here being no boat to be seen in
the harbour. On the present occasion the cart was already at the gates,
which had been opened in the usual way for the boat, when the Athenians,
with whom this had been concerted, saw it, and ran at the top of their
speed from the ambush in order to reach the gates before they were shut
again, and while the cart was still there to prevent their being closed;
their Megarian accomplices at the same moment killing the guard at
the gates. The first to run in was Demosthenes with his Plataeans and
Peripoli, just where the trophy now stands; and he was no sooner within
the gates than the Plataeans engaged and defeated the nearest party
of Peloponnesians who had taken the alarm and come to the rescue, and
secured the gates for the approaching Athenian heavy infantry.

After this, each of the Athenians as fast as they entered went against
the wall. A few of the Peloponnesian garrison stood their ground at
first, and tried to repel the assault, and some of them were killed; but
the main body took fright and fled; the night attack and the sight of
the Megarian traitors in arms against them making them think that all
Megara had gone over to the enemy. It so happened also that the Athenian
herald of his own idea called out and invited any of the Megarians that
wished, to join the Athenian ranks; and this was no sooner heard by the
garrison than they gave way, and, convinced that they were the victims
of a concerted attack, took refuge in Nisaea. By daybreak, the walls
being now taken and the Megarians in the city in great agitation, the
persons who had negotiated with the Athenians, supported by the rest of
the popular party which was privy to the plot, said that they ought to
open the gates and march out to battle. It had been concerted between
them that the Athenians should rush in, the moment that the gates were
opened, while the conspirators were to be distinguished from the rest by
being anointed with oil, and so to avoid being hurt. They could open the
gates with more security, as four thousand Athenian heavy infantry from
Eleusis, and six hundred horse, had marched all night, according to
agreement, and were now close at hand. The conspirators were all ready
anointed and at their posts by the gates, when one of their accomplices
denounced the plot to the opposite party, who gathered together and came
in a body, and roundly said that they must not march out--a thing they
had never yet ventured