Diodorus Siculus

“ Dionysius made general of the Syracusans. He moves to have the exiles recalled. He is invested with the sole command. At length, by several artifices, he gains the sovereignty. AMILCAR having gained the city after eight months siege, a little before the winter solstice, did not presently sack it, to the end the soldiers might quarter there all the winter. When the ruin of Agrigentum was noised abroad, the whole island was struck with such terror that some of the Sicilians fled to Syracuse, and others transported themselves, their wives, children, and moveables, into Italy. ”

“ Upon this the people (who are always apt to close with the worst advice) suddenly made Dionysius general, with sole and absolute power.
After things thus succeeded according to his heart's desire, he signed an order, that the soldiers should receive double pay; alleging that thereby they would be encouraged to fight more readily and cheerfully; and bade the Syracusans not trouble or disturb themselves about money, for there would be ways readily found out to bring in sufficient supplies. ”

“ Afterwards, when the people came from the theatre, from the plays, Dionysius at that very hour returned into Syracuse; whereupon the citizens came thronging about him, and inquired what news he brought concerning the Carthaginians: to whom he answered__That he had nothing to say of them, in regard their own officers and governors were more mischievous to the commonwealth than the enemies themselves; for whilst the citizens, led away by their flatteries, were diverted with sports and plays, they themselves empoverished the commonwealth, and defrauded the soldiers of their pay. ”

“ Dionysius being thus encouraged, he stirred up the people, and filled the assembly with tumult by his criminations, charging the commanders that, for bribes, they had drawn off and forsaken the Agrigentines. He likewise accused many others of the best of the citizens, traducing them that they aimed to introduce an oligarchy ”

“ As soon as it was day, and the multitude were got together into the city, he used many probable arguments suited to the matter in hand, and brought over the people to give him liberty to choose six hundred men, such as he thought best, for his guard. ”