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his coming near enough to attack him, and the contest in that 

 quarter soon became extremely violent and bloody ; the heaps of 

 slain nobility, who had sacrificed their lives to preserve that of their 

 master, making almost an entrenchment round the chariot of the 

 Persian sovereign. In the heat of the conflict, Alexander was 

 wounded in the thigh ; and the horses that drew the chariot of 

 Darius, taking fright, became utterly ungovernable, and hurried 

 their master from the scene of death. The involuntary flight of 

 Darius was the signal for that of his troops, and the foremost ranks 

 ialling back upon each other, the first tumultuously pressing on the 

 second, the second on the third, and so on, a scene of infinite con- 

 fusion and disaster ensued, and multitudes were trampled to death 

 both by the horses and by their comrades. As the conquerors kept 

 on their pursuit, Darius was at length compelled to quit his chariot, 

 and insure his safety by mounting a horse, and riding incessantly 

 at full speed, till he reached the Euphrates. 



The centre, consisting of the Macedonian phalanx, engaged the 

 mercenaries that formed the opposite centre, and both fought with 

 such obstinate bravery that for a long time the victory remained 

 extremely doubtful ; the mercenaries having more than once broke 

 the phalanx ; but the horse that formed the right wing, after routine- 

 the enemy's left, came to their aid, and turned the scale in favour 

 of the latter. At that moment the carnage of the mercenaries be- 

 came dreadful, being attacked both in front and flank, cut to 

 pieces by the cavalry, and thrust through with spears by the infantry. 

 Still, however, the greater part intrepidly stood their ground, selling 

 their lives as dear as possible. At length, being reduced from 

 thirty thousand to a third of that number, disdaining to yield, they 

 made good their retreat, in excellent order, to the mountains of 

 Syria, and, pursuing their route to the coast, embarked for Greece 

 in the same transports that had brought them. As to the Persian 



