Quintus Curtius Rufus, History of Alexander 8.14

8.14.1

Iamque agmen in cornua divisum ipse ducebat, cum Poro nuntiatur armis virisque ripam obtineri et rerum adesse discrimen. Ac primo humani ingenii vitio spei suae indulgens Abisaren belli socium — et ita convenerat — adventare credebat.

He was already in full march at the head of his army, which he had divided into two columns, when the tidings reached Porus that the bank was occupied by a military force, and that the crisis of his fortunes was now imminent. In keeping with the infirmity of our nature, which makes us ever hope the best, he at first indulged the belief that this was his ally Abisares come to help him in the war as had been agreed upon. But soon after, when the sky had become clearer, and showed the ranks to be those of the enemy, he sent 100 chariots and 4000 horse to obstruct their advance. The command of this detachment he gave to his brother Hages. Its main strength lay in the chariots, each of which was drawn by four horses and carried six men, of whom two were shield-bearers, two, archers posted on each side of the chariot, and the other two, charioteers, as well as men-at-arms, for when the fighting was at close-quarters they dropped the reins and hurled dart after dart against the enemy. But on this particular day these chariots proved to be scarcely of any service, for the storm of rain, which, as already said, was of extraordinary violence, had made the ground slippery, and unfit for horses to ride over, while the chariots kept sticking in the muddy sloughs formed by the rain, and proved almost immovable from their great weight. Alexander, on the other hand, charged with the utmost vigour, because his troops were lightly armed and unencumbered.

8.14.2

Mox liquidiore luce aperiente aciem hostium C quadrigas et IIII milia equitum venienti agmini obiecit. Dux erat copiarum, quas praemisit, Spitaces, frater ipsius, summa virium in curribus:

8.14.3

senos viros singuli vehebant, duos clipeatos, duos sagittarios ab utroque latere dispositos, aurigae erant ceteri haud sane inermes: quippe iacula conplura, ubi comminus proeliandum erat, omissis habenis in hostem ingerebant.

8.14.4

Ceterum vix ullus usus huius auxilii eo die fuit. Namque, ut supra dictum est, imber violentius quam alias fusus campos lubricos et inequitabiles fecerat, gravesque et propemodum inmobiles currus inluvie ac voraginibus haerebant.

8.14.5

Contra Alexander expedito ac levi agmine strenue invectus est. Scythae et Dahae primi omnium invasere Indos: Perdiccam deinde cum equitibus in dextrum cornu hostium emisit.

The Scythians and Dahae first of all attacked the Indians, and then the king launched Perdiccas with his horse upon their right wing. The fighting had now become hot everywhere, when the drivers of the chariots rode at full speed into the midst of the battle, thinking they could thus most effectively succour their friends. It would be hard to say which side suffered most from this charge, for the Macedonian foot-soldiers, who were exposed to the first shock of the onset, were trampled down, while the charioteers were hurled from their seats, when the chariots in rushing into action jolted over broken and slippery ground. Some again of the horses took fright and precipitated the carriages not only into the sloughs and pools of water, but even into the river itself.

8.14.6

Iam undique pugna se moverat, cum ii, qui currus agebant, illud ultimum auxilium suorum rati effusis habenis in medium discrimen ruere coeperunt.

8.14.7

Anceps id malum utrisque erat. Nam et Macedonum pedites primo impetu obterebantur, et per lubrica atque invia inmissi currus excutiebant eos, a quibus regebantur.

8.14.8

Aliorum turbati equi non in voragines modo lacunasque, sed etiam in amnem praecipitavere curricula,

8.14.9

pauci telis hostium exacti penetravere ad Pomm acerrime pugnam cientem. Is, ut dissipatos tota acie currus vagari sine rectoribus vidit, proximis amicorum distribuit elephantos.

