now Ajazo, a town of Cilicia in Natolia, with a harbour on the Levant sea, a little to the north of Scanderoon. E. Long. 36. 25. N. Lat. 36. 56.

Near this place, in a difficult pass between the mountains and the sea, Alexander the Great fought his second battle with Darius. One great cause of the defeat which the Persians received here was the bad conduct of their monarch, who led his numerous forces into a narrow place, where they had not room to act. Alexander was so much surprized when he first received the news that Darius was behind him, that he could scarcely believe it to be true: but when he was thoroughly satisfied of the fact, and that Darius had again passed the river Pinarus, he called a council of war, wherein, without asking any body's advice, he only told them, that he hoped they would remember their former actions: and that they, who were always conquerors, were about to fight people who were always beaten. He further observed, that Darius seemed to be infatuated, since he had with such expedition quitted an open and champaign country, where his numbers might have acted with advantage, to fight in a place inclosed, where the Macedonian phalanx might be well drawn up, and where his numbers could only incommode him. He then made the necessary dispositions for repassing the mountains, posted guards where he found them necessary, and then commanded his troops to refresh themselves, and to take their rest till morning.

At break of day he began to repass the mountains, obliging his forces to move in close order where the road was narrow, and to extend themselves as they had had more room; the right wing keeping always close to the mountain, and the left to the sea-shore. On the right there was a battalion of heavy-armed troops, besides the targeteers under the command of Nicanor the son of Parmenio. Next these, extending to the phalanx, were the corps of Cynus and Perdiccas; and on the left the respective bodies commanded by Amyntas, Ptolemy, and Meleager. The foot appointed to support them were commanded by Craterus; but the whole left wing was committed to Parmenio, with strict orders not to decline from the sea-shore, lest the Persians should surround them. Darius ordered 20,000 foot and 30,000 horse to retire, finding that he already wanted room to draw up the rest. His first line consisted of 30,000 Greek mercenaries, having on their right and left 60,000 heavy-armed troops, being the utmost the ground would allow. On the left, towards the mountain, he posted 20,000 men, which, from the hollow situation of the place, were brought quite behind Alexander's right wing. The rest of his troops were formed into close and useless lines behind the Greek mercenaries, to the number in all of 600,000 men. When this was done, he suddenly recalled the horse who had retired, sending part of them to take post on his right against the Macedonians commanded by Parmenio; and the rest he ordered to the left towards the mountain: but, finding them unseemly there, he sent the greatest part of them to the right; and then took upon himself, according to the custom of the Persian kings, the command of the main body. As soon as Alexander perceived that the weight of the Persian horse was disposed against his left wing, he dispatched, with as much secrecy as he could, the Thessalian cavalry thither, and supplied their places on the right by some brigades of horse from the van, and light-armed troops. He also made such dispositions, that notwithstanding the mighty advantage of the hollow mountain, the Persians could not surround him. But, as these precautions had considerably weakened the centre of his army, he ordered those advanced posts on the enemy's left, of which he was most apprehensive to be attacked at the very beginning of the fight; and, when they were easily driven from them, he recalled as many troops as were necessary to strengthen his centre.

When all things were in order, Alexander gave strict command, that his army should march very slowly. As for Darius, he kept his troops fixed in their posts, and in some places threw up ramparts; whence the Macedonians rightly observed, that he thought himself already a prisoner. Alexander at the head of the right wing engaged first, and without any difficulty broke and defeated the left wing of Darius. But, endeavouring to pass the river Pinarius after them, his troops in some measure losing their order, the Greek mercenaries fell upon them in flank, and made them fight, not only for victory, but for their lives. Ptolemy the son of Seleucus, and 120 Macedonians of some rank, were killed upon the spot. But the foot next to Alexander's right wing coming in seasonably to its relief, fell upon the mercenaries in flank, amongst whom a dreadful carnage was made; they being in a manner surrounded by the horse and light-armed troops, which at first pursued the left wing, and the foot that now passed the river. The Persian horse on the right still fought gallantly; but, when they were thoroughly informed of the rout of their left wing and of the destruction of the Greek mercenaries, and that Darius himself was fled, they began to break, and betake themselves to flight also. The Thessalian cavalry pursued them close at the heels; and the narrow craggy roads incommode them exceedingly, so that vast numbers of them perished. As for Darius, he fled, soon after the left wing was broken, in a chariot with a few of his favourites: as far as the country was plain and open, he escaped well enough; but, when the roads became rocky and narrow, he quitted it, and mounting a horse, rode all the night; his chariot, in which were his cloak and his bow, fell into the hands of Alexander, who carried them back to his camp.

In respect to the battle of Issus, Diodorus informs us, that Alexander looked everywhere about for Darius; and, as soon as he discovered him, with his handful of guards attacked him and the flower of the Persian army which was about him; being as desirous of obtaining this victory by his personal valour, as of subduing the Persian empire by the courage of his soldiers. But when Oxatres, the brother of Darius, saw Alexander's design, and how fiercely he fought to accomplish it, he threw himself, with the horse who were about him, between his brother's chariot and the enemy, where an obstinate fight was maintained, till the dead bodies rose like an entrenchment about the chariot of Darius. Many of the Persian nobility were slain; and Alexander himself was wounded in the thigh. At last the horses in the chariot of Darius started, and became so unruly, that the king himself was forced to take the reins; the enemy, however, pressed so hard upon him, that he was constrained to call for another chariot, and mounted it in great danger. This was the beginning of the rout, which soon after became general. According to this author, the Persians lost 200,000 foot, and 150,000 horse; the Macedonians 300 foot, and 150 horse.

Justin informs us, that the Persian army consisted of 400,000 foot, and 100,000 horse. He says, that the battle was hard fought; that both the kings were wounded; and that the Persians still fought gallantly when their king fled, but that they were afterwards speedily and totally routed: he is very particular as to their loss, which he says amounted to 61,000 foot, 10,000 horse, and 40,000 taken prisoners; of the Macedonians he says there fell no more than 130 foot, and 150 horse. Curtius says, that of the Persians there fell 100,000 foot, and 10,000 horse: of Alexander's army 504, he says, were wounded; 32 foot and 150 horse killed. That we may not suspect any error in transcribers, his own observation confirms the fact: "Tantulo impendito ingenis victoria petit," "So small was the cost of so great a victory."