CHAPTER XI.
TACTICS OF THE OPPOSING GENERALS.
Darius and his army remained drawn up during the night in the same
order as that in which they had first arrayed themselves; because
they had not surrounded themselves with a completely entrenched camp,
and, moreover, they were afraid that the enemy would attack them
in the night. The success of the Persians, on this occasion, was
impeded especially by this long standing on watch with their arms,
and by the fear which usually springs up before great dangers; which,
however, was not then suddenly aroused by a momentary panic, but had
been experienced for a long time, and had thoroughly cowed their
spirits.[402] The army of Darius was drawn up in the following manner:
for, according to the statement of Aristobulus, the written scheme of
arrangement drawn up by Darius was afterwards captured. His left wing
was held by the Bactrian cavalry, in conjunction with the Daans[403]
and Arachotians; near these had been posted the Persians, horse and
foot mixed together; next to these the Susians, and then the Cadusians.
This was the arrangement of the left wing as far as the middle of the
whole phalanx. On the right had been posted the men from Coele-Syria
and Mesopotamia. On the right again were the Medes; next to them the
Parthians and Sacians; then the Tapurians and Hyrcanians, and last
the Albanians and Sacesinians, extending as far as the middle of the
whole phalanx. In the centre where King Darius was, had been posted
the king’s kinsmen,[404] the Persian guards carrying spears with
golden apples at the butt end,[405] the Indians, the Carians who had
been forcibly removed to Central Asia, and the Mardian archers.[406]
The Uxians, the Babylonians, the men who dwell near the Red Sea, and
the Sitacenians had also been drawn up in deep column. On the left,
opposite Alexander’s right, had been posted the Scythian cavalry, about
1,000 Bactrians and 100 scythe-bearing chariots. In front of Darius’s
royal squadron of cavalry stood the elephants and 50 chariots. In
front of the right wing the Armenian and Cappadocian cavalry with 50
scythe-bearing chariots had been posted. The Greek mercenaries, as
alone capable of coping with the Macedonians, were stationed right
opposite their phalanx, in two divisions close beside Darius himself
and his Persian attendants, one division on each side.[407]
Alexander’s army was marshalled as follows: The right wing was held
by the cavalry Companions, in front of whom had been posted the royal
squadron, commanded by Clitus, son of Dropidas. Near this was the
squadron of Glaucias, next to it that of Aristo, then that of Sopolis,
son of Hermodorus, then that of Heraclides, son of Antiochus. Near
this was that of Demetrius, son of Althaemenes, then that of Meleager,
and last one of the royal squadrons commanded by Hegelochus, son of
Hippostratus. All the cavalry Companions were under the supreme command
of Philotas, son of Parmenio. Of the phalanx of Macedonian infantry,
nearest to the cavalry had been posted first the select corps of
shield-bearing guards, and then the rest of the shield-bearing-guards,
under the command of Nicanor, son of Parmenio. Next to these was the
brigade of Coenus, son of Polemocrates; after these that of Perdiceas,
son of Orontes, then that of Meleager, son of Neoptolemus, then that
of Polysperchon,[408] son of Simmias, and last that of Amyntas, son
of Andromenes, under the command of Simmias, because Amyntas had been
despatched to Macedonia to levy an army. The brigade of Craterus, son
of Alexander, held the left end of the Macedonian phalanx, and this
general commanded the left wing of the infantry.[409] Next to him was
the allied Grecian cavalry, under the command of Erigyius, son of
Larichus. Next to these, towards the left wing of the army, were the
Thessalian cavalry, under the command of Philip, son of Menelaüs. But
the whole left wing was led by Parmenio, son of Philotas, round whose
person were ranged the Pharsalian horsemen, who were both the best and
most numerous squadron of the Thessalian cavalry.