XIV. And now the army had formed its wings and the king himself was leading it, when it was announced to Porus that the bank was held by armed men and that a dangerous moment was at hand. And at first, by that defect of the human mind which indulges wishful thinking, he believed that Abisares, his ally in the war, was coming, for so it [2] had been agreed. But presently, as the light grew clearer and revealed the enemy’s battle line, Porus sent 100 four-horse chariots and 4000 horsemen to oppose the advancing column. The leader of the troops which he sent was Spitaces, his brother, and the greater part of his strength was in his chariots; [3] each of these carried six men, two with bucklers, two archers stationed on each side, the rest were the drivers, who were by no means unarmed; for when it as necessary to fight hand to hand, they dropped the reins and poured a shower of javelins upon the enemy.
[4] However, on that day this aid was of hardly any use; for, as was said above, the rain which had fallen with greater violence than usual had made the plains slippery and unfit for riding, and the heavy and almost immovable chariots stuck fast in the muck and [5] mudholes. On the other hand, Alexander with his unencumbered and light-armed force charged them vigorously. The Scythians and the Dahae first of all attacked the Indi; then Alexander sent Perdiccas with the cavalry against the right wing of the enemy.
[6] And already the battle had begun everywhere, when those who drove the chariots, thinking it the last possible aid for their side, began to rush with loose [7] rein into the midst of the contest. This was a common evil for both sides. For the foot-soldiers of the Macedonians were trampled at the first attack, and the chariots sent over the slippery and impassable ground [8] shook off those who guided them. The frightened horses of others dragged the chariots not only into [9] the mudholes and pools, but even into the river, a few, driven by the enemy’s weapons, made their way to Porus, who was vigorously urging on the fight. He, when he saw the chariots wandering all over the field without drivers, distributed the elephants to [10] those of his friends who were nearest to him. Behind these he had stationed the infantry and the archers, as well as those who were accustomed to beat the drums; this with the Indi took the place of the sound of trumpets, and the elephants were not terrified by the noise, since their ears had been long since trained [11] to the familiar sound. A statue of Hercules was carried at the head of the infantry force; this was a very great incentive to the combatants, and to have abandoned those who were carrying it was held [12] to be a military disgrace. They even decreed the penalty of death to those who should not bring it back from the field of battle, since the fear which they had once felt of that enemy had been changed even to adoration and veneration. The Macedonians were checked for a time, by the sight not only of the elephants but of the king himself.
[13] The beasts, stationed between lines of armed men, at a distance looked like towers, while Porus himself had almost exceeded the measure of human stature; the beast on which he rode seemed to add to his height, since it rose as much higher than the other elephants as he did above the rest of his men.
[14] Accordingly Alexander, contemplating both the king and the army of the Indi, said: “At last I behold a danger worthy of my spirit; I am dealing at the same time with beasts and with remarkable [15] men.” Then, looking at Coenus, he said: “When I, attended by Ptolemy, Perdiccas, and Hephaestion, have made a charge against the left wing of the enemy and you see me in the thick of the brunt of battle, do you move to the right wing and attack the enemy while they are in disorder. You, Antigenes, and you, Leonnatus, and Tauron, will at the same time advance against the centre and attack their front.
[16] Our spears, which are very long and strong, will never serve us better than against these beasts and their drivers; bring down those who are mounted on them and stab the brutes. It is a doubtful kind of strength, and rages more violently against its own men; for it is driven against the enemy by command, against its own men by fear.”
[17] Having said this, he was the first to put spurs to his horse. And already, as had been planned, he had plunged into the ranks of the enemy, when Coenus [18] with mighty force charged the left wing. The phalanx too at the first onset burst through the middle of the line of the Indi. But Porus, where he saw that the cavalry were charging, ordered the elephants to be advanced, but that animal, being slow and well-nigh immovable, could not equal the [19] speed of the horses. The barbarians too could make no use of their arrows. For since these were long and very heavy, they could not safely and conveniently fit them to the bow unless they first rested its end upon the earth, and as the ground was slippery and therefore interfered with attempting this, by the time they were ready to take aim they were overtaken [20] by the speed of the enemy. Therefore, disregarding the king’s order — which generally happens when it is fear rather than a leader that begins to issue the sharper commands to men who are in great confusion — there were as many commanders as there were [21] scattered bands; one was giving orders to unite the line of battle, another to divide it, some to stand fast, and others to envelop the enemy from behind; [22] there was no general plan of action. Porus, however, with a few over whom shame had more power than fear, proceeded to collect his scattered forces and to advance against the foe, giving orders that the elephants be put in front of his line of troops.
[23] The brutes caused great terror, and their trumpeting not only threw into confusion the horses, animals so fearful of everything, but also the men and the ranks.
