Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/139

 .'BEGINNING OP THE PELOI'OXNESIAN WAR. H, finding even by daylight. Nevertheless, on finding themselves suddenly assailed, they got as well as they could into close order, and repelled the Platteans two or three times : but the attack was still repeated, with loud shouts, while the women also screamed, and howled, and threw tiles from the flat-roofed houses, until at length the Thebans became dismayed and broken. But flight was not less difficult than resistance ; for they could not find their way out of the city, and even the gate by which they entered, the only one open, had been closed by a Platccan citizen, who thrust into it the point of a javelin in place of the peg whereby the bar was commonly held fast. Dispersed about the city, and pursued by men who knew every inch of the ground, some ran to the top of the wall, and jumped down on the outside, most of them perished in the attempt, a few others escaped through an unguarded gate, by cutting through the bar with a hatchet which a woman gave to them, while the greater number of them ran into the open doors of a large barn or build- ing in conjunction with the wall, mistaking these doors for an approach to the town-gate. They were here blocked up without the chance of escape, and the Plataeans at first thought of setting fire to the building : but at length a convention was concluded, whereby they, as well as all the other Thebans in the city, agreed to surrender at discretion. 1 Had the reinforcements from Thebes arrived at the expected hour, this disaster would have been averted. But the heavy rain and dark night retarded their whole march, while the rivei Asopus was so much swollen as to be with difficulty fordable : so that before they reached the gates of Platoea, their comrades within were either slain or captured. Which fate had befallen them, the Thebans without could not tell : but they immediately resolved to seize what they could find, persons as well as prop- erty, in the Platrean territory, no precautions having been taken as yet to guard against the perils of war by keeping within the walls, in order that they might have something to exchange for such Thebans as were prisoners. Before this step could be executed, however, a herald came forth from the town to remon- strate with them upon their, unholy proceeding in having so 1 Thucyd ii 3, 4.