A few which were driven off the field by the darts of the enemy made their way to Porus, who was making most energetic preparations for the contest. As soon as he saw his chariots scattered amid his ranks, and wandering about without their drivers, he distributed his elephants to his friends who were nearest him. Behind them he had posted the infantry and the archers and the men who beat the drums, the instruments which the Indians use instead of trumpets to produce their war music. The rattle of these instruments does not in the least alarm the elephants, their ears, through long familiarity, being deadened to the sound. An image of Hercules was borne in front of the line of infantry, and this acted as the strongest of all incentives to make the soldiers fight well. To desert the bearers of this image was reckoned a disgraceful military offence, and they had even ordained death as a penalty for those who failed to bring it back from the battlefield, for the dread which the Indians had conceived for the god when he was their enemy had been toned down to a feeling of religious awe and veneration.

8.14.10

Post eos posuerat peditem ac sagittarios et tympana pulsare solitos: id pro cantu tubarum Indis erat, nec strepitu eorum movebantur olim ad notum sonum auribus mitigatis.

8.14.11

Herculis simulacrum agmini peditum praeferebatur: id maximum erat bellantibus incitamentum, et deseruisse gestantis militare flagitium habebatur.

8.14.12

Capitis etiam sanxerant poenam iis, qui ex acie non rettulissent, metu, quem ex illo hoste quondam conceperant, etiam in religionem venerationemque converso. Macedonas non beluarum modo, sed etiam ipsius regis aspectus parumper inhibuit.

The sight not only of the huge beasts, but even of Porus himself, made the Macedonians pause for a time, for the beasts, which had been placed at intervals between the armed ranks, presented, when seen from a distance, the appearance of towers, and Porus himself not only surpassed the standard of height to which we conceive the human figure to be limited, but, besides this, the elephant on which he was mounted seemed to add to his proportions, for it towered over all the other elephants even as Porus himself stood taller than other men. Hence Alexander, after attentively viewing the king and the army of the Indians, remarked to those near him, "I see at last a danger that matches my courage. It is at once with wild beasts and men of uncommon mettle that the contest now lies." Then turning to Coenus, "When I," he said, "along with Ptolemy, Perdiccas, and Hephaestion, have fallen upon the enemy's left wing, and you see me in the heat of the conflict, do you then advance the right wing, and charge the enemy when their ranks begin to waver. And you, sirs," he added, turning to Antigenes, Leonnatus, and Tauron, "must bear down upon their centre, and press them hard in front. The formidable length and strength of our pikes will never be so useful as when they are directed against these huge beasts and their drivers. Hurl, then, their riders to the ground, and stab the beasts themselves.

8.14.13

Beluae dispositae inter armatos speciem turrium procul fecerant, ipse Porus humanae magnitudinis prope modum excesserat: speciem magnitudini Pori adicere videbatur belua, qua vehebatur, tantum inter ceteras eminens, quanio aliis ipse praestabat.

8.14.14

Itaque Alexander contemplatus et regem et agmen Indorum: Tandem, inquit, par animo meo periculum video: cum bestiis simul et cum egregiis viris res est.

8.14.15

Intuensque Coenon: Cum ego, inquit, Ptolomaeo Perdiccaque et Hephaestione comitatus in laevum hostium cornu impetum fecero, viderisque me in medio ardore certaminis, ipse dextrum move et turbatis signa infer. Tu, Antigene, et tu, Leonnate, et Tauron, iam invehemini in mediam aciem et urgebitis frontem.

8.14.16

Hastae nostrae praelongae et validae non alias magis quam adversus beluas rectoresque earum usui esse poterunt : deturbate eos, qui vehuntur, et ipsas confodite. Anceps genus auxilii est et in suos acrius furit: in hostem enim imperio, in suos pavore agitur.

Their assistance is not of a kind to be depended on, and they may do their own side more damage than ours, for they are driven against the enemy by constraint, while terror turns them against their own ranks." Having spoken thus he was the first to put spurs to his horse. And now, as had been arranged, Coenus, upon seeing that Alexander was at close-quarters with the enemy, threw his cavalry with great fury upon their left wing. The phalanx besides, at the first onset, broke through the centre of the Indians. But Porus ordered his elephants to be driven into action where he had seen cavalry charging his ranks. The slow-footed unwieldy animals, however, were unfitted to cope with the rapid movements of horses, and the barbarians were besides unable to use even their arrows. These weapons were really so long and heavy that the archers could not readily adjust them on the string unless by first resting their bow upon the ground. Then, as the ground was slippery and hindered their efforts, the enemy had time to charge them before they could deliver their blows.

