ABSTRACT
When the Plataeans realized that the Thebans were inside and that the city had been captured by surprise, because they were in a panic and believed that far more had entered than was the case (they could not see what had happened in the dark), they came to terms. They accepted the proposals and remained inactive, especially since the Thebans took no offensive action against anyone. But while they were negotiating they realized that there were not many Thebans and thought that if they attacked they would defeat them easily. For a majority of the people of Plataea did not wish to leave their alliance with Athens. Therefore they decided that they should make the attempt and they assembled together by digging through the party walls of their houses in order to avoid being seen going about in the streets. They also dragged wagons without their draught animals into the streets to act as barricades and got other things ready in the way that seemed most likely to help in their current predicament. When they had got everything ready as best they could they waited until the time just before dawn when it was still dark and then came out of their houses and attacked the Thebans. They thought that if they attacked in daylight the Thebans would be more confident and could meet them on equal terms, while during the night they would be less certain of themselves and would also suffer from not knowing the city as well as the Plataeans did. They attacked at once and speedily engaged in handto-hand fighting. (4) When the Thebans realized that they had been tricked they closed up their ranks and resisted the attacks wherever they occurred. They forced them back two or three times, and all the while there was a tremendous uproar from the men who launched attacks on them and also from the women and slaves, who were screaming and shouting and hurling down stones and tiles from the
night. In the end the Thebans, overcome by fear, turned round and fled through the city. But in the darkness and mud most of them did not know the route they needed to take to escape, and since these events occurred at the end of the month there was no moon. Their pursuers, however, knew how to prevent their escape, with the result that most of them perished. The gate by which they had entered was the only one still open, but one of the Plataeans closed it by using a spear spike instead of a pin and driving it into the bar, so that there was no longer any way out even by this route. As they were pursued though the city some of them climbed onto the wall and threw themselves down on the other side; most were killed in doing so. Some found an unguarded gate and since a woman gave them an axe they cut through the bolt without being seen. But then they were quickly spotted and only a few got away. Others were killed here and there in different parts of the city. The largest group, which had kept itself in a tighter formation, rushed into a large building, which was part of the wall and had its doors lying open. They thought that the doors were city gates and would lead through to the outside. When the Plataeans saw that they were trapped they debated whether to set fire to the building and burn them as they were or try some other plan. Finally these men and all the other Theban survivors wandering about in the city came to an agreement with the Plataeans to hand over their weapons and surrender unconditionally.
