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
Then Alexander drew up his army in such a way that the depth of the
phalanx was 120 men; and stationing 200 cavalry on each wing, he
ordered them to preserve silence, in order to receive the word of
command quickly. Accordingly he gave the signal to the heavy-armed
infantry in the first place to hold their spears erect, and then to
couch them at the concerted sign; at one time to incline their spears
to the right, closely locked together, and at another time towards
the left. He then set the phalanx itself into quick motion forward,
and marched it towards the wings, now to the right, and then to the
left. After thus arranging and re-arranging his army many times very
rapidly, he at last formed his phalanx into a sort of wedge, and led
it towards the left against the enemy, who had long been in a state of
amazement at seeing both the order and the rapidity of his evolutions.
Consequently they did not sustain Alexander’s attack, but quitted
the first ridges of the mountain. Upon this, Alexander ordered the
Macedonians to raise the battle cry and make a clatter with their
spears upon their shields; and the Taulantians, being still more
alarmed at the noise, led their army back to the city with all speed.
As Alexander saw only a few of the enemy still occupying a ridge,
along which lay his route, he ordered his body-guards and personal
companions to take their shields, mount their horses, and ride to
the hill; and when they reached it, if those who had occupied the
position awaited them, he said that half of them were to leap from
their horses, and to fight as foot-soldiers, being mingled with the
cavalry. But when the enemy saw Alexander’s advance, they quitted the
hill and retreated to the mountains in both directions. Then Alexander,
with his companions,[62] seized the hill, and sent for the Agrianians
and archers, who numbered 2,000. He also ordered the shield-bearing
guards to cross the river, and after them the regiments of Macedonian
infantry, with instructions that, as soon as they had succeeded in
crossing, they should draw out in rank towards the left, so that the
phalanx of men crossing might appear compact at once. He himself, in
the vanguard, was all the time observing from the ridge the enemy’s
advance. They, seeing the force crossing the river, marched down the
mountains to meet them, with the purpose of attacking Alexander’s rear
in its retreat. But, as they were just drawing near, Alexander rushed
forth with his own division, and the phalanx raised the battle-cry,
as if about to advance through the river. When the enemy saw all the
Macedonians marching against them, they turned and fled. Upon this,
Alexander led the Agrianians and archers at full speed towards the
river, and succeeded in being himself the first man to cross it. But
when he saw the enemy pressing upon the men in the rear, he stationed
his engines of war upon the bank, and ordered the engineers to shoot
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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