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

SPITAMENES' TACTICS. 479a successful sortie upon liiin,in which they had punished himseverely, and had again retired to the citadel without loss.And when Spitamenes learned that the forces which Alexanderhad dispatched against him to Maracanda were near athand, he retired from the vicinity of the capital in a westerlydirection.The commanders of the relief party, on its arrivalat the theatre of operations, not content with what had alreadybeen won, but anxious to distinguish themselves, followedSpitamenes up in the hope of punishing his audacity ; and,in fact, they seriously harassed his rear during the retreat,which he now continued towards the desert.But emboldenedby their success, they were unwise enough to advance well intothe steppes, and to attack a body ofthey suspected ofhaving given him aid and comfort.nomad Scythians, whombeing Spitamenes' allies, or at all events ofThese people, angeredby the act, did in reality join forces with the Sogdianians, andsent them a reinforcement ofsix hundred of their best horse.Spitamenes, seeing that the Macedonians were illy led,determined to risk the offensive.Selecting a level plain nearthe Scythian desert where he could fight in open order, — aformation which allows the great individual bravery of theOriental cavalry to have full play, — he declined tocome toclose quarters, in which the Macedonians were easily his superiors,but rode round and round the phalanx, dischargingdarts and arrows, and making feints at all points.His troopsdid not once attempt to stand their ground when the Macedonianscharged home upon them. From the onsets of the Macedonianhorsethey continually fled, but again turned whenthe pursuit halted, and tired it out by unceasing activity, aswith their great preponderance of force they could easily do.Their horses were fresh, while those of Andromachus wereexhausted by their long march to Maracanda, and had beenbut half fed for many days. The Macedonians had got them-