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Alexander's
last battle
The Hydaspes River 326 BC
Page 002
"However, at last [King Porus] preferred to march against Alexander
himself with all his army, and to come into a decisive conflict with
the strongest division of the Macedonians, commanded by the king in
person. But nevertheless he left a few of the elephants together
with a small army there at the camp to frighten the cavalry under
Craterus from the bank of the river. He then took all his cavalry to
the number of 4,000 men, all his chariots to the number of 300, with
200 of his elephants and 30,000 choice infantry, and marched against
Alexander. When he found a place where he saw there was no clay, but
that on account of the sand the ground was all level and hard, and
thus fit for the advance and retreat, of horses, he there drew up
his army. First he placed the elephants in the front, each animal
being not less than a plethrum[1] apart, so that they might be
extended in the front before the whole of the phalanx of infantry,
and produce terror everywhere among Alexander's cavalry. Besides he
thought that none of the enemy would have the audacity to push
themselves into the spaces between the elephants, the cavalry being
deterred by the fright of their horses; and still less would the
infantry do so, it being likely they would be kept off in front by
the heavy-armed soldiers falling upon them, and trampled down by the
elephants wheeling round against them. Near these he had posted the
infantry, not occupying a line on a level with the beasts, but in a
second line behind them, only so far distant that the companies of
foot might be pushed forward a short distance into the spaces
between them. He had also bodies of infantry standing beyond the
elephants on the wings; and on both sides of the infantry he had
posted the cavalry, in front of which were placed the chariots on
both wings of his army.."
The Anabasis of Alexander by Arrian, translated by E. J. Chinnock
Book V
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Anabasis_of_Alexander/Book_V/Chapter_XV