Page 486 being even at their Wits end, all places were fill'd with Slaughter and Destruction: For the Tyrant's Soldiers being above Ten thousand Men, and in good Order and Discipline, none were able to withstand them, but through Fear and Confusion, and the Disorder of an ungovernable Multitude, through want of Officers, all went to wrack. When they came into the Forum, being now Conquerors, they presently rush'd into the Houses, and Ransack'd and Plunder'd all to a vast Value of Wealth, and made Captive a great Multitude of Women, Children and Servants. In the straight and narrow Passages and some other Places, the Syracusians made Resistance, and never ceas'd fighting; Multitudes being kill'd and as many wounded. And even all the Night long they kill'd one another as they fortun'd to meet in the Dark; and there was no place in the City but what was cover'd and strew'd with Dead Carcasses.
As soon as it was Day, the Light discover'd the Greatness of the Calamity and Misery. The Citizens having now no means left to be deliver'd, but by the Aid and Assistance of Dion, sent forth some Horsemen with all speed to the City of the Leontines, earnestly to intreat him, that he would not suffer the Country to be a Prey to the Enemy, but that he would pardon their former Miscarriages, and commiserate them in their present Distress, and relieve and raise up their Country from that low and despicable Condition wherein they then were.
Dion who was a Man of a brave Spirit, and had a Soul well principled with the Rudiments of Philosophy, and so was mild and easie to be Persuaded, remember'd not the former Injuries of the Citizens, but hir'd his Soldiers to march away to the Expedition, and with these he made a swift March to Syracuse, and came to the Hexapylae. There he drew up his Army, and march'd forward with all speed; and there met him above Ten thousand Women and Children, and old People, who fled out of the City; who all prostrated themselves at his Feet, and beseech'd him with Tears that he would rescue them from their wretched and miserable Condition. The Soldiers of the Castle having now accomplish'd what they aim'd at, after they had plunder'd all the Houses about the Forum, set them on fire, and then breaking into the fest made a Prey of all they found in them, at which very nick of time in the very height of their Rapines, Dion forcing into the City in many places at once, sets upon the Enemy now eager in plundering, and kill'd all he met as they were carrying away all sorts of Houshold-Goods bundled upon their Shoulders. For coming upon them on the sudden, as they were Scatter'd and Dispers'd here and there bringing away their Prey, they were all easily knock'd on the Head. After Four thousand and upwards were slain, some in the Houses and others in the Streets and High-ways, the rest fled into the Castle and clapt the Gates upon them, and so escap'd.
Dion, when he had perform'd this Exploit (the most Glorious of any ever before) quench'd the Fire, and so preserv'd the Houses that were all on a Flame, and firmly repair'd the Wall that fronted the Castle; and so by one and the same piece of Work, he both defended the City and strengthned the Garison within the Acropolis. Then he cleans'd the Town of the Dead Bodies, erected a Trophy, and Sacrific'd to the Gods for the Deliverance of his Country.
On the other hand, the People to testifie their Gratitude to Dion, call'd a General Assembly, and by an unanimous Vote made him chief Governor, with full and absolute Power, and conferr'd upon him the Honours due to a Demy-god.
Afterwards, agreeable to the Glory of his other Actions, he freely pardon'd all that had maliciously injur'd him, and by his frequent Admonitions brought the People to mutual Peace and Concord: For all the Citizens of all Ranks and Degrees highly honour'd and applauded him, as their great Benefactor, and as the only Saviour of their Countrey.