rect their blows, and all remained at their posts, except a reserve of three hundred men, kept constantly in readiness for special emergencies, who marched out and patrolled the outside of the ditch to intercept any fugitives from within. At the same time, fire-signals were raised to warn their allies at Thebes,—but here again the Platseans in the town had foreseen and prepared fire-signals on their part, which they hoisted forthwith, in order to deprive this telegraphic communication of all special mean- ing.[1]
Meanwhile, the escaping Platæans, masters of the two adjoining towers,—on the top of which some of them mounted, while others held the doorway through, so as to repel with spears and darts all approach of the blockaders,—prosecuted their flight without interruption over the space between, shoving down the battlements in order to make it more level and plant a greater number of ladders. In this manner they all successively got over and crossed the outer ditch; every man, immediately after crossing, standing ready on the outer bank, with bow and javelin, to repel assailants and maintain safe passages for his comrades in the rear. At length, when all had descended, there remained the last and greatest difficulty,—the escape of those who occu- pied the two towers and kept the intermediate portion of wall free : yet even this was accomplished successfully and without
loss. The outer ditch was, however, found embarrassing, so
- ↑ Thucyd. iii, 22. (
Greek characters), etc. It would
seem by this statement that the blockaders must have been often in the
habit of transmitting intelligence to Thebes by means of fire-signals ; each
particular combination of lights having more or less of a special meaning.
The Platæans had observed this, and foresaw that the same means would
be used on the night of the outbreak, to bring assistance from Thebes forth-
with. If they had not observed it before, they could not have prepared for
the moment when the new signal would be hoisted, so as to confound its
meaning—(Greek characters). . . .
Compare iii, 80. I agree with the general opinion stated in Dr. Arnold's
note respecting these fire-signals, and even think that it might have been
sustained more strongly.
"Non enim (observes Cicero, in the fifth oration against Verres, c. 36),
sicut erat nnper consuetudo, prædonum adventure, significabat ignis {{subst:e`}} spccul{{subst:a^}} sublatus aut tumulo: sed flamma ex ipso incendio navium et calamitatem
acceptam et periculum reliquum nuntiabat."
