Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/57

 66, 67] LONG WALLS OF MEGARA TAKEN 49 a little less than a mile in length and extended from the city to their harbour Nisaea, They wanted to prevent the Peloponnesians interfering from Nisaea, of which they formed the sole garrison, being stationed there to secure Megara. The conspirators were then to try and place in tiie hands of the Athenians the upper city, which would be more ready to come over when they once had possession of the Long Walls. Both parties had now made all necessary preparations, 67 both in word and act. The Athenians Disposition of the sailed at nightfall to Minoa, the island in Athenian troops before front of Megara, with six hundred hop- ^^''^^'f- T'le gates are ,, 1 TTT- Opened to tliein by timr htes underthe command of Hippocrates. Megarian confederates, They then took up their position not and they mount the far from the Long Walls, in a pit out ^''"S ^^c"^- of which the bricks for the walls had been dug. A second division of the Athenian army, consisting of light- armed Plataeans and of a part of the force employed in guarding the frontier, under the command of Demosthenes the other general, lay in ambush at the temple of Ares, which is nearer still. During the night no one knew what they were about, except the men who were immediately concerned. Just before daybreak the conspirators exe- cuted their plan. They had long ago provided that the gates should be open when required ; for by the per- mission of the commander, who supposed them to be privateering, they had been in the habit of conveying a sculling-boat out of the town by night. This they placed upon a waggon, and carried it down to the sea through the trench ; they then sailed out, and just before day broke the boat was brought back by them on the waggon and taken in at the gates; their object being, as they pre- tended, to baffle the Athenian watch at Minoa, as no vessel would be seen in the harbour at all. The waggon had just arrived at the gates, which were opened for the boat to enter, when the Athenians, with whom the whole affair had been preconcerted, seeing this movement, rushed