38 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period I. 



rallied them and restored the fight. After a hard 

 struggle Alexander, with the force of cavalry under his 

 immediate command, formed into a sort of wedge or 

 column, made the decisive charge upon the Persian line 

 and broke through a gap that had opened in it.' The 

 success of this charge was followed up by the phalanx, 

 which broke into the barbarian ranks with irresistible 

 force. Then Darius gave up all for lost and fled. 

 Parmenio, on the left wing, by this time had got into 

 action, and was suffering severely under the attacks of 

 the right wing of the Persian army. A body of the 

 enemy's cavalry had also pierced through a gap in the 

 Macedonian line between Parmenio and Alexander, 

 and had penetrated as far as the camp where the 

 baggage and cpntives were under the guard of the 

 Thracian infantry. The fate of the battle was trembling 

 in the balance when Alexander, calling back his cavalry 

 from the pursuit on the right, fell with great fury upon 

 the light horse of the enemy's right wing. After a hard 

 fight he defeated them, and then pushed on to Parmenio's 

 assistance. His Thessalian horse of his left wing had 

 already attacked, with such valour, that on Alexander's 

 appearance the whole Persian right broke and fled. 

 Alexander at once turned again with his horsemen, and 

 retracing his steps took up the pursuit of Darius and 

 kept it up till dark, Parmenio following up the victory 

 (Q his part of the field. 



The Persians in this action used a large number of 

 armed chariots which were placed in front of the line of 

 battle. The Greeks by this time, however, had learned how 

 to meet them to the best advantage. The Agrians, who 

 were light armed troops, and the darters under Balacrus 

 were placed in front of the Greek line, and with their 

 missile weapons destroyed many of the chariot horses 

 and their drivers. They also seized the horses by the 

 reins and stopped them, and threw the drivers from 

 their seats and slew them. Some made their way 

 through the middle of the army, for they opened their 

 ranks as Alexander had ordered wherever the chariots 

 ' Arrian, iii. ch. 13, 14, 15. 



