CHAPTER X.

BATTLE OF ISSUS.

Having thus marshalled his men, he caused them to rest for some time,

and then led them forward, as he thought the enemy’s approach was very

slow. For Darius was no longer leading the foreigners against him, as

he had arranged them at first, but he remained in his position, upon

the bank of the river, which was in many parts steep and precipitous;

and in certain places, where it seemed more easy to ascend, he extended

a stockade along it. By this it was at once evident to Alexander’s

men that Darius had become cowed in spirit.[252] But when the armies

at length met in conflict, Alexander rode about in every direction

to exhort his troops to show their valour; mentioning with befitting

epithets the names, not only of the generals, but also those of the

captains of cavalry and infantry, and of the Grecian mercenaries as

many as were more distinguished either by rank or merit. From all

sides arose a shout not to delay but to attack the enemy. At first he

still led them on in close array with measured step, although he had

the forces of Darius already in full view, lest by a more hasty march

any part of the phalanx should fluctuate from the line[253] and get

separated from the rest. But when they came within range of darts,

Alexander himself and those around him being posted on the right wing,

advanced first into the river with a run, in order to alarm the

Persians by the rapidity of their onset, and by coming sooner to close

conflict to receive little damage from the archers. And it turned out

just as Alexander had conjectured; for as soon as the battle became a

hand-to-hand one, the part of the Persian army stationed on the left

wing was put to rout; and here Alexander and his men won a brilliant

victory. But the Grecian mercenaries serving under Darius attacked

the Macedonians at the point where they saw their phalanx especially

disordered. For the Macedonian phalanx had been broken and disjoined

towards the right wing; because Alexander had charged into the river

with eagerness, and engaging in a hand-to-hand conflict was already

driving back the Persians posted there; but the Macedonians in the

centre did not execute their task with equal speed; and finding many

parts of the bank steep and precipitous, they were unable to preserve

the front of the phalanx in the same line. Here then the struggle was

desperate; the aim of the Grecian mercenaries of Darius being to push

the Macedonians back into the river, and regain the victory, though

their own forces were already flying; the aim of the Macedonians being

not to fall short of Alexander’s good-fortune, which was already

manifest, and not to tarnish the glory of the phalanx, which up to that

time had been commonly asserted to be invincible. Moreover the feeling

of rivalry which existed between the Grecian and Macedonian races

inspired each side in the conflict. Here fell Ptolemy, son of Seleucus,

after proving himself a valiant man, besides about one hundred and

twenty other Macedonians of no mean repute.[254]