Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/418

 39G HISTORY (Jt GREECE. they contrived a singular piece of fir<c-mechanism, which enabled them to master the place. They first sawed in twain a thick beam, pierced a channel through it long-ways from end to end, coated most part of the channel with iron, and then joined the two halves accurately together. From the farther end of this hol- lowed beam they suspended by chains a boiler, full of pitch, brimstone, and burning charcoal ; lastly, an iron tube projected from the end of the interior channel of the beam, in a direction so as to come near to the boiler. Such was the machine, which, constructed at some distance, was brought on carts and placed close to the wall, near the palisading and the wooden towers. The Boeotians then applied great bellows to their own end of the beam, blowing violently with a close current of air through the interior channel, so as to raise an intense fire in the boiler at the other end. The wooden portions of the wall, soon catching fire, became untenable for the defenders, who escaped in the best way they could, without attempting farther resistance. Two hundred of them were made prisoners and a few slain ; but the greater number got safely on shipboard. This recapture of Delium took place on the seventeenth day after the battle, during all which interval the Athenians slain had remained on the field unburied. Presently, however, arrived the Athenian herald to make fresh application for the burial-truce ; which was now forthwith granted, and granted unconditionally. 1 Such was the memorable expedition and battle of Delium, a fatal discouragement to the feeling of confidence and hope which had previously reigned at Athens, besides the painful immediate loss which it inflicted on the city. Among the hoplites who took part in the vigorous charge and pushing of shields, the philoso- pher Sokrates is to be numbered. His bravery both in the battle and the retreat was much extolled by his friends, and doubtless with good reason : he had before served with credit in the ranks of the hoplites at Potidaea, and he served also at Amphipolis : his patience under hardship and endurance of heat and cold being not loss remarkable than his personal bravery. He and his friend Laches were among those hoplites, who, in the retreat from Delium. instead of flinging away their arms ani taking to flight. 1 Thucjd. iv, 100 101-