[24] And already those who shortly before were victors were looking about for an opportunity for flight, when Alexander sent against the elephants the light-armed Agriani and the other Thracians, troops [26] better in a rapid attack than in close combat. These cast a great shower of weapons both upon the elephants and upon those who were guiding them. The phalanx also began steadily to attack the terrified [26] animals. But some, who pursued the elephants too eagerly, so irritated them by wounds that they turned upon them. Hence, being trampled under foot, they served to the rest as a lesson to attack [27] with greater caution. It was a particularly awful spectacle when with their trunks they seized men and their weapons and passed them over their heads to [28] the drivers. As a result, the shifting battle, as they now pursued and now fled from the elephants, prolonged the undecided contest until late in the day, when with axes — for that kind of help had been prepared beforehand — they began to cut off their feet.
[29] With slightly curved swords, like sickles, which they called copides, they attacked the brutes’ trunks. And their fear left nothing untried, not only in dealing death, but also in new ways of making death itself painful.
[30] Therefore the elephants, at last worn out by wounds, rushed upon and overthrew their own men, and those who had guided them were hurled to the ground and trampled to death by them. And now like cattle, more frightened than dangerous, they [31] were being driven off the field of battle, when Porus, abandoned by very many of his followers, began from his own elephant to pour upon those who surrounded him many javelins which had been made ready in advance. And although he wounded many at long range, he himself was exposed to shots from every [32] side. He had already suffered nine wounds, now in his back, now in his breast, and had lost so much blood that his arms were weak and the weapons which he tried to throw rather fell from his hands [33] than were hurled with any force. His elephant too, roused to madness and not yet wounded, charged with no less vigour against the enemy’s ranks, until the driver of the beast saw that the king had collapsed, had dropped his weapons, and was hardly [34] conscious. Then he urged the monster to flight, pursued by Alexander; but the king’s horse, which had been pierced by many shafts and was giving out, fell under him, rather dismounting him than throwing him off. And so, while he was changing his horse he [35] pursued more slowly. Meanwhile the brother of Taxiles, king of the Indi, being sent ahead by Alexander, began to advise Porus not to persist in resisting to the bitter end, but to surrender himself to the [36] victor. But he, although his strength was exhausted and he had
lost much blood, nevertheless, aroused by the familiar voice, said: “I recognize the brother of Taxiles, the betrayer of his kingdom and his country,” and hurled at him the only javelin which, as it happened, had not fallen from his hands; and it passed through the middle of his breast and came out at his back. After performing this last feat of [37] valour Porus began to flee with greater speed. But the elephant also, which had received many spear-wounds, began to give out; hence Porus checked his flight and opposed the infantry to the pursuing enemy-
Already Alexander had come up with him and, perceiving Porus’ obstinacy, ordered that no quarter be given to those who resisted. Therefore weapons were hurled from every side both upon the foot-soldiers and upon Porus himself, by which he was at last overwhelmed and began to slide off his beast.
[39] The Indian who was managing the animal,” thinking that the king was dismounting in the usual manner, ordered the elephant to kneel; when he did so, the rest of the animals also — for so they had been trained let down their bodies to the ground. This action delivered Porus and the rest of his company to the [40] victors. The king, believing that Porus had been killed, ordered his body to be stripped of its armour, and men were running up to take off his cuirass and his robe, when the elephant began to protect his master, and to attack the spoilers, and lifting the king’s body, to place it upon his back. Therefore the beast was overwhelmed with weapons from all sides, and when he had been killed Porus was placed in a chariot.
[41] When the king saw him lifting his eyes, moved by pity, not by hatred, he said: “What the mischief was the madness which forced you, knowing the fame of my exploits, to try the fortune of war, when you had Taxiles, so near a neighbour, as an example of my [42] clemency to those who submit?” But Porus answered: “Since you ask me, I will reply with that frankness which you have granted me in asking your question. I thought that no one was stronger than I. For I knew my strength, but had not yet tried yours. The outcome of war has shown that you are the stronger. But not even so am I unhappy in being second to [43] you.” Being further asked how he thought the victor ought to treat him, he replied: “As this day advises you, on which you have learned how [44] perishable good fortune is.” Porus effected more by his admonition than if he had resorted to prayers; for the greatness of his spirit, unterrified and unbroken even by misfortune, Alexander saw fit to treat, not merely with compassion, but even with [45] honour. He had the wounded man attended to as if he had fought for him. When, contrary to the expectation of all, he recovered, Alexander received him into the number of his friends, and presently gave him a kingdom greater than he had held before.
Delphi Complete Works of Quintus Curtius Rufus Page 123