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

ALEXANDER'S PLAN. 309perfect quiet, and each change was made after full reconnoitringof the enemy's position, which happily could be readilyseen. There was no flurry, no apprehension. Everythingwas orderly and precise to the last degree. Some thirtythousand men stood in line.The Pinarus, looking from Alexandei*'s right towards thePersian left, made a northerly sweep such as to throw backwardDarius' flank ; and by advancing the archers and Agrianians,and some Greek mercenaries, now that the Cardaceshad been driven away, Alexander so thrust forward his rightthat it enveloped and extended beyond the left of the Persianfirst line. He had contrived just such a threat to Darius'left as Darius had sought to make to his right.The position was a very good one for an inferior force.The flanks were protected, the ground well covered, and merenumbers ceased to be of the value they would possess in anopen plain. Alexander now gave his men some rest, thinkingthat Darius might advance on him, and hoping to attackhim as he crossed the river. But the Persians kept theirground, except that the cavalry of the Persian right began^o cross the Pinarus to attack the Macedonian left. Alexandersaw that Darius made a mistake to hold his centre, wherehe himself was, on the defensive behind the Pinarus, whileadvancing his right in offense across it, because if this centrewas disabled, no efforts or success of the right could rectifyit or retrieve a disaster which might happen to headquarters.Particularly, Oriental troops would be demoralized by a defeatof that part of the line which was held by the king inperson. Alexander's problem then was how to break thiscentre, and he guessed that it could best be done by destroyingthe Persian left, and taking the centre in reverse. Thishe felt confident he could do if only Parmenio would holdthe Macedonian left until he could make some headway.