8.14.17

Haec elocutus concitat equum primus. Iamque, ut destinatum erat, invaserat ordines hostium, cum Coenus ingenti vi a laevo cornu invehitur.

8.14.18

Phalanx quoque mediam Indorum aciem uno impetu perrupit. At Porus, qua equitem invehi senserat, beluas agi iussit: sed tardum et paene inmobile animal equorum velocitatem aequare non poterat. Ne sagittarum quidem ullus erat barbarie usus.

8.14.19

Quippe longas et praegraves, nisi prius in terra statuerunt arcum, haud satis apte et commode inponunt, tum humo lubrica et ob id inpediente conatum molientes ictus celeritate hostium occupantur.

8.14.20

Ergo spreto regis imperio — quod fere fit, ubi turbatis acrius metus quam dux imperare coepit — totidem erant imperatores, quot agmina errabant:

The king's authority was in these circumstances unheeded, and, as usually happens when the ranks are broken, and fear begins to dictate orders more peremptorily than the general himself, as many took the command upon themselves as there were scattered bodies of troops. Some proposed that these bodies should unite, others that they should form separate detachments, some that they should wait to be attacked, others that they should wheel round and charge the enemy in the rear. No common plan of action was after all concerted. Porus, however, with a few friends in whom the sense of honour was stronger than fear, rallied his scattered forces, and marching in front of his line advanced against the enemy with the elephants. These animals inspired great terror, and their strange dissonant cries frightened not only the horses, which shy at everything, but the men also, and disordered the ranks, so that those who just before were victorious began now to look round them for a place to which they could flee. Alexander thereupon despatched against the elephants the lightly-armed Agrianians and the Thracians, troops more serviceable in skirmishing than in close combat. They assailed the elephants and their drivers with a furious storm of missiles, and the phalanx, on seeing the resulting terror and confusion, steadily pressed forward.

8.14.21

alius iungere aciem, alius dividere, stare quidam et nonnulli circumvehi terga hostium iubebant, nihil in medium consulebatur.

8.14.22

Porus tamen cum paucis, quibus metu potior fuerat pudor, colligere dispersos, obvius hosti ire pergit elephantosque ante agmen suorum agi iubet.

8.14.23

Magnum beluae iniecere terrorem, insolitusque stridor non equos modo, tam pavidum ad omnia animal, sed viros quoque ordinesque turbaverat.

8.14.24

Iam fugae circumspiciebant locum paulo ante victores, cum Alexander Agrianos et Thracas leviter armatos, meliorem concursatione quam communis militem, emisit in beluas.

8.14.25

Ingentem hi vim telorum iniecere et elephantis et regentibus eos. Phalanx quoque instare constanter territis coepit.

8.14.26

Sed quidam avidius persecuti beluas in semet inritavere vulneribus.

Some, however, by pursuing too eagerly, so irritated the animals with wounds that they turned their rage upon them, and they were in consequence trampled to death under their feet, thus warning others to attack them with greater caution. The most dismal of all sights was when the elephants would, with their trunks, grasp the men, arms and all, and hoisting them above their heads, deliver them over into the hands of their drivers. Thus the battle was doubtful, the Macedonians sometimes pursuing and sometimes fleeing from the elephants, so that the struggle was prolonged till the day was far spent. Then they began to hack the feet of the beasts with axes which they had prepared for the purpose, having besides a kind of sword somewhat curved like a scythe, and called a chopper, wherewith they aimed at their trunks. In fact, their fear of the animals led them not only to leave no means untried for killing them, but even for killing them with unheard-of forms of cruelty.

8.14.27

Obtriti ergo pedibus earum ceteris, ut parcius instarent, fuere documentum.

8.14.28

Praecipue terribilis ilia facies erat, cum manu arma virosque corriperent et super se regentibus traderent. Anceps ergo pugna nunc sequentium, nunc fugientium elephantos in multum diei varium certamen extraxit, donec securibus — id namque genus auxilii praeparatum erat — pedes amputare coeperunt.

