CHAPTER VI.

DEFEAT OF CLITUS AND GLAUCIAS.

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

from them as far forward as possible all sorts of projectiles which are

usually shot from military engines.[63] He directed the archers, who

had also entered the water, to shoot their arrows from the middle of

the river. But Glaucias durst not advance within range of the missiles;

so that the Macedonians passed over in such safety, that not one of

them lost his life in the retreat.

Three days after this, Alexander discovered that Clitus and Glaucias

lay carelessly encamped; that neither were their sentinels on guard

in military order, nor had they protected themselves with a rampart

or ditch, as if they imagined he had withdrawn through fear; and that

they had extended their line to a disadvantageous length. He therefore

crossed the river again secretly, at the approach of night, leading

with him the shield-bearing guards, the Agrianians, the archers, and

the brigades of Perdiccas[64] and Coenus,[65] after having given orders

for the rest of the army to follow. As soon as he saw a favourable

opportunity for the attack, without waiting for all to be present, he

despatched the archers and Agrianians against the foe. These, being

arranged in phalanx, fell unawares with the most furious charge upon

their flank, where they were likely to come into conflict with their

weakest point, and slew some of them still in their beds, others being

easily caught in their flight. Accordingly, many were there captured

and killed, as were many also in the disorderly and panic-stricken

retreat which ensued. Not a few, moreover, were taken prisoners.

Alexander kept up the pursuit as far as the Taulantian mountains;

and as many of them as escaped, preserved their lives by throwing

away their arms. Clitus first fled for refuge into the city, which,

however, he set on fire, and withdrew to Glaucias, in the land of the

Taulantians.