Ἀλεξάνδρου ἀνάβασις 5.10

5.10.1

ταύτην οὖν τὴν ὥραν τοῦ ἔτους προσμένειν ἐς τὸ φανερὸν ἔφασκεν, εἰ ἐν τῷ τότε εἴργοιτο· ὁ δὲ οὐδὲν μεῖον ἐφεδρεύων ἔμενεν, εἴ πῃ λάθοι ὑφαρπάσας ὀξέως τὸν πόρον. ᾗ μὲν δὴ αὐτὸς Πῶρος κατεστρατοπεδεύκει πρὸς τῇ ὄχθῃ τοῦ Ὑδάσπου, ἔγνω ἀδύνατος ὢν περᾶσαι ὑπὸ πλήθους τε τῶν ἐλεφάντων καὶ ὅτι πολλὴ στρατιὰ καὶ αὐτὴ τεταγμένη τε καὶ ἀκριβῶς ὡπλισμένη ἐκβαίνουσιν αὐτοῖς ἐπιθήσεσθαι ἔμελλεν·

Alexander therefore publicly announced that he would remain where he was throughout that season of the year if his passage was for the present to be obstructed, but he continued as before waiting in ambush to see whether he could anywhere rapidly steal a passage to the other side without being observed. He clearly saw that it was impossible for him to cross where Poros himself had encamped near the bank of the Hydaspes, not only because he had so many elephants, but also because his large army arrayed for battle, and splendidly accoutred, was ready to attack his troops the moment they landed. He foresaw besides that his horses would refuse to mount the opposite bank, where the elephants would at once encounter them, and by their very aspect and their roaring would terrify them outright; nor did he think that even before they gained the shore they would remain upon the inflated hides during the passage ; but that on seeing the elephants even at a distance off, they would become frantic and leap into the water. He resolved therefore to steal the passage, and to do this in the following way. Leading out by night the greater part of his cavalry along the river bank in different directions, he ordered them to set up a loud clamour, raise the war-shout, and fill the shores with every kind of noise, as if they were really preparing to attempt the passage. Poros marched meanwhile along the opposite bank, in the direction of the noise, having his elephants with him, and Alexander gradually accustomed him to lead out his men in this way in opposition. When this had been done repeatedly, and the men did nothing more than make a great noise and shout the war-cry, Poros no longer made any counter-movement when the cavalry issued out from the camp, but remained within his own lines, his spies being, however, posted at numerous points along the bank. When Alexander had thus quieted the suspicions of Poros about his nocturnal attempts, he devised the following stratagem.

5.10.2

οἵ τε ἵπποι οὐκ ἂν ἐδόκουν αὐτῷ ἐθελῆσαι οὐδὲ ἐπιβῆναι τῆς ὄχθης τῆς πέραν, προσκειμένων σφίσιν εὐθὺς τῶν ἐλεφάντων καὶ τῇ τε ὄψει ἅμα καὶ τῇ φωνῇ φοβούντων, οὐδʼ ἂν ἔτι πρόσθεν μεῖναι ἐπὶ τῶν διφθερῶν κατὰ τὸν πόρον, ἀλλʼ ἐκπηδᾶν γὰρ ἐς τὸ ὕδωρ ἀφορῶντες πέραν τοὺς ἐλέφαντας [καὶ] ἔκφρονες γιγνόμενοι.

5.10.3

κλέψαι οὖν ἐπενόει τὴν διάβασιν ὧδε πράττων. νύκτωρ παραγαγὼν ἄλλῃ καὶ ἄλλῃ τῆς ὄχθης τοὺς πολλοὺς τῶν ἱππέων βοήν τε ἐποίει καὶ ἠλαλάζετο τῷ Ἐνυαλίῳ καὶ τἆλλα ὅσα ἐπὶ διαβάσει συσκευαζομένων θόρυβος παντοδαπὸς ἐγίγνετο. καὶ ὁ Πῶρός τε ἀντιπαρῄει πρὸς τὴν βοὴν ἐπάγων τοὺς ἐλέφαντας καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος ἐς ἔθος αὐτὸν τῆς ἀντιπαραγωγῆς καθίστη.

5.10.4

ὡς δὲ ἐπὶ πολὺ τοῦτο ἐγίγνετο καὶ βοὴ μόνον καὶ ἀλαλαγμός ἦν, οὐκέτι ὁ Πῶρος μετεκινεῖτο πρὸς τὰς ἐκδρομὰς τῶν ἱππέων, ἀλλὰ κενὸν γὰρ γνοὺς τὸν φόβον κατὰ χώραν ἐπὶ στρατοπέδου ἔμενε· σκοποὶ δὲ αὐτῷ πολλαχοῦ τῆς ὄχθης καθειστήκεσαν. Ἀλέξανδρος δὲ ὡς ἐξείργαστο αὐτῷ ἄφοβον τὸ τοῦ Πώρου εἰς τὰς νυκτερινὰς ἐπιχειρήσεις μηχανᾶταί τι τοιόνδε.