armed with scythes, and with 15 elephants, that king taking his post in the centre of the first line. Besides the guards, which were the flower of his forces, he also had fortified himself with the Grecian infantry, whom he had drawn up near his person; believing this body only capable of opposing the Macedonian phalanx. As his army spread over a much greater space of ground than that of the enemy, he inintended to surround and to charge them, at one and the same time, both in front and flank.

But Alexander had guarded against this, by giving orders to the commanders of the second line, that, in case they should be charged behind, to face about to that side; or else to draw up their troops in form of a gibbet, and cover the wings, in case the enemy should charge them in flank. He had posted in the front of his first line the greatest part of his bowmen, slingers, hurlers of javelins, in order that these might make head against the chariots armed with scythes, and frighten the horses, by discharging at them a shower of arrows, javelins, and stones. Those who led on the wings were ordered to extend them as wide as possible, but in such a manner as not to weaken the main body. As for the baggage and the captives, among whom were Darius's mother and children, they were left in the camp, under a small guard. Parmenio commanded, as he had always done, the left wing, and Alexander the right.

When the two armies came in view, Alexander, who had been shown the several places where the caltraps were hidden, extended more and more towards the right to avoid them; and the Persians advanced forward in proportion. Darius, being afraid lest the Macedonians should draw him from the spot of ground he had levelled, and carry him into another that was rough and uneven, commanded the cavalry in his left wing, which spread much farther than that of the enemy's right, to march right forward, and wheel about upon the Macedonians in flank, to prevent them from extending their line further. Then Alexander despatched against them the body of horse in his service, commanded by Menidas; but, as these were not able to make head against the enemy, because of their prodigious numbers, he re-inforced them with the Poonians, whom Aretas commanded, and with the foreign cavalry a. Besides the advantage of numbers, they had that also of their coats of mail, which secured themselves and their horses much more. Alexander's cavalry was prodigiously annoyed: however, they marched to the charge with great bravery, and at last put them to flight.

a Some relate that the Barbarians gave way at first, but soon returned to the, charge. VOL. V.

P.

Upon this, the Persians opposed the chariots armed with scythes against the Macedonian phalanx, in order to break it, but with little success. The noise which the soldiers who formed that body made, by striking their swords against their bucklers, and the arrows which flew on all sides, frighted the horses and made a great number of them turn back against their own troops. Others, laying hold of the horses' bridles, pulled the riders down, and cut them to pieces. Part of the chariots drove between the battalions, which opened to make way for them, as they had been ordered to do, by which means they did little or no execution.

Alexander, seeing Darius set his whole army in motion, in order to charge him, employed a stratagem to encourage bis soldiers. When the battle was at the hottest, and the Macedonians were in the greatest danger, Aristander, the soothsayer, clothed in his white robes, holding a branch of laurel in his hand, advances among the combatants, as he had been instructed by the king; and, crying that he saw an eagle hovering over Alexander's head, (a sure omen of victory,) he showed with his finger the pretended bird to the soldiers; who, relying upon the sincerity of the soothsayer, fancied they also saw it; and thereupon renewed the attack with greater cheerfulness and ardour than ever. Then the king, perceiving that Aretas, (after having charged the cavalry, and put them into disorder, upon their advancing to surround his right wing, had begun to break the foremost ranks of the main body of the Barbarian army, marched after Aretas, with the flower of his troops, when he quite broke the enemy's left wing, which had already begun to give way; and, without pursuing the forces which he had thrown into disorder, he wheeled to the left, in order to fall upon the body in which Darius had posted himself. The presence of the two kings inspired both sides with new vigour. Darius was mounted on a chariot, and Alexander on horseback; both surrounded with their bravest officers and soldiers, whose only endeavour was to save the lives of their respective princes, at the hazard of their own. The battle was ob stinate and bloody. Alexander having wounded Darius's equerry with a javelin, the Persians, as well as the Macedonians, imagined that the king was killed; upon which the former breaking aloud into the most dismal lamentations, the whole army was seized with the greatest consternation The relations of Darius, who were at his left hand, fled away with the guards, and so abandoned the chariot; but those who were at his right took him into the centre of their body. Historians relate, that this prince, having drawn his scimitar, reflected whether he ought not to lay violent hands upon himself, rather than fly in an ignominious manner: but

perceiving from his chariot that his soldiers still fought, he was ashamed to forsake them; and, as he was divided between hope and despair, the Persians retired insensibly, and thinned their ranks; when it could no longer be called a battle, but a slaughter. Then Darius, turning about his chariot, fled with the rest; and the conqueror was now wholly employed in pursuing him.

Whilst all this was doing in the right wing of the Macedonians, where the victory was not doubtful; the left wing, commanded by Parmenio, was in great danger. A detachment of the Persian, Indian, and Parthian, horse, which were the best in all the Persian army, having broke through the infantry on the left; advanced to the very baggage. The moment the captives saw them arrive in the camp, they armed themselves with every thing that came first to hand, and, reinforcing their cavalry, rushed upon the Macedonians, who were now charged both before and behind. They, at the same time, told Sysigambis that Darius had won the battle, (for this they believed); that the whole baggage was plundered, and that she was now going to recover her liberty. But this princess, who was a woman of great wisdom, though this news affected her in the strongest manner, could not easily give credit to it; and, being unwilling to exasperate, by too hasty a joy, a conqueror who had treated her with so much humanity, she did not discover the least emotion, did not once change countenance, nor let drop a single word; but, in her usual posture, calmly waited till the event should denounce her fate.

