I
On the northern slope of Cithaeron, the mountain range which divides
Attica from Boeotia, lies the little town of Plataea. By race and by
geographical position the Plataeans were naturally included in the
Boeotian confederacy, under the leadership of Thebes. But nearly a
century before the time of which we are now speaking they had deserted
the Thebans, whose rule was harsh and overbearing, and enrolled
themselves among the allies of Athens. On the eve of the battle of
Marathon, they had joined the Athenians with their whole force, a
thousand strong, and shared the peril and the honour of that glorious
day. Ten years later their city was laid in ruins by the army of
Xerxes, at the instigation of the Thebans; and in the following year
the great battle which ended the long struggle between Greece and
Persia was fought within sight of their shattered walls. In gratitude
for this great victory, the confederate Greeks under Pausanias declared
that the Plataean territory should be hallowed ground, and swore a
solemn oath to maintain the independence of the city. But the Thebans
had never forgotten or forgiven the secession of Plataea from the
confederacy of which they were the leaders; and seizing the opportunity
while the Athenians were occupied with measures for their own safety,
they made a treacherous attempt to gain possession of the town.
On a dark and moonless night in the early spring three hundred armed
Thebans appeared before the gates of Plataea, which were opened to them
by a party of the citizens who favoured their design. Marching in a
body to the market-place, they made proclamation by a herald, inviting
all who chose to return to their allegiance, and take sides with their
lawful leaders, the Thebans. For they wished, if possible, to gain over
the place without bloodshed, and before the war had actually broken
out; otherwise, they might have to give it up again on the conclusion
of peace.
The Plataeans, being wakened out of their first sleep, and thinking
that the Thebans were in much greater force than was really the case,
at first attempted no resistance, but were disposed to accept the terms
offered them. But perceiving by degrees that their enemies were far
weaker in numbers than themselves, they changed their minds, and
resolved to attack them. For the party which had betrayed the town was
but small, and the general body of the citizens detested the thought of
falling once more under the supremacy of Thebes. Their measures were
taken with great secrecy and despatch: to avoid exciting the suspicions
of the Thebans, they broke down the dividing walls of their houses, and
passed to and fro unobserved, until they had completed their
preparations. To embarrass the movements of the Thebans, they
barricaded the streets with waggons, and then, just before daybreak,
they poured out of their houses, and fell upon the enemy, who were
still stationed in the market-place. Though taken by surprise, the
Thebans defended themselves stoutly, and standing shoulder to shoulder
repulsed the assault of the Plataeans two or three times. But they were
greatly inferior in numbers, wearied by their long vigil, and soaked
with the heavy rain which had fallen in the night; the Plataeans
returned again and again to the attack, assailing them with furious
cries; and the women and slaves who crowded the roofs added to their
discomfiture, pelting them with tiles and stones, and stunning their
ears with a frightful uproar of yells and shrieks; so that at last
their hearts failed them, and breaking their ranks they fled wildly
through the streets. Some succeeded in reaching the gate by which they
had entered, but only to find that their escape was cut off in this
direction; for one of the Plataeans had closed the gate, using the
spike of his javelin to secure the bolt. Others lost their way in the
narrow and muddy streets, and wandered up and down until they were
slain by the Plataeans. A few contrived to escape by an unguarded
postern-gate, having cut through the bolt with an axe given them by a
woman. Others, in despair, flung themselves from the walls, and for the
most part perished. But a good number, who had kept together, were
caught in a trap; for coming to a large building which abutted on the
wall, and finding the doors open, they thought that they had reached
the town-gate, and rushed headlong in. The pursuers, who were close at
their heels, made fast the doors, and then the question arose what they
should do with their captives. Some proposed to set fire to the
building, and to burn it down, with the Thebans in it; but at last
those who were thus taken, and the few who were still straggling in the
town, were allowed to surrender at discretion.
Meanwhile a strong reinforcement of Thebans, who had started after the
three hundred, were on the way to Plataea; but being delayed by the
state of the roads, and the swollen condition of the Asopus, which they
had to cross, they arrived too late. Being informed of what had
happened, they prepared to plunder the property of the Plataeans
outside the walls, and seize any of the citizens who crossed their
path, to serve as hostages for their own men in the town. The
Plataeans, perceiving their intention, sent a herald to remonstrate,
threatening that unless they desisted, all the Theban prisoners should
at once be put to death. And they promised further, under an oath, that
if the Thebans would withdraw their forces, the captives should be
restored--at least this was the account which was afterwards current at
Thebes, though the Plataeans denied that they had made any such promise
unconditionally, and declared that they had sworn no oath. It seems
probable that the Thebans had received some such explicit assurance as
they asserted; for, on receiving the answer from Plataea, they marched
away without doing any harm. No sooner were they gone than the
Plataeans made all haste to get their property within the walls, and
then put all their prisoners to death. The day was not far distant when
they were bitterly to rue this act of passion, which was not only
cruel, but grossly impolitic; for the Thebans thus slain in cold blood,
a hundred and eighty in number, would have been invaluable as hostages,
whereas the Plataeans had now cut themselves off from all hope of
reconciliation with Thebes, and virtually sealed their own fate.
Two messengers had been despatched from Plataea to Athens, one after
the first entrance of the Thebans, and the second after their defeat
and capture; and the Athenians, on receiving the second message, sent
off a herald bidding the Plataeans to wait for further instructions,
before taking any steps against the prisoners. When the herald arrived,
he found the men already slain, and the Athenians then proceeded to
place the town in a state of defence, removing the women and children
and all those who were unfit for military service, to Athens, and
leaving a small body of their own citizens to direct operations.