Platæa

Platæa (Gr. Plataiai), a city in the western part of Bœotia, on the borders of Attica, and at the foot of Mount Cithæron, 6 miles from Thebes. In 480 B.C. it was destroyed by the Persians, because the inhabitants had taken part with Athens in the battle of Marathon; but in the following year it was the scene of the glorious victory won by the Lacedæmonian Greeks, under Pausanias and Aristides, over the Persian hordes commanded by Mardonius. In the third year of the Peloponnesian war (429) it was attacked by a Theban-Lacedæmonian force, and heroically defended itself for more than two years, until it was starved into surrender; the little garrison of about 200 men were put to the sword, and the city was razed to the ground. Such of the Platæans as escaped were hospitably received at Athens. By the treaty of Antalcidas (387) their children were allowed to go back again, and rebuild their city, after an exile of forty years; but they were again driven out by their implacable enemies the Thebans; and half a century elapsed before the victory of Philip of Macedon at Chæronea enabled the Platæans to finally return to their homes. After this the city was inhabited till the 6th century A.D.