History of The Peloponnesian War - Book III   

following way. Ladders were made to match the height of the enemy's
wall, which they measured by the layers of bricks, the side turned
towards them not being thoroughly whitewashed. These were counted by
many persons at once; and though some might miss the right
calculation, most would hit upon it, particularly as they counted over
and over again, and were no great way from the wall, but could see
it easily enough for their purpose. The length required for the
ladders was thus obtained, being calculated from the breadth of the
brick.
Now the wall of the Peloponnesians was constructed as follows. It
consisted of two lines drawn round the place, one against the
Plataeans, the other against any attack on the outside from Athens,
about sixteen feet apart. The intermediate space of sixteen feet was
occupied by huts portioned out among the soldiers on guard, and
built in one block, so as to give the appearance of a single thick
wall with battlements on either side. At intervals of every ten
battlements were towers of considerable size, and the same breadth
as the wall, reaching right across from its inner to its outer face,
with no means of passing except through the middle. Accordingly on
stormy and wet nights the battlements were deserted, and guard kept
from the towers, which were not far apart and roofed in above.
Such being the structure of the wall by which the Plataeans were
blockaded, when their preparations were completed, they waited for a
stormy night of wind and rain and without any moon, and then set
out, guided by the authors of the enterprise. Crossing first the ditch
that ran round the town, they next gained the wall of the enemy
unperceived by the sentinels, who did not see them in the darkness, or
hear them, as the wind drowned with its roar the noise of their
approach; besides which they kept a good way off from each other, that
they might not be betrayed by the clash of their weapons. They were
also lightly equipped, and had only the left foot shod to preserve
them from slipping in the mire. They came up to the battlements at one
of the intermediate spaces where they knew them to be unguarded: those
who carried the ladders went first and planted them; next twelve
light-armed soldiers with only a dagger and a breastplate mounted, led
by Ammias, son of Coroebus, who was the first on the wall; his
followers getting up after him and going six to each of the towers.
After these came another party of light troops armed with spears,
whose shields, that they might advance the easier, were carried by men
behind, who were to hand them to them when they found themselves in
presence of the enemy. After a good many had mounted they were
discovered by the sentinels in the towers, by the noise made by a tile
which was knocked down by one of the Plataeans as he was laying hold
of the battlements. The alarm was instantly given, and the troops
rushed to the wall, not knowing the nature of the danger, owing to the
dark night and stormy weather; the Plataeans in the town having also
chosen that moment to make a sortie against the wall of the
Peloponnesians upon the side opposite to that on which their men
were getting over, in order to divert the attention of the
besiegers. Accordingly they remained distracted at their several
posts, without any venturing to stir to give help from his own
station, and at a loss to guess what was going on. Meanwhile the three
hundred set aside for service on emergencies went outside the wall
in the direction of the alarm. Fire-signals of an attack were also
raised towards Thebes; but the Plataeans in the town at once displayed
a number of others, prepared beforehand for this very purpose, in
order to render the enemy's signals unintelligible, and to prevent his
friends getting a true idea of what was passing and coming to his
aid before their comrades who had gone out should have made good their
escape and be in safety.

Meanwhile the first of the scaling party that had got up, after
carrying both the towers and putting the sentinels to the sword,
posted themselves inside to prevent any one coming through against