Issues with Issos
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 4:57 pm
As a post script to his account of the battle of Issos Arrian says that Amyntas and other commanders, including Thymondas, escaped from the field with their 8,000 troops and fled to Tripolis where they picked up the ships that had taken them from Chios, burnt the surplus they could not man and fled to Cypros and thence to Egypt.
It is always assumed that these were Greek mercenaries, yet any reading of the battle narrative leaves little chance of escape for the mercenary Greeks; they are outflanked by Alexander's wing which is specifically attested to have assaulted them in the flank after they had pushed the dislocated phalanx back; as the Persian cavalry on the seaward side fled when Darius did they would have had Parmenion to contend with to the other flank and the fleeing Persian army to out distance to their rear. They were hemmed in yet they manage to escape.
Curtius adds that they fled in the formation in which they were drawn up at the very start of the battle.
In addition, Tripolis is a good way south of the battle field, so they either pushed passed the Macedonian army and headed through the Gates of Jonah or re-traced their approach march and fled with the other Persians north to the Amanic Gates then deserted the King's remnants unmolested and marched passed Parmenion's move on Damascus and the victorious Macedonians descending into Phoenicia. These actions are not logical.
Hoplites were not trained to row triereis and this was the winter when shipping ventured out at extreme risk of wrecking, but if there were crew involved they would not have lined up with the hoplites but among the light troops.
Tripolis is a strange place to land infantry who then have to march not just to Sochoi but Thapsacus where we are told they effected a junction with Darius.
Anyone care to offer a solution to these seeming anomalies?
It is always assumed that these were Greek mercenaries, yet any reading of the battle narrative leaves little chance of escape for the mercenary Greeks; they are outflanked by Alexander's wing which is specifically attested to have assaulted them in the flank after they had pushed the dislocated phalanx back; as the Persian cavalry on the seaward side fled when Darius did they would have had Parmenion to contend with to the other flank and the fleeing Persian army to out distance to their rear. They were hemmed in yet they manage to escape.
Curtius adds that they fled in the formation in which they were drawn up at the very start of the battle.
In addition, Tripolis is a good way south of the battle field, so they either pushed passed the Macedonian army and headed through the Gates of Jonah or re-traced their approach march and fled with the other Persians north to the Amanic Gates then deserted the King's remnants unmolested and marched passed Parmenion's move on Damascus and the victorious Macedonians descending into Phoenicia. These actions are not logical.
Hoplites were not trained to row triereis and this was the winter when shipping ventured out at extreme risk of wrecking, but if there were crew involved they would not have lined up with the hoplites but among the light troops.
Tripolis is a strange place to land infantry who then have to march not just to Sochoi but Thapsacus where we are told they effected a junction with Darius.
Anyone care to offer a solution to these seeming anomalies?