<w lemma="%2Ameta%5C">Μετὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta%2F">ταῦτά</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="metwphdo%5Cn">μετωπηδὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgein">ἄγειν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnamin">δύναμιν</w>, <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fxonta">ἀπέχοντα</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fwn">πολεμίων</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tettara%2Fkonta">τετταράκοντα</w> <w lemma="stadi%2Fous">σταδίους</w>.
<w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="mei%3Dzon">μεῖζον</w> <w lemma="a%29lo%2Fghma">ἀλόγημα</w> <w lemma="dusxere%5Cs">δυσχερὲς</w> <w lemma="e%29pinoh%3Dsai:">ἐπινοῆσαι·</w> <w lemma="pou%3D">ποῦ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="eu%28%2Froi">εὕροι</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftous">τοιούτους</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpous">τόπους</w>, <w lemma="a%29%2Fllws">ἄλλως</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="%2Akiliki%2Fan">Κιλικίαν</w>, <w lemma="w%28%2Fst%27">ὥστ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="stadi%2Fous">σταδίους</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fkosi">εἴκοσι</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pla%2Ftos">πλάτος</w> <w lemma="tettara%2Fkonta">τετταράκοντα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="mh%3Dkos">μῆκος</w> <w lemma="metwphdo%5Cn">μετωπηδὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgein">ἄγειν</w> <w lemma="fa%2Flagga">φάλαγγα</w> <w lemma="sarisofo%2Fron">σαρισοφόρον</w>;
<w lemma="tosau%3Dta">τοσαῦτα</w> <w lemma="ga%2Fr">γάρ</w> <w lemma="e%29stin">ἐστιν</w> <w lemma="e%29mpo%2Fdia">ἐμπόδια</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Fthn">τοιαύτην</w> <w lemma="ta%2Fcin">τάξιν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="xrei%2Fan">χρείαν</w>, <w lemma="a%28%2F">ἅ</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="ou%29d%27">οὐδ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="e%29cariqmh%2Fsaito">ἐξαριθμήσαιτο</w> <w lemma="r%28a%7Cdi%2Fws">ῥᾳδίως</w>. <w lemma="e%28%5Cn">ἓν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28p%27">ὑπ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Akallisqe%2Fnous">Καλλισθένους</w> <w lemma="legome%2Fnwn">λεγομένων</w> <w lemma="i%28kano%5Cn">ἱκανὸν</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxei">ὑπάρχει</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="pi%2Fstin:">πίστιν·</w>
<w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="o%29rw%3Dn">ὀρῶν</w> <w lemma="xeima%2Frrous">χειμάρρους</w> <w lemma="kataferome%2Fnous">καταφερομένους</w> <w lemma="tosau%3Dta%2F">τοσαῦτά</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dn">ποιεῖν</w> <w lemma="e%29krh%2Fgmata">ἐκρήγματα</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pedi%2Fon">πεδίον</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Apersw%3Dn">Περσῶν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="fugh%5Cn">φυγὴν</w> <w lemma="diafqarh%3Dnai">διαφθαρῆναι</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgousi">λέγουσι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fstous">πλείστους</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftois">τοιούτοις</w> <w lemma="koilw%2Fmasi">κοιλώμασι</w>.
<w lemma="nh%5C">νὴ</w> <w lemma="%2Adi%2F%27">Δί᾽</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Ftoimos">ἕτοιμος</w> <w lemma="e%29bou%2Flet%27">ἐβούλετ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fwn">πολεμίων</w> <w lemma="e%29pifa%2Fneian">ἐπιφάνειαν</w>.
