160 HISTORl OF GREECE. men. Lastly, the Thracian infantry were left to guard the camp and baggage.^ Forewarned by a deserter, Alexander avoided the places «vlicre iron spikes had been planted to damage the Macedonian cavalry.^ He himself, at the head of the Royal Squadron, on the extreme right, led the march obliquely in that direction, keeping his right somewhat in advance. As he neared the enemy, he saw Darius himself with the Persian left centre im- mediately opposed to him — Persian guards, Indians, Albanians, and Karians. Alexander went on inclining to the right, and Darius stretching his front towards the left to counteract this movement, but still greatly outflanking the Macedonians to the left. Alexander had now got so far to his right, that he was al- most beyond the ground levelled by Darius for the operations of his chariots in front. To check any farther movement in this direction, the Baktrian 1000 horse and the Scythians in front of the Persian left, were ordered to make a circuit and attack the Macedonian right flank. Alexander detached against them his regiment ofcavalry under Menidas, and the action thus began.* The Baktrian horse, jDcrceiving the advance of Menidas, turned from their circuitous movement to attack him, and at first drove him back until he was supported by the other advanced detachments — Paeonians and Grecian cavalrj'. The Baktrians, defeated in their turn, were supported by the satrap Bessus with the main body of Baktrians and Scythians in the left jjortion of Darius's line. The action was here for some time warmly con- tested, with some loss to the Greeks ; who at length however, by a more compact order against enemies whose fighting was broken and desultory, succeeded in pushing them out of their place in the line, and thus making a partial opening in it.* While this conflict was still going on, Darius had ordered his scythed chariots to charge, and his main line to follow them, cal- culating on the disorder which he expected that they would occa- sion. But the chariots were found of little service. The horsea were terrified, checked, or wounded, by the Macedonian archers 1 Arrian, iii. 12, 2-6 ; Oartius, iv. 13, 30-32 ; Diodor. xvii. 37.
- Cuitius,iv. 13, 36 ; Polyaenus, iv. 3, 17.
' Arrian, iii. 13, I— 5. Arrian, ii 3.9.
