Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/118

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86 HISTORY OF GREKCE. i«i(3es their unpro.'ected flanks and rear; he hhns elf charged with the cavahy, and had a horse killed under him. His infantry alone was more numerous than they, so that against such odds the result could hardly be doubtful. The greater part of these mercenaries, after a valiant resistance, were cut to pieces on the 6eld. We are told that none escaped, except 2000 made prison- ers, and some who remained concealed in the field among the dead bodies.^ In this complete and signal defeat, the loss of the Persian cav- alry was not very serious in mere number — for only 1000 of them were slain. But the slaughter of the leading Persians, who had exposed themselves with extreme bravery in the per- sonal conflict against Alexander, was terrible. There were slain not only Mithridates, Ehoesakes, and Spithridates, whose names have been already mentioned, — but also Pharnakes, brother-in- law of Darius, Mithrobarzanes satrap of Kappadokia, Atizyes, Niphates, Petines, and others ; all Persians of rank and conse- quence. Arsites, the satrap of Phrygia, whose rashness had mainly caused the rejection of Memnon's advice, escaped from the field, but died shortly afterwards by his own hand, froia an- guish and humiliation.^ The Persian or Perso-Grecian infan- try, though probably more of them individually escaped than is implied in Arrian's account, was as a body irretrievably ruined. No force was either left in the field, or could be afterwards reas- sembled in Asia Minor. The loss on the side of Alexander is said to have been very small. Twenty-five of the Companion-cavalry, belonging to the division under Ptolemy and Amyntas, were slain in the first un- successful attempt to pass the river. Of the other cavaby, sixty in all were slain ; of the infantry, thirty. This is given to us as the entire loss on the side of Alexander.^ It is only the number of killed ; that of the wounded is not stated ; but assuming it to be ten times the number of killed, the total of both together will ' Arrian, i. 16, 4 ; Diodor. xvii. 21. Diodorus says that on the part of the Persians more than 10,000 foot were killed, with 2000 cavalry; un4 that more than 20,000 men were made prisoners. • Arrian, i. 16, 5, G.

  • Arrian, i. 16, 7, 8.