<w lemma="ti%2F">τί</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29netoimo%2Fteron">ἀνετοιμότερον</w> <w lemma="fa%2Flaggos">φάλαγγος</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="metw%2Fpw%7C">μετώπῳ</w> <w lemma="dialelume%2Fnhs">διαλελυμένης</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="diestame%2Fnhs">διεσταμένης</w>; <w lemma="po%2Fsw%7C">πόσῳ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="poreutikh%3Ds">πορευτικῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29gwgh%3Ds">ἀγωγῆς</w> <w lemma="a%28rmozou%2Fshs">ἁρμοζούσης</w> <w lemma="parata%2Fcai">παρατάξαι</w> <w lemma="r%28a%3D%7Con">ῥᾷον</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="dialelume%2Fnhn">διαλελυμένην</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="metw%2Fpw%7C">μετώπῳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="diespasme%2Fnhn">διεσπασμένην</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnamin">δύναμιν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="au%29th%5Cn">αὐτὴν</w> <w lemma="eu%29qei%3Dan">εὐθεῖαν</w> <w lemma="a%29gagei%3Dn">ἀγαγεῖν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="susth%3Dsai">συστῆσαι</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxhn">μάχην</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpois">τόποις</w> <w lemma="u%28lw%2Fdesi">ὑλώδεσι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="perikeklasme%2Fnois">περικεκλασμένοις</w>;
<w lemma="dio%2Fper">διόπερ</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5C">οὐδὲ</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="mikro%5Cn">μικρὸν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="krei%3Dtton">κρεῖττον</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgein">ἄγειν</w> <w lemma="difalaggi%2Fan">διφαλαγγίαν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="tetrafalaggi%2Fan">τετραφαλαγγίαν</w> <w lemma="a%28rmo%2Fzousan">ἁρμόζουσαν</w>, <w lemma="h%28%3D%7C">ᾗ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpon">τόπον</w> <w lemma="porei%2Fas">πορείας</w> <w lemma="eu%28rei%3Dn">εὑρεῖν</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29du%2Fnaton">ἀδύνατον</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="parata%2Fcai">παρατάξαι</w> <w lemma="taxe%2Fws">ταχέως</w> <w lemma="r%28a%2F%7Cdio%2Fn">ῥᾴδιόν</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w>, <w lemma="duna%2Fmenon">δυνάμενον</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="prodro%2Fmwn">προδρόμων</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="pollou%3D">πολλοῦ</w> <w lemma="ginw%2Fskein">γινώσκειν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fwn">πολεμίων</w> <w lemma="parousi%2Fan">παρουσίαν</w>.
<w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="xwri%5Cs">χωρὶς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllwn">ἄλλων</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5C">οὐδὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="i%28ppei%3Ds">ἱππεῖς</w> <w lemma="proe%2Fqeto">προέθετο</w>, <w lemma="metwphdo%5Cn">μετωπηδὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgwn">ἄγων</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnamin">δύναμιν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpois">τόποις</w> <w lemma="e%29pipe%2Fdois">ἐπιπέδοις</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="i%29%2Fsou">ἴσου</w> <w lemma="poiei%3D">ποιεῖ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="pezoi%3Ds">πεζοῖς</w>.
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<head>Inaccuracies about Tactics</head>Again, he says that Alexander was marching in line<pb n="98" />when he was about forty stades from the enemy. A greater blunder it is difficult to conceive. For where could one find a ground, and especially in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cilicia&groupId=467&placeId=350">Cilicia</a>, twenty stades broad by forty deep, for a phalanx armed with sarissae to march in line? It would not be easy to count all the impossibilities in the way of such an arrangement and such a movement. One that is mentioned by Callisthenes himself is sufficient to establish the point. For he remarks that the winter torrents which descend from the hills make so many gullies in the plain, that, in the course of the flight, the chief part of the Persians are said to have lost their lives in deep places of that kind. But, it may be urged, Alexander wished to be ready for battle as soon as the enemy were in sight. But what could be less ready than a phalanx in a disordered and straggling line? Is it not much easier to form up a phalanx from a proper column of route, than to bring a disordered and straggling line back into the same alignment, and get it into order of battle on a broken and woody ground? It was, therefore much better to march twice or four times the ordinary depth of a phalanx<note anchored="yes" place="unspecified" id="note35">That is, sixteen or thirty-two deep.</note>in good order, for which sufficient ground could possibly be found. And it was easy to deploy his men quickly into the line of the phalanx, because he was able by means of scouts to ascertain the presence of the enemy in plenty of time. But in this case, beside other absurdities, while bringing his men in line across the level, he did not even (we are told) put the cavalry in front, but marched with them in the same alignment.
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Walbank Commentary