Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/154

 122 HISTORY OF GREECE. as the ground permitted, but quitted it on reaching some rugged ravines, and mounted on horseback to make sure of escape ; in such terror, that he cast away his bow, his shield, and his regal mantle. He does not seem to have given a single order, nor to liave made the smallest effort to repair a first misfortune. The flight of the king was the signal for all who observed it to flee also ; so that the vast host in the rear were quickly to be seen trampling one another down, in their efforts to get through the difficult ground out of the reach of the enemy. Darius was him- self not merely the centre of union for all the miscellaneous con- tingents composing the army, but also the sole commander ; so that after his flight there was no one left to give any general order. This great battle — we ought rather to say, that which ought to have been a great battle — was thus lost, — through the giv- ing way of the Asiatic hoplites on the Persian left, and the im- mediate flight of Darius, — within a few minutes after its com- mencement. But the centre and right of the Persians, not yet apprised of these misfortunes, behaved with gallantry. "When Alexander made his rapid dash forward with the right, under his own immediate command, the phalanx in his left centre (which was under Kraterus and Parmenio) either did not re- ceive the same accelerating order, or found itself both retarded and disordered by greater steepness in the banks of the Pinarus. Here it was charged by the Grecian mercenaries, the best troops in the Persian service. The combat which took place Avas obsti- nate, and the Macedonian loss not inconsiderable ; the general of division, Ptolemy son of Seleukus, with 120 of the front rank men or choice phalangites, being slain. But presently Alexan- der, having completed the rout on the enemies' left, brought back his victorious troops from the pursuit, attacked the Grecian mer- cenaries in flank, and gave decisive superiority to their enemies. These Grecian mercenaries were beaten and forced to retire. centre — and Cyrus the younger, at tlie battle of Kunaxa, directed th» attack to be made exactly against the person of his brother Artaxerxes. After the battle of Kunaxa, Artaxerxes assumed to himself the honor of having slain Cyrus with his own hand, and put to deat^ those wlio had really done the deed, because thej boasted of it 'Plutarch, Artax. 16)