rst watch of the night,
made an armed entry into Plataea, a town of Boeotia in alliance with
Athens. The gates were opened to them by a Plataean called Naucleides,
who, with his party, had invited them in, meaning to put to death the
citizens of the opposite party, bring over the city to Thebes, and thus
obtain power for themselves. This was arranged through Eurymachus, son
of Leontiades, a person of great influence at Thebes. For Plataea had
always been at variance with Thebes; and the latter, foreseeing that war
was at hand, wished to surprise her old enemy in time of peace, before
hostilities had actually broken out. Indeed this was how they got in so
easily without being observed, as no guard had been posted. After the
soldiers had grounded arms in the market-place, those who had invited
them in wished them to set to work at once and go to their enemies'
houses. This, however, the Thebans refused to do, but determined to
make a conciliatory proclamation, and if possible to come to a friendly
understanding with the citizens. Their herald accordingly invited
any who wished to resume their old place in the confederacy of their
countrymen to ground arms with them, for they thought that in this way
the city would readily join them.

On becoming aware of the presence of the Thebans within their gates, and
of the sudden occupation of the town, the Plataeans concluded in
their alarm that more had entered than was really the case, the night
preventing their seeing them. They accordingly came to terms and,
accepting the proposal, made no movement; especially as the Thebans
offered none of them any violence. But somehow or other, during the
negotiations, they discovered the scanty numbers of the Thebans, and
decided that they could easily attack and overpower them; the mass of
the Plataeans being averse to revolting from Athens. At all events they
resolved to attempt it. Digging through the party walls of the houses,
they thus managed to join each other without being seen going through
the streets, in which they placed wagons without the beasts in them, to
serve as a barricade, and arranged everything else as seemed convenient
for the occasion. When everything had been done that circumstances
permitted, they watched their opportunity and went out of their houses
against the enemy. It was still night, though daybreak was at hand: in
daylight it was thought that their attack would be met by men full of
courage and on equal terms