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

308 ALEXANDER'S ARMY.over to his right opposite Parmenio, he saw that his lieutenantwas apt to be overmatched, for only the Peloponnesian andGreek horse was stationed on this wing. He therefore dispatchedhis own Thessalian cavalry, quietly but speedily, bythe rear of the phalanx, so as not to be seen, over to his left.Of the horse which he retained on the right, the Companionswere in line ; the lancers under Protomachus, and the Pseoniansunder Aristo, were in front of them ; and of the infantry,the archers under Antiochus, and the Agrianiansunder Attalus, were also on their right front. He threwback a crochet of light foot and horse on the right to opposethe body which was posted so as to take this flank in reverse ;but he saw the danger of this force so long as it remained insitu^ and before the battle attacked it with a body of lighttroops, and though it had the advantage of being on higherground, drove it away to the top of the hill, and occupieda position in its front by two ile of Companion cavalry, somethree hundred men. The troops in the crotchet he was thenable to use to strengihen the right wing phalanx, which wasweak in places. The right of the phalanx, when the formationwas completed, proved still to be rather thin, and hefilled it by two squadrons of Companion cavalry, named fromthe districts from which they came, the Anthemusian andLugaean. In the left wing the Cretan archers and Thracians,under Sitalces, were in front of the infantry line ; thecavalry in their front, towards the left. The Greek mercenarieswere in reserve. It will be noticed that Alexanderfully appreciated the value of a reserve, as only Xenophonbefore him had done. He recognized that the one weak pointof the phalangial order was, as a rule, its lack of reserves,and was wont to correct the defect by dispositions of histroops, unusual in those days.The formation was completed with masterly skill and in