8.14.29

Copidas vocabant gladios leviter curvatos, falcibus similes, quis adpetebant beluarum manus. Nec quicquam inexpertum non mortis modo, sed etiam in ipsa morte novi supplicii timor omittebat.

8.14.30

Ergo elephanti vulneribus tandem fatigati suos impetu sternunt, et, qui rexerant eos, praecipitati in terram ab ipsis obterebantur. Iamque pecorum modo magis pavidi quam infesti ultra aciem exigebantur,

Hence the elephants, being at last spent with wounds, spread havoc among their own ranks, and threw their drivers to the ground, who were then trampled to death by their own beasts. They were therefore driven from the field of battle like a flock of sheep, as they were maddened with terror rather than vicious. Porus, meanwhile, being left in the lurch by the majority of his men, began to hurl from his elephant the darts with which he had beforehand provided himself, and while many were wounded from afar by his shot he was himself exposed as a butt for blows from every quarter. He had already received nine wounds before and behind, and became so faint from the great loss of blood that the darts were dropped rather than flung from his feeble hands. But his elephant, waxing furious though not yet wounded, kept charging the ranks of the enemy until the driver, perceiving the king's condition — his limbs failing him, his weapons dropping from his grasp, and his consciousness almost gone — turned the beast round and fled.

8.14.31

cum Porus destitutus a pluribus tela multa ante praeparata in circumfusos ex elephanto suo coepit ingerere. Multisque eminus vulneratis expositus ipse ad ictus undique petebatur.

8.14.32

Novem iam vulnera hinc tergo, illinc pectore exceperat multoque sanguine profuso languidis manibus magis elapsa quam excussa tela mittebat.

8.14.33

Nec segnius belua instincta rabie, nondum saucia invehebatur ordinibus, donec rector beluae regem conspexit fluentibus membris omissisque armis vix compotem mentis.

8.14.34

Tum beluam in fugam concitat sequente Alexandro: sed equus eius multis vulneribus confossus deficiensque procubuit posito magis rege quam effuso.

Alexander pursued, but his horse being pierced with many wounds fainted under him, and sank to the ground, laying the king down gently rather than throwing him from his seat. The necessity of changing his horse retarded of course his pursuit. In the meantime the brother of Taxiles, the Indian King whom Alexander had sent on before, advised Porus not to persist in holding out to the last extremity, but to surrender himself to the conqueror. Porus, however, though his strength was exhausted, and his blood nearly spent, yet roused himself at the well-known voice, and said, "I recognise the brother of Taxiles, who gave up his throne and kingdom." Therewith he flung at him the one dart that had not slipped from his grasp, and flung it too with such force that it pierced right through his back to his chest. Having roused himself to this last effort of valour, he began to flee faster than before, but his elephant, which had by this time received many wounds, was now, like himself, quite exhausted, so that he stopped the flight, and made head against the pursuers with his remaining infantry.

8.14.35

Itaque, dum equum mutat, tardius insecutus est. Interim frater Taxilis, regis Indorum, praemissus ab Alexandro monere coepit Porum, ne ultima experiri perseveraret dederetque se victori.

8.14.36

At ille, quamquam exhaustae erant vires deficiebatque sanguis, tamen ad notam vocem excitatus: Agnosco, inquit, Taxilis fratrem, imperii regnique sui proditoris, et telum, quod unum forte non effluxerat, contorsit in eum: quod per medium pectus penetravit ad tergum.

8.14.37

Hoc ultimo virtutis opere edito fugere acrius coepit. Sed elephantus quoque, qui multa exceperat tela, deficiebat: itaque sistit fugam peditemque sequenti hosti obiecit.

8.14.38

Iam Alexander consecutus erat et pertinacia Pori cognita vetabat resistentibus parci. Ergo undique et in pedites et in ipsum Porum tela congesta sunt, quis tandem gravatus labi ex belua coepit.

