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
While he was there, ambassadors came to him from the Selgians, who are
also Pisidian barbarians, inhabiting a large city, and being warlike.
Because they happened to be inveterate enemies to the Termessians they
had despatched this embassy to Alexander, to treat for his friendship.
He made a treaty with them, and from this time found them faithful
allies in all his proceedings. Despairing of being able to capture
Termessus without a great loss of time, he marched on to Sagalassus.
This was also a large city, inhabited likewise by Pisidians; and though
all the Pisidians are warlike, the men of this city were deemed the
most so. On this occasion they had occupied the hill in front of the
city, because it was no less strong than the walls, from which to
attack the enemy; and there they were awaiting him. But Alexander drew
up the phalanx of Macedonians in the following way: on the right wing,
where he had himself taken up his position, he held the shield-bearing
guards, and next to these he extended the foot Companions as far as
the left wing, in the order that each of the generals had precedence
in the array that day. On the left wing he stationed Amyntas, son of
Arrhabaeus, as commander. In front of the right wing were posted the
archers and Agrianians, and in front of the left wing the Thracian
javelin-throwers under the command of Sitalces. But the cavalry were
no use to him in a place so rough and unfavourable. The Termessians
also had come to the aid of the Pisidians, and arrayed themselves with
them. Alexander had already made an attack upon the mountain which the
Pisidians were occupying, advancing up the most abrupt part of the
ascent, when the barbarians from an ambuscade attacked him on both
wings, in a place where it was very easy for themselves to advance,
but where the route was very difficult for their enemy. The archers,
who were the first to approach, were put to rout, inasmuch as they
were insufficiently armed; but the Agrianians stood their ground, for
the Macedonian phalanx was already drawing near, at the head of which
Alexander himself was seen. When the battle became a hand-to-hand one,
though the barbarians were destitute of armour, they rushed against
the Macedonian hoplites, and fell wounded on all sides. Then, indeed,
they gave way, after about 500 of them had been killed. As they were
nimble and well-acquainted with the locality, they effected their
retreat without difficulty; whereas the Macedonians, on account of
the heaviness of their arms and their ignorance of the roads, durst
not pursue them vigorously. Alexander therefore held off from the
fugitives, and took their city by storm. Of those with him, Cleander,
the general of the archers, and about twenty others were slain.
Alexander then marched against the rest of the Pisidians, and took some
of their strongholds by storm; others he won over to him by granting
them terms of capitulation.
CHAPTER XXIX.
ALEXANDER IN PHRYGIA.
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