History of the Peloponnesian War

Having thus addressed and encouraged them, on the expiration of the truce, he made his assault upon Lecythus; while the Athenians defended themselves from a poor wall, and from some houses that had battlements. For one day they beat him off;

but on the next, when an engine was going to be brought up against them by the enemy, from which they intended to throw fire on the wooden defences, and when the army was now advancing where they thought they should best bring up the engine, and where the place was most assailable, the defenders placed a wooden tower on the wall opposite to them, and carried up on to it many jars and casks of water, with large stones, an a large party of men ascended it.

But the building, having had too great a weight put on it, suddenly broke down, and making a loud noise, vexed more than it terrified those of the Athenians who were near and saw it; but those who were at a distance, and most of all those who were at the greatest, thinking that the place was already taken in that quarter, hurried away, and fled to the sea and to their ships.