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The Persians, and the multitude with them, who fled to the wooden
fortress, were able to ascend into the towers before the
Lacedaemonians came up. Thus placed, they proceeded to strengthen
the defences as well as they could; and when the Lacedaemonians
arrived, a sharp fight took place at the rampart. So long as the
Athenians were away, the barbarians kept off their assailants, and
had much the best of the combat, since the Lacedaemonians were
unskilled in the attack of walled places: but on the arrival of the
Athenians, a more violent assault was made, and the wall was for a
long time attacked with fury. In the end the valour of the Athenians
and their perseverance prevailed - they gained the top of the wall,
and, breaking a breach through it, enabled the Greeks to pour in.
The first to enter here were the Tegeans, and they it was who
plundered the tent of Mardonius; where among other booty the found the
manger from which his horses ate, all made of solid brass, and well
worth looking at. This manger was given by the Tegeans to the temple
of Minerva Alea, while the remainder of their booty was brought into
the common stock of the Greeks. As soon as the wall was broken down,
the barbarians no longer kept together in any array, nor was there one
among them who thought of making further resistance - in good truth,
they were all half dead with fright, huddled as so many thousands were
into so narrow and confined a space. With such tameness did they
submit to be slaughtered by the Greeks, that of the 300,000 men
who composed the army - omitting the 40,000 by whom Artabazus
was accompanied in his flight - no more than 3000 outlived the
battle. Of the Lacedaemonians from Sparta there perished in this
combat ninety-one; of the Tegeans, sixteen; of the Athenians, fifty-two.
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