Parmenio, upon the first report of this attack, had despatched a messenger to Alexander, to acquaint him with the danger to which the camp was exposed and to receive his orders. "Above all things," said the prince," let him "not weaken his main body; let him not mind the baggage, "but apply himself wholly to the engagement; for victory "will not only restore us our own possessions, but also give "those of the enemy into our hands." The general officers, who commanded the infantry which formed the centre of the second line, seeing the enemy were going to make themselves masters of the camp and baggage, made a half turn to the right, in obedience to the order which had been given, and fell upon the Persians behind, many of whom were cut to pieces, and the rest obliged to retire; but, as these were horse, the Macedonian foot could not follow them.

Soon after, Parmenio himself was exposed to much greater peril. Mazæus, having rushed upon him with all his cavalry, charged the Macedonians in flank and began to surround them. Immediately Parmenio sent Alexander advice of the danger he was in, declaring, that, in case he were not

immediately succoured, it would be impossible for him to keep his soldiers together. The prince was actually pursuing Darius, and, fancying he was almost come up with him, rode with the utmost speed. He flattered himself, that he should absolutely put an end to the war, in case he could but seize his person. But, upon this news, he turned about, in order to succour his left wing, shuddering with rage to see his prey and victory torn in this manner from him, and complaining against fortune for having favoured Darius more in his flight than himself in the pursuit of that monarch.

Alexander, in his march, met the enemy's horse who had plundered the baggage; all which were returning in good order, and retiring, not as soldiers who had been defeated, but almost as if they had gained the victory. And now the battle became more obstinate than before; for the Barbarians marching close in columns, not in order of battle, but that of a march, it was very difficult to break through them; and they did not amuse themselves with throwing javelins, nor with wheeling about, according to their usual custom, but, man engaging against man, each did all that lay in his power to unhorse his enemy. Alexander lost 60 of his guards in this attack. Hephæṣtion, Conus, and Menidas, were wounded in it; however, he triumphed on this occasion, and all the Barbarians were cut to pieces, except such as forced their way through his squadrons.

During this, news had been brought Mazæus, that Darius was defeated; upon which, being greatly alarmed and dejected by the ill success of that monarch, though the advantage was entirely on his side, he ceased to charge the enemy, who were now in disorder, so briskly as before. Parmenio could not conceive how it came to pass, that the battle, which before was carried on so warmly, should slacken on a sudden : however, like an able commander, who seizes every advantage, and who employs his utmost endeavours to inspire his soldiers with fresh vigour, he observed to them, that the terror which spread throughout the enemy's ranks was thè forerunner of their defeat; and fired them with the notion how glorious it would be for them to put the last hand to the victory. Upon this exhortation, they recovered their former hopes and bravery; when, transformed on a sudden, as it were, into other men, they gave their horses the rein, and charged the enemy with so much fury as threw them into the greatest disorder and obliged them to fly. Alexander came up at that instant, and, overjoyed to find the scale turned in his favour and the enemy entirely defeated, he renewed (in concert with Parmenio) the pursuit of Darius. He rode as far as Arbela, where he fancied he should come up with that monarch and all his baggage; but Darius had

only just passed by it, and left his treasure a prey to the enemy, with his bow and shield.

Such was the success of this famous battle, which gave empire to the conqueror. According to Arrian, the Persians lost 300,000 men, besides those who were taken prisoners, which, at least, is a proof, that the loss was very great on their side. • That of Alexander was very inconsiderable, he not losing, according to the last-mentioned author, 1,200 men, most of whom were horse. This engagement was fought in the month of October, about the same time that, about two years before, the battle of Issus was fought. As Gaugamela, in Assyria, the spot where the two armies engaged, was a small place, of very little note, this was called the battle of Arbela, that city being nearest to the field of battle.

SECT. IX.

Alexander takes Arbela, Babylon, Susa Persepolis; and finds immense riches in those cities.

* Alexander's first care, after his obtaining the victory, was to offer magnificent sacrifices to the gods, by way of thanksgiving. He afterwards rewarded such as had signalized themselves remarkably in battle, bestowed riches upon them with a very liberal hand, and gave to each of them houses, employments, and governments. But, being desirous of expressing more particularly his gratitude to the Greeks, for having appointed him generalissimo against the Persians, he gave orders for abolishing the several tyrannical institutions that had started up in Greece, that the cities should be restored to their liberties and all their rights and privileges. He wrote particularly to the Plateans, declaring, that it was his desire their city should be rebuilt, to reward the zeal and bravery by which their ancestors had distinguished themselves in defending the common liberties of Greece. He also sent part of the spoils to the people of Crotona, in Italy, to honour, though so many years after, the good-will and courage of Phayllus, the wrestler, a native of their country d, who, (whilst war was carrying on between the Medes, and when all the rest of the Greeks that were settled in Italy had abandoned the true Grecians, imagining they were entirely undone,) fitted out a galley, at his own expense, and sailed to Salamis, to partake of the danger to which his

a A. M. 3674, Ant. J. C. 330

The month called by the Greeks Boedromion answers partly to our month of October.

c Diod. I. xvii. p. 538-540. Arrian 1. iii. p. 127–133. Plut. in Alex. p. 685 --688 Quin. Curt. I. v. c. 1-7. Justin. l. xi. c. 14.

d Herodotus relates this history in very few words, I. viii. c. 47.