Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/198

 166 HISTORY OF GREECE. derous ; all at close quarters, cut and thrust with hand weapons on both sides contrary to the Persian custom. Sixty of the Mace- donian cavalry were slain ;. and a still greater number, including HephiBStion, Ivoenus, and Menidas, were wounded, and Alexan- der himself encountered great personal danger. He is said to have been victorious ; yet probably most of these brave men forced their way through and escaped, though leaving many of their number on the field.* Having rejoined his left, and ascertained that it was not only out of danger, but victorious, Alexander resumed his pursuit of the flying Persians, in which Parmenio now took part.2 The host of Darius was only a multitude of disorderly fugitives, horse and foot mingled together. The greater part of them had taken no share in the battle. Here, as at Issus, they remained crowd- ed in stationary and unprofitable masses, ready to catch the con- tagion of terror and to swell the number of runaways, so soon as the comparatively small proportion of real combatants in the front had been beaten. On recommencing the pursuit, Alexan- der pushed forward with such celerity, that numbers of the fugi- tives were slain or taken, especially at the passage of the river Lykus ; ^ where he was obliged to halt for a while, since his men as Avell as their horses were exhausted. At midnight, he again pushed forward, with such cavalry as could follow him, to Ar- bela, in hopes of capturing the person of Darius. In this he was disappointed, though he reached Arbela the next day. Darius had merely passed through it, leaving an undefended town, with his bow, shield, chariot, a large treasure, and rich equipage, as prey to the victor. Parmenio had also occupied without resist- ance the Persian camp near the field of battle, capturing the bag- gage, the camels, and the elephants.* 1 Arrian, iii. 15, 6. Curtius also alludes to this combat; but with many particulars very different from Arrian (iv. 16, 19-25). ' Arrian, iii. 15, 10. Curtius (ir. 16, 12-18) gives aggravated details about the sufferings of the fugitives in passing the river Lykus — which are probably founded on fact. But he makes the mistake of supposing that Alexander had got as far as this river in his first pursuit, from which he v/as called back to assist Parmenio. ♦ Arrian, iii. 15, U; Curtius, v. 1, 10.
 * Arrian, iii. 15, 9.