31.4
After getting such answer to his appeal, Cicero took counsel with his friends: Lucullus urged him to remain in the city, believing that he would prevail; but others advised him to go into exile, believing that the people would quickly long for him when they were sated with the folly and madness of Clodius.
31.5
This Cicero decided to do; so he took the statue of Minerva which had long stood in his house, and which he honoured exceedingly, carried it to the capitol,Cf. Cicero, de leg. ii. 17, 42; ad fam. xii. 25, 1. and dedicated it there with the inscription To Minerva, Guardian of Rome; then, accepting an escort from his friends, about midnight he slipped out of the city, and set out on foot through Lucania, desiring to reach Sicily.
32.1
But as soon as it was known that he had fled, Clodius caused a vote of banishment to be passed upon him, and issued an edict that all men should refuse him fire and water and that no man should give him shelter within five hundred miles of Italy. Now, most men paid not the slightest heed to this edict out of respect for Cicero, and escorted him on his way with every mark of kindness;
32.2
but at Hipponium, a city of Lucania,Rather Bruttium. which is now called Vibo, Vibius, a Sicilian, who had profited much from Cicero’s friendship and particularly by being made prefect of engineers during his consulship, would not receive him in his house, but sent him word that he would assign him his country-place for residence; and Caius Vergilius, the praetor of Sicily, who had been on most intimate terms with Cicero, wrote him to keep away from Sicily.Cf. Cicero, pro Plancio, 40, 95 ff.
