a shield and a lance, made in the
best possible manner for use, not for display. Thus his dress
corresponded with the character of his action. It was simple, compact,
and whatever of value it possessed consisted in those substantial
excellencies which would give the bearer the greatest efficiency on
the field of battle.

The Persians were accustomed to make use of elephants in their wars.
They also had chariots, with scythes placed at the axles, which they
were accustomed to drive among their enemies and mow them down.
Alexander resorted to none of these contrivances. There was the
phalanx--the terrible phalanx--advancing irresistibly either in one
body or in detachments, with columns of infantry and flying troops of
horsemen on the wings. Alexander relied simply on the strength, the
courage, the energy, and the calm and steady, but resistless ardor of
his men, arranging them in simple combinations, and leading them
forward directly to their work.

The Macedonians cut their way through the mighty mass of their enemies
with irresistible force. The elephants turned and fled. The foot
soldiers seized the horses of some of the scythe-armed chariots and
cut the traces. In respect to others, they opened to the right and
left and let them pass through, when they were easily captured by the
men in the rear. In the mean time the phalanx pressed on, enjoying a
great advantage in the level nature of the ground. The Persian troops
were broken in upon and driven away wherever they were attacked. In a
word, before night the whole mighty mass was scattering every where in
confusion, except some hundreds of thousands left trampled upon and
dead, or else writhing upon the ground, and groaning in their dying
agonies. Darius himself fled. Alexander pursued him with a troop of
horse as far as Arbela, which had been Darius's head-quarters, and
where he had deposited immense treasures. Darius had gone through and
escaped when Alexander arrived at Arbela, but the city and the
treasures fell into Alexander's hands.

Although Alexander had been so completely victorious over his enemies
on the day of battle, and had maintained his ground against them with
such invincible power, he was, nevertheless, a few days afterward,
driven entirely off the field, and completely away from the region
where the battle had been fought. What the living men, standing erect
in arms, and full of martial vigor, could not do, was easily and
effectually accomplish