History of the Peloponnesian War

Moreover, one of the Plataeans had shut the gate by which they had entered, and which was the only one opened, by driving the spike of a spear into the bar, instead of a [*]( The βάλανος was a sort of pin or bolt inserted into the bar, and going through it into the gates. When driven quite home, it could of course only be extracted by a key whose pipe exactly corresponded to it in size, so as to take a firm hold on it: and hence the key was called βαλανάγρα, or catch-bolt, from its catching and so drawing out the βάλανος. The effect of putting in this spike was exactly that of spiking a cannon; it could not again be extracted as there was no proper key to fit it. —Arnold.) bolt; so that there was no longer any way out even by that.

As they were chased up and down the city, some of them mounted the wall and threw themselves over, and perished most of them: others came to a lone gate, and, a woman having given them an axe, cut through the bar without being observed, and went out, but in no great numbers, for it was quickly discovered; while others met their fate scattered about in different parts of the city.

But the largest and most united body of them rushed into a spacious building which joined on to the wall, and the near door of which happened to be open, thinking that the door of the building was a gate [of the city], and that there was a passage straight through to the outside.

When the Plataeans saw them cut off, they consulted whether they should burn them where they were, by setting fire to the building, or treat them in any other way.

At last, both those and all the rest of the Thebans that were yet alive, and wandering up and down the city, agreed to deliver up themselves and their arms to the Plataeans, to do with them as they pleased.