Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

202 SERIOUS SITUATION.interrupted by the arrival of Glaucias with an overwhelmingforce, who seized and occupied the heights around the easternside of the valley in which Alexander was camj)ed, so thatshould he again assault the town they could take him in rearand perhaps seize his line of retreat.Alexander was seriously involved, for the enemy outnumberedhim many times. Victory was essential to him in hissituation here. He could not afford the slightest check.Not only time but supplies were scant. He was in greatstress for both rations and forage. Sending Philotas oneday, with some horsemen and pack-animals, on a foragingexcursion, the latter was followed and surrounded by Glaucias,who took possession of the hills about the plains wherehe was collecting corn. Philotas was with the utmost difficultyrescued by Alexander, who hurried to his assistancewith the hypaspists, Agrianians and bowmen, sustained bysome four hundred cavalry, and by a timely diversion enabledhim to cut his way out. The king was neither strong enoughto cope with the barbarians, unless he coidd lure them into apitched battle, nor had he food sufficient to last until he couldprocure reinforcements.Clitus and Glaucias, on the contrary, could afford to sit stilland wait. They held the key of the situation. They hadtheir breadstuffs available and their communications open,and had no other business on hand than to hold the pass.They were wise enough to be shy of battle. They congratulatedthemselves that Alexander was so seriously compromisedthat they would by and by have him at their mercy.They held all the heights about Pelium, the garrison ofwhich could debouch on Alexander's rear as they upon hisflanks should he retreat from the plain where he was camped.Moreover, his only line of retreat lay through the narrowdefile by which he had come, between the precipices and