Darius and his army remained drawn1 up during the night in the same order as that in which they had first arrayed themselves; because they had not surrounded themselves with a completely entrenched2 camp, and, moreover, they were afraid that the enemy would attack them in the night. The success of the Persians, on this occasion, was impeded3 especially by this long standing4 on watch with their arms, and by the fear which usually springs up before great dangers; which, however, was not then suddenly aroused by a momentary5 panic, but had been experienced for a long time, and had thoroughly6 cowed their spirits.402 The army of Darius was drawn up in the following manner: for, according to the statement of Aristobulus, the written scheme of arrangement drawn 161up by Darius was afterwards captured. His left wing was held by the Bactrian cavalry7, in conjunction with the Daans403 and Arachotians; near these had been posted the Persians, horse and foot mixed together; next to these the Susians, and then the Cadusians. This was the arrangement of the left wing as far as the middle of the whole phalanx. On the right had been posted the men from Coele-Syria and Mesopotamia. On the right again were the Medes; next to them the Parthians and Sacians; then the Tapurians and Hyrcanians, and last the Albanians and Sacesinians, extending as far as the middle of the whole phalanx. In the centre where King Darius was, had been posted the king’s kinsmen,404 the Persian guards carrying spears with golden apples at the butt8 end,405 the Indians, the Carians who had been forcibly removed to Central Asia, and the Mardian archers9.406 The Uxians, the Babylonians, the men who dwell near the Red Sea, and the Sitacenians had also been drawn up in deep column. On the left, opposite Alexander’s right, had been posted the Scythian cavalry, about 1,000 Bactrians and 100 scythe-bearing chariots. In front of Darius’s royal squadron of cavalry stood the elephants and 50 chariots. In front of the right wing the Armenian and Cappadocian cavalry with 50 scythe-bearing chariots had been posted. The Greek mercenaries, as alone capable of coping with the Macedonians, were stationed right opposite their phalanx, in 162two divisions close beside Darius himself and his Persian attendants, one division on each side.407
Alexander’s army was marshalled as follows: The right wing was held by the cavalry Companions, in front of whom had been posted the royal squadron, commanded by Clitus, son of Dropidas. Near this was the squadron of Glaucias, next to it that of Aristo, then that of Sopolis, son of Hermodorus, then that of Heraclides, son of Antiochus. Near this was that of Demetrius, son of Althaemenes, then that of Meleager, and last one of the royal squadrons commanded by Hegelochus, son of Hippostratus. All the cavalry Companions were under the supreme10 command of Philotas, son of Parmenio. Of the phalanx of Macedonian infantry11, nearest to the cavalry had been posted first the select corps12 of shield-bearing guards, and then the rest of the shield-bearing-guards, under the command of Nicanor, son of Parmenio. Next to these was the brigade of Coenus, son of Polemocrates; after these that of Perdiceas, son of Orontes, then that of Meleager, son of Neoptolemus, then that of Polysperchon,408 son of Simmias, and last that of Amyntas, son of Andromenes, under the command of Simmias, because Amyntas had been despatched to Macedonia to levy13 an army. The brigade of Craterus, son of Alexander, held the left end of the Macedonian phalanx, and this general commanded the left wing of the infantry.409 Next to him was the allied14 Grecian 163cavalry, under the command of Erigyius, son of Larichus. Next to these, towards the left wing of the army, were the Thessalian cavalry, under the command of Philip, son of Menelaüs. But the whole left wing was led by Parmenio, son of Philotas, round whose person were ranged the Pharsalian horsemen, who were both the best and most numerous squadron of the Thessalian cavalry.
点击收听单词发音
1 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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2 entrenched | |
adj.确立的,不容易改的(风俗习惯) | |
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3 impeded | |
阻碍,妨碍,阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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5 momentary | |
adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的 | |
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6 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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7 cavalry | |
n.骑兵;轻装甲部队 | |
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8 butt | |
n.笑柄;烟蒂;枪托;臀部;v.用头撞或顶 | |
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9 archers | |
n.弓箭手,射箭运动员( archer的名词复数 ) | |
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10 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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11 infantry | |
n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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12 corps | |
n.(通信等兵种的)部队;(同类作的)一组 | |
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13 levy | |
n.征收税或其他款项,征收额 | |
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14 allied | |
adj.协约国的;同盟国的 | |
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