CHAPTER VIII.

DEFEAT OF THE MALLIANS AT THE RIVER HYDRAOTES.

Having remained there one day to give his army rest, he advanced on the

morrow against the other Mallians. He found the cities abandoned, and

ascertained that the men had fled into the desert. There he again gave

the army one day’s rest, and on the next day sent Peithon and Demetrius

the cavalry general back to the river, in command of their own troops,

giving them in addition as many battalions of the light-armed infantry

as were sufficient for the enterprise. Their instructions were to go

along the bank of the river, and if they met any of those who had fled

for safety into the woods, of which there were many near the river’s

bank, to kill all who refused to surrender. Peithon and Demetrius

captured many of these in the woods and killed them. He himself led

his forces against the largest city of the Mallians, whither he was

informed many from the other cities had taken refuge. But this also the

Indians abandoned when they heard that Alexander was marching against

it. Crossing the river Hydraotes, they remained with their forces drawn

up upon its bank, because it was high, and they thought they could

obstruct Alexander’s passage. When he heard this, he took all the

cavalry which he had with him, and went to the part of the river where

he was informed that the Mallians had drawn themselves up for battle;

and the infantry was ordered to follow. When he reached the river and

beheld the enemy drawn up on the opposite bank, he made no delay, but

instantly plunged into the ford with the cavalry alone. When they saw

that he was now in the middle of the river, though they were drawn

up ready for battle, they withdrew from the bank with all speed; and

Alexander followed them with his cavalry alone. But when the Indians

perceived only cavalry, they wheeled round and fought with desperate

valour, being about 50,000 in number. When Alexander perceived that

their phalanx was densely compact, and that his own infantry was

absent, he rode right round their army and made charges upon them, but

did not come to close fighting with them. Meanwhile the archers, the

Agrianians and the other battalions of light-armed infantry, being

picked men whom he was leading with him, arrived, and his phalanx of

infantry was seen not far off. As all kinds of danger were threatening

them at once, the Indians now wheeled round again and began to flee

with headlong speed into the strongest of their adjacent cities; but

Alexander followed them and slew many, while those who escaped into the

city were cooped up within it. At first indeed he surrounded the city

with the horse-soldiers as they came up from the march; but when the

infantry arrived, he encamped all round the wall for this day, because

not much of it was left for making the assault, and his army had been

exhausted, the infantry by the long march, and the cavalry by the

uninterrupted pursuit, and especially by the passage of the river.