ARBELA, pun now ERBIL, a town in Assyria, ren dered famous by the victory gained by Alexander over Darius, which decided the empire of Asia. It is univer sally allowed that the battle was fought at Gaugamela, an obscure village on the banks of the river Bumadus, and about 60 miles distant from Arbela. The Greeks, however, chose to denominate the battle from the latter place, as being a town of more note, and of more eupho nious pronunciation ; a consideration of no small mo ment with the Greeks.
Darius, being worsted in every engagement, had offer ed to cede to Alexander all the country which lay be tween the Euphrates and the Hellespont ; but this pro posal being rejected, he prepared to make a last effort for the preservation of his kingdom. For this purpose he collected from the eastern provinces of his vast em pire, an army, greatly surpassing, in number and in military ardour, any that he had. hitherto brought into the field. Different accounts are given of the amount of this immense force ; but the most moderate calcula tions state it at about 600,000 foot, and 40,000 horse. With this unwcildy army he encamped on an extensive plain, stretching along the banks of the river Bumadus, near to the village of Gaugamela. In the mean time, Alexander having received considerable reinforcements from Greece, Macedon, and Thrace, pursued his jour ney eastward, in search of the enemy. On the fourth day, after passing the Tigris, he learned from his scouts that the enemy was at no great distance ; and soon re ceived from some prisoners very formidable accounts of their numbers and warlike disposition. This informa tion did not in the least intimidate him ; he immediately commanded a halt, and encamped four days, to give his men rest and refreshment. On the evening of the fourth day, he prepared to march against the enemy with the effective part of his army, which was said to consist of 40,000 infantry and 7,000 horse. The march was under taken at the second watch of the night, that the Mace donians might have an entire day before them to reap the fruits of their expected victory. Before settling his arrangements for the ensuing engagement, Alexander resolved, in compliance with the opinion of Parmcnio, to explore the field of battle, and ascertain the disposition of the enemy. This important service he performed in person, at the head of his light horse and royal cohort. In the mean time, Darius kept his men prepared for ac tion. According to the Persian custom, he himself oc cupied the centre of the first line, surrounded by the princes of the blood, and the great officers of his court, and defended by his horse and foot guards. These splen did troops were flanked on either side by the Greek mer cenaries, and other warlike battalions selected from the whole army. The right consisted of the Medes, Par thians, Hvrcanians, and Sacs; ; the left was occupied by the Bactrians, Persians, and Cardusians. The armed chariots fronted the first line, whose centre was farther defended by the elephants. Darius, dreading a noctur nal assault, kept his men all night under arms, a precau tion which greatly fatigued and dispirited them, and made them expect a repetition of the disasters which occurred on the banks of the Granicus and the Isus.
At day-break Alexander disposed his troops in a man ner suggested by the numbers and order of the enemy. His main body consisted of two heavy-armed phalanxes, each amounting to about 16,000 men. Behind these were placed his heavy-armed men and targeteers, with orders to wheel immediately, and receive the wings of the hostile army, when they prepared to attack his flanks. Having disposed his troops in this manner, Alexander led the whole in an oblique direction towards the enemy's left ; a manceuvre which enabled the Mace donians to avoid contending with superior numbers. Da rius commanded the Scythian squadrons to advance, and prevent the farther extension of the hostile line ; Alexander detached a body of horse to oppose them, and the barbarians were soon repulsed. The armed chariots then issued forth, but their appearance only was -formidable; Alexander had taken such precautions as rendered their assault perfectly harmless. Darius next moved his main body ; but, with so little order, that the horse, mixed with the infantry, advanced and left a vacuity in the line. Alexander seized the decisive mo ment, and penetrated into the void with a wedge of squadrons. He was followed by the nearest sections of the phalanx, who rushed forward with loud shouts, as -already assured of the victory. The barbarians instantly gave way ; and the pusillanimous Darius was foremost in the flight.
The battle, however, was not yet decided. The more remote divisions of the phalanx, upon receiving informa tiori that the left wing, commanded by Parmenio, was in danger, had not immediately followed Alexander. A vacant space was thus left in the Macedonian line, through which some squadrons of the Persian and Indian horse penetrated, and advanced as far as to the hostile camp. These were immediately attacked and routed by the heavy armed troops and targetecrs, whom Alexander had judiciously placed behind the phalanx. The danger of his left wing recalled Alexander from the pursuit of the enemy ; in advancing against the enemy's right he had a sharp encounter with the Parthian, Indian, and Persian horse. Sixty of the companions fell. Hephxs tion, Cxnus, and Mcnidas, were wounded. Having, at last, dissipated this cloud of cavalry, Alexander pre pared to attack the foot in that wing ; but the business was already done, chiefly by the Thessalian horse ; and nothing remained but to make the best use of the vic tory. According to the least extravagant accounts, with the loss of 500 men, he destroyed 4.0,000 of the enemy ; some make their loss as high as 300,000. Certainly no thing could be more decisive than this victory ; the in valuable provinces of Babylonia, Susiana, and Persis, with their respective capitals, Babylon, Susa, and Per sepolis, rewarded the skill and valour of the conqueror ; and the enemy was never able again to collect such a number as to make head against him. See Arrian De .Expcdit. Alex. lib. iii. Diod. Sic. lib. xvii. Justin. lib. xi. Quint. Curt. lib. iv. cap. 25. Plutarch In Vit. Alex. Uni VerS. Hist. vol. v. p. 315. CO