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

474 NOVEL USE OF ENGINES.Alexander no doubt was superstitions.He came honestlyby it. His mother was the triple essence of superstition.But he was far from being a bigot.His determination alwaysoverrode his belief in the portents. " We have notalways in war a choice of circumstances," quoth he." I coulddesire, no doubt, more propitious auguries to fight under ;butnecessity goes before the counsels of reason. If we allowthe Scythians to insult us unpunished we shall add courageto the Bactrians. Our role is attack. That day on whichwe put ourselves on the defensive will see us lost."But despite these brave words, Alexander was, accordingto Quintus Curtius, far from easy. Unlike the night beforeArbela, he could not sleep, but incessantly gazed at the manywatch-fires on the farther bank. Nor is this unnatural. AtArbela he slept, conscious ofhis own ability, the courage ofhis handful of men, and of the fact that here was a fair fieldand no favor. At the Jaxartes he was caught in the meshesof a danger of unknown extent. He was absolutely compromisedby the revolted provinces in his rear, and saw in hisfront a problem perhaps as awkward as any he had yet faced.But his conduct, as we shall see, partook in no sense of theweakness usually associated with overanxiety.In dry seasons the Jaxartes was fordable here. But Alexander'sonly present means of crossing was skins, used, as atthe Oxus, as floats for the light troops and to float rafts forthe cavalrymen and phalangians. The horses were swumover. Alexander was just recovering of his wound. Thiswas his first appearance in command, and he was greeted withaffectionate enthusiasm. To protect the crossing he broughtup his artillery, and trained it on the barbarians across theriver. A number were shot down, and one of the killed,apparently their chief or champion, was shot by a shaftthrough his wicker shield and linen breastplate. Astonished