Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/193

 BATTLE OF ARBKLA OR GAUGAMKLA. 101 and darters in front ; who even found means to seize the reins, pull down the drivers, and kill the horses. Of the hundred cha- riots in Darius's front, intended to bear down the Macedonian ranks by simultaneous pressure along their whole line, many were altogether stopped or disabled ; some turned right round, the horses refusing to face the protended pikes, or being scared with the noise of pike and shield struck together ; some which reached the Macedonian line, were let through without mischief by the soldiers opening their ranks ; a few only inflicted wounds or damage.* As soon as the chariots were thus disposed of, and the Per- sian main force laid open as advancing behind them, Alexander gave orders to the troops of his main line, who had hitherto been perfectly silent," to raise the war-shout and charge at a quick pace ; at the same time directing Aretes with the PaBonians to repel the assailants on his right flank. He himself, discontinu- ing his slanting movement to the right, turned towards the Per- sian line, and dashed, at the head of all the Companion-cavalry, into that partial opening in it, which had been made by the flank movement of the Baktrians. Having by this opening got partly within the line, he pushed straight towards the person of Darius ; his cavalry engaging in the closest hand-combat, and thrusting with their short pikes at the faces of the Persians. Here, as at ' About the chariots, Anian, iii. 13, 11 ; Curtius, iv. 15, 14 ; Diodor. xvii j7, 58. Arrian mentions distinctly on]y cliose chariots which were launched on Darius's left, immediately opposite to Alexander. But it is plain that the chariots along the whole line must have been let off at one and the same signal — which we may understand as implied in the words of Curtius "Ipse (Darius) ante se falcatos currus habcbat, quos signo dato universos in hostem effudit •' (iv. 14, 3). The scytiicd chariots of Artaxerxes, at the battle of Kunaxa, did no mis chief (Xenoph. Anab. i. 8, 10-20). At the battle of Magnesia, gained by liie Romans (b. c. 190) over the Syrian king Antiochus, his chariots were not only driven back, but spread disorder among their own troops (Appian, Reb. Syriac. 33). previous to the battle, about the necessity of aosolute silence until the mo- ment came for the ten-ific war-shout (Arrian, iii. 9, 14) : compare Thucyd ii. 89 — a similar direction from Phormio to the Athenians. 14*
 * See the remarkable passage in the address of Alexander to his soldiers