defeat of the mallians at the river hydraotes.

having remained there one day to give his army rest, he advanced on the morrow against the other mallians. he found the cities abandoned, and ascertained that the men had fled into the desert. there he again gave the army one day’s rest, and on the next day sent peithon and demetrius the cavalry general back to the river, in command of their own troops, giving them in addition as many battalions of the light-armed infantry as were sufficient for the enterprise. their instructions were to go along the bank of the river, and if they met any of those who had fled for safety into the woods, of which there were many near the river’s bank, to kill all who refused to surrender. peithon and demetrius captured many of these in the woods and killed them. he himself led his forces against the largest city of the mallians, whither he was informed many from the other cities had taken refuge. but this also the indians abandoned when they heard that alexander was marching against it. crossing the river hydraotes, they remained with their forces drawn up upon its bank, because it was high, and they thought they could obstruct alexander’s passage. when he heard this, he took all the cavalry which he had with him, and went to the part of the river where he was informed that the mallians had drawn themselves up for battle; and the infantry was ordered to follow. when he reached the river and beheld the enemy drawn up on the opposite bank, he made no delay, but instantly plunged into the ford with the cavalry alone. when they saw329 that he was now in the middle of the river, though they were drawn up ready for battle, they withdrew from the bank with all speed; and alexander followed them with his cavalry alone. but when the indians perceived only cavalry, they wheeled round and fought with desperate valour, being about 50,000 in number. when alexander perceived that their phalanx was densely compact, and that his own infantry was absent, he rode right round their army and made charges upon them, but did not come to close fighting with them. meanwhile the archers, the agrianians and the other battalions of light-armed infantry, being picked men whom he was leading with him, arrived, and his phalanx of infantry was seen not far off. as all kinds of danger were threatening them at once, the indians now wheeled round again and began to flee with headlong speed into the strongest of their adjacent cities; but alexander followed them and slew many, while those who escaped into the city were cooped up within it. at first indeed he surrounded the city with the horse-soldiers as they came up from the march; but when the infantry arrived, he encamped all round the wall for this day, because not much of it was left for making the assault, and his army had been exhausted, the infantry by the long march, and the cavalry by the uninterrupted pursuit, and especially by the passage of the river.