Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/394

386 ARATUS. off from the sea, and darkened the city itself and the outskirts about it. Then the rest of them, sitting down, put off their shoes, because men both make less noise and also climb surer, if they go up ladders barefooted, but Erginus, taking with him seven young men dressed like travellers, got unobserved to the gate, and killed the sentry with the other guards. And at the same time the ladders were clapped to the walls, and Aratus, having in great haste got up a hundred men, com- manded the rest to follow as they could, and imme- diately drawing up his ladders after him, he marched through the city with his hundred men towards the castle, being already overjoyed that he was undis- covered, and not doubting of the success. But while still they were some way off, a watch of four men came with a light, who did not see them, because they were still in the shade of the moon, but were seen plainly enough themselves as they came on directly towards them. So withdrawing a little way amongst some walls and plots for houses, they lay in wait for them; and three of them they killed. But the foiu-th, being wounded in the head with a sword, fled, crying out that the enemy was in the city. And immediately the trumpets sounded, and all the city was in an uproar at what had happened, and the streets were full of people running up and down, and many lights were seen shining both below in the town, and above in the castle, and a confused noise was to be heard in all parts. In the mean time, Aratus was hard at work struggling to get up the rocks, at first slowly and with much diffi- culty, straying continually from the path, which lay deep, and was overshadowed with the crags, leading to the wall with many windings and turnings ; but the moon immediately and as if by miracle, it is said, dis-