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

480 MACEDONIAN DEFEAT.selves where they could neither advance nor retreat ; for theScythians were constantly on the alert, and afforded themno rest. Many were killed and wounded in this desiiltoryfighting.Pharnuches, who was brought up to diplomacy ratherthanto arms, refused any longer to head the expedition ;the otherleaders declined the command ofa matter already past cure.There was neither head nor purpose.The only recourse ofthe Macedonians was to form square, and march towardsthe river Polytimetus (modern Sogd-Kohik), where they sawa wooded glen which might afford them shelter. But therewas lack of common action. Caranus, commanding part ofthe cavalry, attempted to cross the river, but failed to notifyAndromachus of what he was about to do ; the infantry followedCaranus heedlessly ;the men became demoralized, missingthe strong hand, and began to break ranks at the ford.Seeing this, the barbarians, who had kept close on their heels,and pressed in hard, waiting for just this chance, now attackedthe force in front, flank and rear, and from both sides of thestream, crossing over above and below the Macedonians, andthrew the phalanx into complete confusion. The retreatbecame a sauve qui pent.Most of the soldiers who had notbeen killed or fatally injured made their way to a smallisland in the river.Here they were surrounded at a safe distanceby the barbarians, and all slain by arrows, except a fewwho were kept for trophies, subjected for a while to the bitterestslavery, and later killed. Some sixty horse and threehundred foot are all who are said to have got away.In this pitiful campaign, the account of which varies butslightly in Arrian and Curtius, and which is so unlike whatwe are used to see under the Macedonian standard, two thousandmen were lost to Alexander, — more than the entirenumber killed in the battles for the conquest of Persia. It