The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 5: Persia: The History, Geography, And Antiquities Of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia, And Sassanian or New Persian Empire; With Maps and Illustrations.Rawlinson, George
History
The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 5: Persia: The History, Geography, And Antiquities Of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia, And Sassanian or New Persian Empire; With Maps and Illustrations.
But the prince meanwhile was in difficulties. Finding himself
outnumbered and outflanked, and fearing that his whole army would be
surrounded, and even the victorious Greeks attacked in the rear, he set
all upon one desperate cast and charged with his Six Hundred against
the six thousand horse who protected his brother. Artagerses, their
commander, who met him with a Homeric invective, he slew with his own
hand. The six thousand were routed and took to flight; the person of the
king was exposed to view; and Cyrus, transported at the sight, rushed
forward shouting, “I see the man,” and hurling his javelin, struck him
straight upon the breast, with such force that the cuirass was pierced
and a slight flesh-wound inflicted. The king fell from his horse; but at
the same moment Cyrus received a wound beneath the eye from the javelin
of a Persian, and in the melee which followed he was slain with eight of
his followers. The Six Hundred could lend no effectual aid, because they
had rashly dispersed in pursuit of the flying enemy.
As the whole contest was a personal one, the victory was now decided.
Fighting, however, continued till nightfall. On learning the death of
their leader, the Asiatic troops under Ariseus fled--first to their
camp, and then, when Artaxerxes attacked them there, to the last night’s
station. The Grecian camp was assaulted by Tissaphernes, who at the
beginning of the battle had charged through the Greek light-armed,
without however, inflicting on them any loss, and had then pressed on,
thinking to capture the Grecian baggage. But the guard defended their
camp with success, and slew many of the assailants. Tissaphernes and
the king drew off after a while, and retraced their steps, in order to
complete the victory by routing the troops of Clearchus. Clearchus was
at the same time returning from his pursuit, having heard that his camp
was in danger, and as the two bodies of troops approached, he found
his right threatened by the entire host of the enemy, which might have
lapped round it and attacked it in front, in flank, and in rear. To
escape this peril he was about to wheel his line and make it rest
alone its whole extent upon the river, when the Persians passed him and
resumed the position which they had occupied at the beginning of the
battle. They were then about to attack, when once more the Greeks
anticipated them and charged. The effect was again ludicrous. The
Persians would not abide the onset, but fled faster than before. The
Greeks pursued them to a village, close by which was a knoll or mound,
whither the fugitives had betaken themselves. Again the Greeks made a
movement in advance, and immediately the flight recommenced. The last
rays of the setting sun fell on scattered masses of Persian horse and
foot flying in all directions over the plain from the little band of
Greeks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account