Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/113

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PLAN ADVISED BY MEMNON. 81 day to Perkote, on the second to the river Praktius, on the third to Hermotus ; receiving on his way the spontaneous surrender of the town of Priapus. Aware that the enemy was not far dis- tant, he threw out in advance a body of scouts under Amyntas, consisting of four squadrons of light cavalry and one of the heavy Macedonian (Companion) cavalry. From Hermotus (the fourth day from Arisbe) he marched direct towards the Granikus, in careful order, with his main phalanx in double files, his cavalry on each wing, and the baggage in the rear. On approaching the river, he made his dispositions for immediate attack, though Par- raenio advised waiting until the next morning. Knowing well, like Memnon on the other side, that the chances of a pitched battle were all against the Persians, he resolved to leave them no opportunity of decamping during the night. In Alexander's array, the phalanx or heavy infantry formed the central body. The six Taxeis or divisions, of which it con- sisted, were commanded (reckoning from right to left) by Per- dikkas, Kcenus, Amyntas son of Andromenes, Philippus, Melea- ger, and Kraterus.i Immediately on the right of the phalanx, were the hypaspistae, or light infantry, under Nikanor son of Parmenio — then the liglit horse or lancers, the Paeonians, and the Apolloniate squadron of Companion-cavalry commanded by the Ilarch Sokrates, all under Amyntas son of Arrhibaeus — lastly the full body of Companion-cavalry, the bowmen, and the Agri- anian darters, all under Philotas (son of Parmenio), whose di- vision formed the exti'eme right." The left fiank of the phalanx ' Arrian, i. 14, 3. The text of Arrian is not clear. The name of Krate- rus occurs twice. Various explanations are proposed. The words eore ekI to uiaov ti/q ^vfiKuar}^ ru^eu^ seem to prove that there were three ru^eit; of the phalanx (Kraterus, Meleager, and Philippus) included in the left half of the army — and three others (Ferdikkas, Kcenus, and Amyntas) in the right half; while the words inl 6e, y Kparepov tov ' A.'kE^uvdpov appeal' wrongly inserted. There is no good reason for admitting two distinguishes officers, each named Kraterus. The name of Philippus and his tu^lq is repeated twice; once in counting from the right of the tu^eic. — once again in counting from the left.

  • Plutarch states that Alexander struck into the river with thirteen

squadrons (lAaj) of cavalry. "Whether this total includes all then present in the field, or only the Companion-cavalry — we cannot determine (Plu- tarch, Alex. 16)