίων ἐγίνοντο οὐκέτι διακρίνοντος οὐδενὸς οὔτε ἡλικίαν οὔτε ἑταιρίαν οὔτε ἀξίωσιν ἀρετῆς. ἐπειδὴ δ´ οἱ ταχθέντες ὑπὸ τῆς βουλῆς φρουρεῖν τὰς ἐξόδους· ἦσαν γὰρ δὴ ὀλίγοι καὶ οὐχ ἱκανοὶ ἔτι ἀντέχειν· ἐκβιασθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου κατέλιπον τὴν φυλακήν, τότε ἤδη τὸ δημοτικὸν πολὺ ἐξεχεῖτο, καὶ τὸ πάθος ἦν ἁλώσει πόλεως ἐμφερές, οἰμωγή τε τῶν ὑπομενόντων καὶ κατάμεμψις ἀλλήλων ἐγίνετο ἐρημουμένην τὴν πόλιν ὁρώντων. μετὰ τοῦτο βουλαί τε συχναὶ καὶ κατηγορίαι τῶν αἰτίων τῆς ἀποστάσεως ἐγίνοντο. ἐν δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ καιρῷ καὶ τὰ πολέμια ἔθνη ἐπετίθεντο αὐτοῖς προνομεύοντα τὴν γῆν ἄχρι τῆς πόλεως. οἱ μέντοι ἀποστάται τὸν ἀναγκαῖον ἐπισιτισμὸν ἐκ τῶν πλησίον ἀγρῶν λαμβάνοντες, ἄλλο δ´ οὐδὲν τὴν χώραν κακουργοῦντες, ἔμενον ὑπαίθριοι καὶ τοὺς προσιόντας ἐκ τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῶν πέριξ φρουρίων ὑπελάμβανον συχνοὺς ἤδη γινομένους. οὐ γὰρ μόνον οἱ τὰ χρέα καὶ τὰς καταδίκας καὶ τὰς προσδοκωμένας ἀνάγκας διαφυγεῖν προαιρούμενοι συνέρρεον ὡς αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὅσοις ὁ βίος ἦν ἀργὸς ἢ ῥᾴθυμος ἢ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις χορηγεῖν οὐχ ἱκανὸς ἢ πονηρῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων ζηλωτὴς ἢ φθονερὸς ταῖς ἑτέρων εὐτυχίαις ἢ δι´ ἄλλην τινὰ συμφορὰν ἢ αἰτίαν ἀλλοτρίως διακείμενος τῇ καθεστώσῃ πολιτείᾳ.

[6,46] When these things were reported to those in the city, there was great tumult and lamentation and running through the streets, as the populace prepared to leave the city and the patricians endeavoured to dissuade them and offered violence to those who refused to obey. And there was great clamour and wailing at the gates, and hostile words were exchanged and hostile acts committed, as no one paid heed any longer to either age, comradeship, or the respect due to virtue. When those appointed by the senate to guard the exits, being few in number and unable any longer to resist them, were forced by the people to desert their post, then at last the (p375) populace rushed out in great multitudes and the commotion resembled the capture of a city; there were the lamentations of those who remained behind and their mutual recriminations as they saw the city being deserted. After this there were frequent meetings of the senate and accusations against those who were responsible for the secession. At the same time the enemy nations also attacked them, plundering their territory up to the very city. However, the seceders, taking the necessary provisions from the fields that lay near them, without doing any other mischief to the country, remained in the open and received such as resorted to them from city and the fortresses round about, who were already coming to them in great numbers. not only those who were desirous of escaping their debts and the sentences and punishments they expected, flocked to them, but many others also who led lazy or dissolute lives, or whose fortunes were not sufficient to gratify their desires, or who were devoted to vicious practices, or were envious of the prosperity of others, or because of some other misfortune or reason were hostile to the established government.