$46 GREECE. 
but his immediate danger allowed not time for reflec- 
tion. Craterus vifibly prepared to pafs the river, and 
to attack him in front; his flanks were threatened with 
the fliock of tlie Macedonian horfe, elated by recent 
vidlory. In this emergency the Indian king appears to 
"have adted with equal prudence and firmnefs. Unable 
to oppofe this complicated alfault, he left part of the 
elephants under a fmall guard, to frighten, rather than 
relift, Craterus’s cavalry ; while, at the head of his 
whole army, he marched in perfon to meet the more 
formidable divifion of the enemy, commanded by Alex¬ 
ander himfelf. His horfe amounted to four, and his 
foot to thirty, thoufand; but the part of his flrength 
in which lie'teemed mofi: to confide, confifted of three 
hundred armed chariots, and two hundred elephants. 
"With thefe forces, Porus advanced and halted in a plain 
fuflicienily dry and firm for his chariots to wheel. He 
then arranged his elephants at intervals of an hundred 
feet; in thefe intervals he placed his infantry, a little 
behind the line. By this order of battle, he expedled 
to intimidate tlie enemy, fince their horfe, he thought, 
would be deterred from advancing at fight of the ele¬ 
phants; and their infantry, he imagined, would not 
venture to attack the Indians in front, while they mufl: 
be themfelves expofed to be attacked in flank, and 
trampled under foot by thofe terrible animals. At ei¬ 
ther extremity of the line, the elephants bore huge 
wooden towers, filled with armed men. The cavalry 
former the wings, covered in front with the armed 
chariots. 
Alexander by this time appeared at the head of the 
royal cohort and equellrian archers. Perceiving that 
the enemy had already prepared for battle, he com¬ 
manded a halt, until the heavy-armed troops fliould 
join. This being efl'efted, he allowed them time to rell 
and recover flrength, carefully encircling them with the 
cavalry; and meanwhile examined, with his ufual dili¬ 
gence, the difpofition of the enemy. Upon obferving 
their ord,er of battle, he. determined not to attack them 
jn front, in order to avoid encountering the difficulties 
which Porus had artfully thrown in his way ; and at 
once relblved on an expedient, which, with Inch troops 
as thole whom he commanded, could fcarcely fdil to 
yrove decilive. By intricate and Ikilful manoeuvres, 
altogether unintelligible to the Indians, he moved im¬ 
perceptibly towards their left wing with the flower of 
Jiis cavalry. The remainder, conducted by Csnus, 
jflretched towards the right, having orders to wheel at a 
given diflance, that they might attack the Indians in the 
rear, fhould they wait to receive the fhock of Alexan¬ 
der’s fquadrons. A thoufand equellrian archers direbl- 
cd their rapid courfe towards the flrme wing; while the 
.Macedonian foot remained firm in their po.fls, waiting 
the event of this complicated alfault, which appears to 
.liavc been conducted with the moft precife oblervance 
of time and diflance. 
The Indian horfe, harafled by the equellrian archers, 
•and expofed to th.e danger of being lurrounded, were 
obliged to form into two divifions, of which one pre¬ 
pared to relift Alexander, and the other faced about to 
anect Csenus. But this evolution fo much difordered 
their,ranks, that they were totally unable to Hand the 
fhock of tlie Macedonian cavalry, which lurpalfed them 
as much in llreifgth as it excelled them in dilcipline. 
