Macedonian heavy—under Philotas son of Parmenio 1,500
Thessalian (also heavy)—under Kallas 1,500
Miscellaneous Grecian—under Erigyius 600
Thracian and Pæonian (light)—under Kassander 900
------
Total Cavalry 4,500
Such seems the most trustworthy enumeration of Alexander’s first
invading army. There were however other accounts, the highest of
which stated as much as 43,000 infantry with 4000 cavalry.[157]
Besides these troops, also, there must have been an effective train
of projectile machines and engines, for battles and sieges, which
we shall soon find in operation. As to money, the military chest of
Alexander, exhausted in part by profuse donatives to his Macedonian
officers,[158] was as poorly furnished as that of Napoleon Buonaparte
on first entering Italy for his brilliant campaign of 1796. According
to Aristobulus, he had with him only seventy talents; according to
another authority, no more than the means of maintaining his army
for thirty days. Nor had he even been able to bring together his
auxiliaries, or complete the outfit of his army, without incurring a
debt of 800 talents, in addition to that of 500 talents contracted by
his father Philip.[159] Though Plutarch[160] wonders at the smallness
of the force with which Alexander contemplated the execution of such
great projects, yet the fact is, that in infantry he was far above
any force which the Persians had to oppose him;[161] not to speak
of comparative discipline and organization, surpassing even that of
the Grecian mercenaries, who formed the only good infantry in the
Persian service; while his cavalry, though inferior as to number, was
superior in quality and in the shock of close combat.
[157] Diodor. xvii. 17. Plutarch (Alexand. 15) says that the
highest numbers which he had read of, were,—43,000 infantry with
5000 cavalry: the lowest numbers, 30,000 infantry with 4000
cavalry (assuming the correction of Sintenis, τετρακισχιλίους
in place of πεντακισχιλίους, to be well founded, as it probably
is—compare Plutarch, Fort. Alex. M. i. p. 327).
According to Plutarch (Fort. Al. M. p. 327), both Ptolemy and
Aristobulus stated the number of infantry to be 30,000; but
Ptolemy gave the cavalry as 5000, Aristobulus, as only 4000.
Nevertheless, Arrian—who professes to follow mainly Ptolemy and
Aristobulus, whenever they agree—states the number of infantry
as “not much more than 30,000; the cavalry as more than 5000”
(Exp. Al. i. 11, 4). Anaximenes alleged 43,000 infantry, with
5500 cavalry. Kallisthenes (ap. Polybium. xii. 19) stated
40,000 infantry, with 4500 cavalry. Justin (xi. 6) gives 32,000
infantry, with 4500 cavalry.
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