The Anabasis of Alexander : $b or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the GreatArrian
History
The Anabasis of Alexander : $b or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the Great
Arrian
Alexander, the Great, 356 B.C.-323 B.C.; India -- History -- To 324 B.C.; Iran -- History -- To 640
infantry he had posted the cavalry, in front of which were placed the
chariots on both wings of his army.
CHAPTER XVI.
ALEXANDER’S TACTICS.
Such was the arrangement which Porus made of his forces. As soon as
Alexander observed that the Indians were drawn up in order of battle,
he stopped his cavalry from advancing farther, so that he might take
up the infantry as it kept on arriving; and even when the phalanx in
quick march had effected a junction with the cavalry, he did not at
once draw it out and lead it to the attack, not wishing to hand over
his men exhausted with fatigue and out of breath, to the barbarians
who were fresh and untired. On the contrary, he caused his infantry
to rest until their strength was recruited, riding along round the
lines to inspect them.[684] When he had surveyed the arrangement of
the Indians, he resolved not to advance against the centre, in front
of which the elephants had been posted, and in the gaps between them a
dense phalanx of men; for he was alarmed at the very arrangements which
Porus had made here with that express design. But as he was superior
in the number of his cavalry, he took the greater part of that force,
and marched along against the left wing of the enemy for the purpose
of making an attack in this direction. Against the right wing he sent
Coenus with his own regiment of cavalry and that of Demetrius, with
instructions to keep close behind the barbarians when they, seeing the
dense mass of cavalry opposed to them, should ride out to fight them.
Seleucus, Antigenes, and Tauron were ordered to lead the phalanx of
infantry, but not to engage in the action until they observed[685]
the enemy’s cavalry and phalanx of infantry thrown into disorder by
the cavalry under his own command. But when they came within range of
missiles, he launched the horse-archers, 1000 in number, against the
left wing of the Indians, in order to throw those of the enemy who were
posted there into confusion by the incessant storm of arrows and by the
charge of the horses. He himself with the Companion cavalry marched
along rapidly against the left wing of the barbarians, being eager to
attack them in flank while still in a state of disorder, before their
cavalry could be deployed.
CHAPTER XVII.
DEFEAT OF PORUS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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