I
Chap. I.] EXPEDITION OF ALEXANDEE. 29
moment Crateras, who had succeeded in crossing the river, made his appearance, b.c. .■!27. His troops were perfectly fresh, while the Indians, exhausted by fatigue, broken in spirit, and thinned in numbers, had lost all power of resistance. A ch'eadful slaughter ensued, and Porus saw his troops falling by thousands. He still, how- roms
defeated.
ever, kept the field. During the whole day he hatl mingled in the thickest of the fight, and performed prodigies of valour. His stature, which was almost gigantic, and the elephant on which he was mounted, made him a consi)icuous object for the Macedonian archers ; and he must have fallen early had he not worn a coat of mail which no arrow coidd pierce. The right shoulder was the only part exposed, and in it he was severely wounded. His determination seemed to be to perish on the spot, for he was left almost alone before his atten- dants could induce him to minfjle with the fuo^itives. About 12,000 of his troops were slain, and 9000 taken prisoners. The Macedonian loss was trifling, amoimting, at the utmost, according to Diodorus, to 700 infantry and 230 cavalry. According to AiTian, the loss of infantry was only eighty.
Alexander, struck with admiration of the valour which Porus had dis]:)layed, S'»rrender
. of Poms.
was anxious to save his life, and sent Taxiles after him to endeavoiu* to induce him to surrender. The choice was unfortunate, for the two native chiefs had long been at deadly feud; and Porus, when overtaken, was so exasperated at the sight of. his old enemy, whom he probably also regarded as a main cause of the great disaster which had just befallen him, that he aimed a blow which Taxiles narrowly escaped. A second summons, by a more influential messenger, suc- ceeded, and Porus, finding escape impossible, yielded himself a prisoner.
In the midst of his misfortunes, Porus displayed a manliness and dignity which proved him worthy of a better ftite. In one day he had lost his kingilom, and seen three of his sons fall in battle, bit he disdained to assmne the attitude of a suppliant, and, when Alexander, riding up at the head of his officers, a«ked how he wished to be treated, simply answered, " Royally." " That," rejoined Alexander, " I shall do for my own sake, but what am I to do for youre?" " Do just as I have said," was the reply. Soimd policy combined with Alexander's natural magnanimity in making him desirous to secure the friendship of such a
I man. He accordingly heaped favoiu's upon him, not only restoring his former territories, but enlarging them by many new annexations. Porus was not ungi-ateful, and continued faithful to his Macedonian masters. i In commemoration of his victory, Alexander erected a city on the spot, and Alexander •> gave it the name of Nicrea. Another city, which he erected on the site of '""°^'^" his encampment on the right bank of the Hydaspes, he called Bucephala, in honom* of his horse Bucephalus, which, after can-dng him through all his cam- aigns, had recently died of old age or in battle. Neither of these cities has ce been identified. After reposing for a time in the dominions of Porus, he gain set out, and proceeded north-east into the territory of the Glaus?e, which represented as densely peopled and covered with cities, many of them with