The fugitives took refuge in the intervals that had been 
left betvveen the elephants. Thefe fierce animals were 
alien conducted againll the enemy’s horfe ; which move- 
anent was no fooncr obleived by the infantry, than they 
ieafonably advanced, and galled the aflailants with darts 
and arrovis. W herever the elephants turned, the Ma¬ 
cedonians opened their ranka, finding it dangerous to 
refill th.em with a dole and deep phalanx. Meanwhile, 
the Indian cavalry rallied, and were repelled with gieater 
lofs than before. They again fought the fame friendly 
Iretceat j but their flight was now intercepted, and 
themfelves almofl entirely furrounded, bf the Macedo¬ 
nian horfe ; at the fame time that the elephants, hav¬ 
ing moflly loft: their riders, became furious through 
their wounds, and proved more formidable to friends 
than foes, becaufe the Macedonians, having the advan¬ 
tage of an open ground, could every where give way to 
their fury. Thus the battle was decided before the di- 
vilion under Craterus had palfed the river. But the aj-- 
rival of thefe frelh troops rendered the purfiiit peculi¬ 
arly deftructive. The unfortunate Porus loft bothTiis 
fons, moft of his captains, twenty thoufand foot, and 
three thoufand' horfe. The elephants, fpent witli fa¬ 
tigue and lofs of blood, were (lain or taken; even the 
armed chariots were hacked in pieces, having proved lefs 
formidable in reality than appearance, fince little more 
than three hundred men periflied on the fide of Alex¬ 
ander. 
The Indian king, having perfonally behaved with great 
gallantry in the action, was the laft tole;ive the field. His 
flight being retarded by his wounds, he was overtaken 
by Taxiles, whom Alexander entrufted with the care of 
feizing him alive. But Porus, perceiving the approach 
of a man who was Ills ancient and invetenite enemy, 
turned his elephant, and prepared to renew tiie combat. 
Alexander then difpatched to him Meroe, an Indian of 
diftin6tion, who, he underfiood, had formerly lived with 
Porus in habits of friendfiiip. By the entreaties of 
Meroe, the Itigh-minded prince, fpent with thirft and 
fatigue, was admonillied to furreuder ; and being fea- 
fonably refrefiied, was conducted to the prefence of the 
conqueror. Alexander admired his llature, and the 
majefty of Id's perfon, being more than feven feet high ; 
but he admired fiill more his courage and magnanimity- 
Having alked in what he could mofi oblige him ? Porus 
anfwered, “By adting like a king.” “That,” faid 
Alexander w itii a Imile, “ I fliould do for my own fake ; 
but wliat can I do for yours?” Porus replied, “,\I1 
my willies are contained in that one reqaefi.” None 
ever admired the virtues of an exalted mind more than 
Alexander. Struck with the firmnefs of Porus, he de¬ 
clared liim reinftated on his throne ; acknowledged him 
for his ally and his friend; and having foon afterward,s 
received the fubmillion of the Glaiifae, who polfelTed 
thirty-feven cities on his eafiern frontiei", he added this 
populous province to the dominions of his new confede- 
rate. Immediately after the battle, he interred the 
fiain, performed tlie accuftoraed lacrifices, and exhi¬ 
bited gymnaftic and equellrian games on the banks of the 
Hydal'pes. Before leaving that river, he founded the 
cities of Nicasa and Bucephalia ; the former was fo call¬ 
ed to commemorate the vidlory gained near the place 
where it flood ; the latter, fituate on the oppofite bank, 
was named in honour of his horfe Bucephalus, who died 
there, worn out by age and fervice. A large divifion 
of the army remained under the command of Craterus, 
to build and fortify thefe new cities. ~ 
In promoting the fuccefs of Alexander, the fame of 
his generofity confpired with the power of his arms. 
Without encountering any memorable refiftance, lie re¬ 
duced the dominions of another prince named Porus, 
and the valuable country between the Acefines and the 
Hydraotes. In eft'edting tills conqueft, the obftacles of 
nature were the principal enemies he had to encounter. 
The river Aceilnes, fifteen furlongs broad, is deep and 
rapid ; many parts of its channel are filled with ftiarp 
rocks, which, oppofing tlie rapidity jof the ftream, oc- 
calion boiling eddies and whirlpools, equally formida¬ 
ble and dangerous. Of the Macedonians, wlio attempt¬ 
ed to pafs in boats, many drove againft the rocks, and 
perillied ; but fuch as employed hides, reached the op¬ 
pofite fhore in fafety. The Hydraotes is of the fame 
breadth with the Acefines, but flows with a gentle cur¬ 
rent; On its eafiern bank, Alexander learned that the 
Cathaei, Malli, and other Indian tribes, prepared to 
refill his progrefs. They had encamped near the city 
Sangalaj 
