Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/196

 164 HISTORY OF GREECE. While Alexander was thus fully successful on his right and centre, the scene on his left under Parmenio was different. MazEcus, who commanded the Persian right, after launching his scythed chariots (which may possibly have done more damage than those launched on the Persian left, though we have no di- rect information about them), followed it up by vigorously charg- ing the Grecian and Thessalian horse in his front, and also by sending round a detachment of cavalry to attack them on their left flank.* Here the battle was obstinately contested, and suc- cess for some time doubtful. Even after the flight of Darius, Parmenio found himself so much pressed, that he sent a message to Alexander. Alexander, though full of mortification at relin- quishing the pursuit, checked his troops, and brought them back to the assistance of his left, by the shortest course across the field of battle. The two left divisions of the phalanx, under Simmais and Kraterus, had already stopped short in the pursuit, on receiving the like message from Parmenio ; leaving the other four divisions to follow the advanced movement of Alexander.^ Hence there arose a gap in the midst of the phalanx, between the four right divisions, and the two left ; into which gap a brigade of Indian and Persian cavalry darted, galloping through the midst of the Macedonian line to get into the rear and attack .he baggage.^ At first this movement was successful, the guard was found unprepared, and the Persian prisoners rose at once to set themselves free ; though Sisygambis, whom these prisoners were above measure anxious to liberate, refused to accejit their 1 Curtius, iv. 16, 1 ; Diodoius, xvii. 59, 60; Arrian, iii. 14, 11. The two first authors are here superior to Arrian, who scarcely mentions at all this vigorous charge of Mazaus, though he alludes to the effects produced by it. ' Arrian, iii. 14, 6. He speaks directly here only of the tu^ic under the command of Simmais ; but it is plain that what he says must be under- stood of the Tu^tc commanded by Kraterus also. Of the six ra^eig or divisions of the phalanx, that of Kraterus stood at the extreme left — that of Simmais (who commanded on this day the ra^if of Amyntas son of Andromenes) next to it (iii. 11, 16). If therefore the tu^i^ of Simmais was kept back from pursuit, on account of the pressure upon the general Mace- donian left (iii. 14,6) — a fortiori, iQ Tu^ig jf Kraterus must have been kept back in like manner.
 * Arrian, iii. 14, 7.