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

IBATTLE OF THYMBRA. 49Croesus proposed to utilize his great numerical superiority,by extending his line far beyond the flanlvs of Cyrus, and bywheeling in upon these so as to encompass him on all sides.Croesus' army was in one long line, some say in two, with thecavalry on the flanks. The depth of the line was thirty men,except in the centre, where the Egyptian allies kept their nationalformation of ploying each ten thousand men into a hugesquare block of one hundred files of one hundred men each.CRCESUS'ARMY.J^N.\ />'i'\/ i '.*''"*-...^_anonD anaajlcvRuS ARMY["\ .\\\w /__...••••*"'Battle ofThymbra.The chariots were in front. Cyrus, aware of his opponent'sgreat numerical superiority, and expecting this inclosing manoeuvre,— an ahnost invariable one at that day, — drew uphis army so as best to meet it. He reduced his files to adepth of twelve men, but arrayed his troops in five lines, soas to give the army, with the intervals between the lines,exceptional depth. In his first line were the heavy infantrymenin armor ;in the second, the acontists, or dart-throwersin the third, the archers, who were to shoot over the heads ofthe other lines ; in the fourth line the infantiy d' elite ; andin the fifth, the tower-bearing wagons, — a species of movabletower filled with armed men. Behind all this was the wasrontrain, in a huge square, within which all the non-combatantswere placed. His chariots Cyrus placed, one hundred infront, and one hundred along each flank, and at the rearward