Ivan Yefremov - Thais of Athens

“Could they not retreat?” the hetaera asked, having listened carefully. “After all, ten thousand Helenian soldiers managed to escape from the same area in the past.”

“Do you mean Anabasis by Xenophontus? At that time, the Greek mercenaries retreated without being surrounded by enemies, especially not as many of them, as there were Persians at Gaugamela.”

“The danger was grave then?”

“Very grave. Defeat would have meant death or slavery to us all.”

The giant number of horsemen facing the Macedonian camp surprised and frightened even the most experienced warriors. War elephants, never before seen by the Macedonians, hovered in the distance like gray ghosts. Gilded armor and spears of the “Immortals”, Darius’ personal guards, glittered in the sun as they rode in tight rows atop incredibly tall horses. The more experienced soldiers recognized the colorful dress of the Partheans, Sogdians, Bactrians, and even Scythians from beyond the great Asian river, Oxus. It seemed as if the horde would rush through like a storm to bring death under the hooves of countless horses. Like they waited to crush the impudent army that dared penetrate so far into the strange country at the border between the steppes and the labyrinth of mountain ranges.

The wind rose in the evening, shadowing the entire valley in red dust, and an even greater fear possessed the Macedonians. During a military council, Parmenius, the commander of the entire cavalry, sided with the other captains when they began to ask Alexander to strike at night, when the Persian cavalry would have no advantage over the Macedonian infantry. Alexander declined this suggestion. Instead, he set the battle to right after dawn, but not before the soldiers were fed.

Ptolemy supported his friend, although the great strategist would have been just as staunch even if he had stood alone.

Later on, Hephaestion told Leontiscus about Alexander’s consideration. The army leader both saw and felt the fear taking greater hold of his soldiers, but did nothing to dispel it.

For the same reason, Alexander showed a calm exterior that was unusual for him. He knew that a man was most dangerous to his enemy when he was the most afraid, with years of training and military discipline keeping him in formation along with his comrades. The army knew very well what would happen in the case of defeat. Alexander used that fact in place of inspiring speeches and loud promises.

Had they attacked at night, the men would did not feel the same sense of common support and would not be able to see their captains. In that case, their fear could have assisted the Persians and ruined that desperate battle push that was used so frequently by the Macedonian infantry and cavalry.

Alexander’s calculations turned out to be completely justified.

Untried in campaigns, not molded together in battles, Darius’ giant army rushed at the Macedonians, creating incredible crowding and chaos in the center. Alexander’s left wing, commanded by Parmenius and including Leontiscus and his Thessalians, was crumpled by the Persian cavalry, torn in half and forced to retreat behind the temporary walls of the Macedonian camp.

Parmenius asked for help twice, but Alexander did not respond. Leontiscus feared the end was near. But the Thessalian horsemen decided to not sell themselves short. They fought desperately, deflecting the push of the Persian riders. Stout, broad-chested Thessalian horses exchanged bites with valley horses, pushed them and struck them with their hooves. At the same time, the Macedonian infantry-phalanx moved forward in the center of the battle, step by step, in the midst of terrible chaos, cutting into the mass of enemies like a knife. The crowd was so dense that Darius was unable to use either the elephants or the carriages with sickle-like knives protruding from the spokes and rims, designed to cut down the enemy at speed. Alexander, too, was unable to introduce his heavy cavalry into the battle. Having mounted Bucefal, which usually indicated the start of an attack, he was forced to wait, not answering Parmenius’ cries for help.

Finally, the phalanx was able to penetrate deep into the center. The light Persian cavalry was pushed to the right, and getaerosi, heavy cavalry, were able to strike through the newly-formed gap. They crushed the “Immortals” and found themselves standing before the Persian king’s personal guards, just as they had during the battle at the Issus.

The Argiroaspides, or Silver Shields, proved that they deserved their military glory by running fearlessly at the weakening rows of the Persians. The shield-bearers, chosen to include the strongest men, struck the enemy with their shields at a dead run. The Persians broke rank, opening their unprotected sides to the Macedonian swords.

Darius, seeing the break made by getaerosi, rushed away from the battle on a carriage with the “Immortals” right behind him.

The battle at the flanks continued with unrelenting rage. Alexander took some of the getaerosi and managed to make it to Parmenius from the left, immediately improving the situation for Leontiscus and his Thessalian horsemen. Side by side with the battle-fierce Alexander, Leontiscus crushed and pushed back the enemy.

Amidst the clouds of dust, nobody noticed the gradual retreat of the Persians. Suddenly, they were all running, and an army that consisted mostly of cavalry was able to retreat much faster than one dominated by infantry. Somewhere on the right, Alexander’s Frakians and Agrians still fought with the Sogdians and Massagets, but the main Persian troops ran southeast, past the left wing of the Macedonian army.

Alexander ordered Parmenius and Leontiscus, the most battle-weary, to remain on the battlefield and gather the wounded and trophies. Alexander himself took some of his reserve troops in order to pursue the enemy. The warriors had been exhausted by the terrible battle, and were only able to chase them as far as the river before the army leader himself stopped the pursuit.

The chase did not eliminate the enemy, but forced the Persians to leave behind anything that was marginally burdensome to the horses. The loot turned out to be even greater than it had been at the Issus. In addition to jewels and weapons, clothes, tents and splendid fabrics, the Macedonians captured the war elephants for the first time, and took possession of both the carriages with knives and white wool tents embroidered with silver.

Alexander didn’t let his men celebrate the victory. In fact, he allowed only five hours of rest, then drove the army further to the south, ordering Parmenius to follow behind with the giant parade of carts and prisoners.

That was when Leontiscus collapsed from exhaustion.

But Darius did not go south to the main cities of his kingdom. Instead, he ran away to the northeast, into the mountains. Alexander discovered Darius’ abandoned carriage and weapons for a second time, but decided not to chase him through the labyrinth of ranges and chasms. Instead, he turned south to Babylon, Susa and Persepolis, distributing the loot and allowing the army to have a few days of rest. Ptolemy was sent to conduct some surveillance with a group of soldiers. That was when Ptolemy asked Leontiscus to send for Thais.

Leontiscus was only too happy to take on this chore.

“Parmenius wanted to keep me at the camp for the wounded,” he told Thais. “But I decided to get you myself.”

Thais rode closer to him and the riders’ knees touched. She wrapped her arms around Leontiscus’ mighty shoulders and pulled him to her for a kiss. The captain of the cavalry glanced around and blushed slightly, seeing the Athenian’s mocking smile.

“Are you afraid of Eris?”

“It is funny, but you are right. Her gaze is so steady and merciless, that my soul fills … not with fear, but …”