Alexander had now come up, and knowing how obstinate Porus was, forbade quarter to be given to those who resisted. The infantry therefore, and Porus himself, were assailed with darts from all points, and as he could no longer bear up against them he began to slip from his elephant. The Indian driver, thinking the king wished to alight, made the elephant kneel down in the usual manner. On seeing this the other elephants also knelt down, for they had been trained to lower themselves when the royal elephant did so. Porus and his men were thus placed entirely at the mercy of the conqueror. Alexander, supposing that he was dead, ordered his body to be stripped, and men then ran forward to take off his breastplate and robes, when the elephant turned upon them in defence of its master, and lifting him up placed him once more on its back. Upon this the animal was on all sides overwhelmed with darts, and when it was stabbed to death, Porus was placed upon a waggon. But the king perceiving him to lift up his eyes, forgot all animosity, and being deeply moved with pity, said to him, "What the plague! what madness induced you to try the fortune of war with me, of whose exploits you have heard the fame, especially when in Taxiles you had a near example of my clemency to those who submit to me?" He answered thus: "Since you propose a question, I shall answer with the freedom which you grant by asking it.

8.14.39

Indus, qui elephantum regebat, descendere eum ratus more solito elephantum procumbere iussit in genua: qui ut se submisit, ceteri quoque — ita enim instituti erant — demisere corpora in terram.

8.14.40

Ea res et Porum et ceteros victoribus tradidit.) Rex spoliari corpus Pori, interemptum esse credens, iubet, et, qui detraherent loricam vestemque, concurrere, cum belua dominum tueri et spoliantes coepit adpetere levatumque corpus eius rursus dorso suo inponere. Ergo telis undique obruitur, confossoque eo in vehiculum Porus inponitur.

8.14.41

Quem rex ut vidit adlevantem oculos, non odio, sed miseratione commotus: Quae, malum, inquit, amentia te coegit rerum mearum cognita fama belli fortunam experiri, cum Taxilis esset in deditos clementiae meae tam propinquum tibi exemplum?

8.14.42

At ille: Quoniam, inquit, percontaris, respondebo ea libertate, quam interrogando fecisti: neminem me fortiorem esse censebam. Meas enim noveram vires, nondum expertus tuas: fortiorem esse te belli docuit eventus. Sed ne sic quidem parum felix sum, secundus tibi.

I used to think there was no one braver than myself, for I knew my own strength, but had not yet experienced thine. The result of the war has taught me that you are the braver man, but even in ranking next to you, I consider myself to be highly fortunate." Being asked again how he thought the victor should treat him, "in accordance," he replied, "with the lesson which this day teaches — a day in which you have witnessed how readily prosperity can be blasted." By giving this admonition he gained more than if he had resorted to entreaty, for Alexander, in consideration of the greatness of his courage which scorned all fear, and which adversity could not break down, extended pity to his misfortunes and honour to his merits. He ordered his wounds to be as carefully attended to as if he had fought in his service, and when he had recovered strength, he admitted him into the number of his friends, and soon after presented him with a larger kingdom than that which he had. And in truth his nature had no more essential or more permanent quality than a high respect for true merit and renown; but he estimated more candidly and impartially glory in an enemy than in a subject. In fact, he thought that the fabric of his fame might be pulled down by his own people, while it could but receive enhanced lustre the greater those were whom he vanquished.

8.14.43

Rursus interrogatus, quid ipse victorem statuere debere censeret: Quod hic, inquit, dies tibi suadet, quo expertus es, quam caduca felicitas esset.

8.14.44

Plus monendo profecit, quam si precatus esset: quippe magnitudinem animi eius interritam ac ne fortuna quidem infractam non misericordia modo, sed etiam honore excipere dignatus est.

8.14.45

Aegrum curavit haud secus, quam si pro ipso pugnasset: confirmatum contra spem omnium in amicorum numerum recepit, mox donavit ampliore regno, quam tenuit.

8.14.46

Nec sane quicquam ingenium eius solidius aut constantius habuit quam admirationem verae laudis et gloriae: simplicius tamen famam aestimabat in hoste quam in cive. Quippe a suis credebat magnitudinem suam destrui posse, eandem clariorem fore, quo maiores fuissent, quos ipse vicisset.