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

XXI.TO THE TAURUS. WINTER, B. C. 334-333.Alexander now headed for the interior of Asia Minor. He divided hisarmy into two columns. The heavy trains and the bulk of the heavy troopswere sent under Parraenio towards Gordium by way of Sardis, with orders towinter there. The king retained the lighter part of the army, and marchedalong the coast to where the Taurus range comes down to the sea. On the wayhe captured or received in surrender all the important towns. At Phaselis heperformed the unheard-of feat of marching his army along the tide-washedbeach at the foot of Mount Climax, — a matter of cool calculation with theking, but by all others ascribed to the divinity of his character. From Sidehe turned northward, reducing many places and masking such as he could notreadily take. In the Termessian defile he was fain to resort to a ruse to obtainthe upper-hand, which he got only then by a hard fight. At Sagalassus hehad a still more bitter combat and some loss ; but victory here opened his wayto the upland plateau of Asia Minor. Thence he advanced, via Selsense, toGordium, where Parmenio's column duly reached him, and some recruits fromMacedonia.Alexander's plans now pointed towards the interior ofAsia Minor. The renewed freedom given to the Greek citiesso far captured had placed their allegiance on a basis securebeyond a peradventure. The Macedonian garri.sons, holdingall the important places of the ^gean coast, rendered theground already gone over comparatively safe against any incursionsby the Persian fleet, while the Persian army hadpractically evacuated Asia Minor. Alexander now rightly estimatedthat the thereby weakened means of resistance of thecities of the southern coast, and their lessened hope of aidfrom either the fleet or the army of their suzerain, would enablehim to rtake more or less easy capture of them all. Andthis with but a small part of his forces. But he would needrecruits for the next campaign.