Alexander, being easily known by his
buckler, and a large plume of white feathers on each side of his helmet,
was attacked on all sides, yet escaped without a wound, though his
cuirass was pierced by a javelin in one of the joinings. And Rhoesaces
and Spithridates, two Persian commanders, falling upon him at once, he
avoided one of them, and struck at Rhoesaces, who had a good cuirass
on, with such force, that his spear breaking in his hand, he was glad to
betake himself to his dagger. While they were thus engaged, Spithridates
came up on the other side of him, and raising himself upon his horse,
gave him such a blow with his battle-axe on the helmet, that he cut off
the crest of it, with one of his plumes, and the helmet was only just so
far strong enough to save him, that the edge of the weapon touched the
hair of his head. But as he was about to repeat his stroke, Clitus,
called the black Clitus, prevented him, by running him through the body
with his spear. At the same time Alexander despatched Rhoesaces with
his sword. While the horse were thus dangerously engaged, the Macedonian
phalanx passed the river, and the foot on each side advanced to fight.
But the enemy hardly sustaining the first onset, soon gave ground and
fled, all but the mercenary Greeks, who, making a stand upon a rising
ground, desired quarter, which Alexander, guided rather by passion than
judgment, refused to grant, and charging them himself first, had his
horse (not Bucephalas, but another) killed under him. And this obstinacy
of his to cut off these experienced, desperate men, cost him the lives
of more of his own soldiers than all the battle before, besides those
who were wounded. The Persians lost in this battle twenty thousand foot,
and two thousand five hundred horse. On Alexander's side, Aristobulus
says there were not over four and thirty missing, of whom nine were
foot-soldiers; and in memory of them he caused as many statues of
brass, of Lysippus's making, to be erected. And that the Greeks might
participate in the honor of his victory, he sent a portion of the spoils
home to them, particularly to the Athenians three hundred bucklers, and
upon all the rest he ordered this inscription to be set: "Alexander the
son of Philip, and the Greeks, except the Lacedaemonians, won these from
the barbarians who inhabit Asia." All the plate and purple garments, and
other things of the same kind that he took from the Persians, except a
very small quant