Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/256

 234 HISTORY OF GREECE. ading double wall, ascertaining its height by repeatedly counting the ranges of bricks, which were quite near enough for them to discern, and not effectually covered with whitewash. On a cold and dark December night, amidst rain, sleet, and a roaring wind, they marched forth from the gates, lightly armed, some few with shields and spears, but most of them with breastplates, javelins, and bows and arrows : the right foot was naked, and the left foot alone shod, so as to give to it a more assured footing on the muddy ground. 1 Taking care to sally out with the wind in their faces, and at such a distance from each other as to prevent any clattering of arms, they crossed the inner ditch and reached the foot of the wall without being discovered : the ladders, borne in the van, were immediately planted, and Ammeas, son of Korce bus, followed by eleven others, armed only with a short sword and breastplate, mounted the wall : others, armed with spears, followed him, their shields being carried and handed to them when on the top by comrades behind. It was the duty of this first company to master and maintain the two towers, right and left, so as to keep the intermediate space free for passing over. this was successfully done, the guards in both towers being sur prised and slain, without alarming the remaining besiegers : and many of the Platasans had already reached the top of the wall, when the noise of a tile accidently knocked down by one of them, betrayed what was passing. Immediately a general clamor was raised, alarm was given, and the awakened garrison rushed up from beneath to the top of the wall, yet not knowing where the enemy was to be found ; a perplexity farther increased by the Plataeans in the town, who took this opportunity of making a false attack on the opposite side. Amidst such confusion and darkness, the blockading detachment could not tell where to di- 1 Thucyd. iii, 22. Dr. Arnold, in his note, construes this passage as if the right or bare foot were the least likely to slip in the mud, and the left or shod foot the most likely. The Scholiast and Wasse maintain the opposite opinion, which is certainly the more obvious sense of the text, though the sense of Dr. Arnold would also be admissible. The naked foot is very liable to slip in the mud, and might easily be rendered less liable, by san- dals, or covering particularly adapted to that purpose. Besides, Wasse remarks justly, that the warrior wh^ is to use his riyfd arm requires to have bis Iffi foot fi -mly planted.