Cyrus had chosen the battle-ground. He had marched out of his camp, situated a mile or so down the river, and had taken position where the narrow plain enabled him to mass his forces, with the sand-hills to protect his right, the river his left, and the dry water-course his front. The enemy, coming down towards him, would be compressed into an ever narrowing field where their immense superiority in numbers would not give them undue advantage. Knowing that the Touranians were all mounted and were accustomed to charge in mass at headlong speed, he hoped to draw them into the great ditch at his front in such confusion that the impetus of their assault would be broken. For this purpose he threw out to the east of the ditch about one thousand paces a curtain of light cavalry, which had orders to draw an assault, retreat rapidly before it, and take refuge behind the infantry. The position of the infantry was a line about halfway down the western slope of the water-course, and it would not be perceived by the pursuers until they should arrive at the upper margin of the eastern slope. Keeping five thousand of his heavy cavalry, known as the Imperial Guard, in reserve on the high ground at his extreme left near the river, he had stationed the remainder, about fifteen thousand strong, behind the crests of the sand-hills at his extreme right; and it would be their duty as soon as the Touranians should join battle, to make a détour to the right, descend from the hills upon their rear, and there attack. Thus, by the grace of Ahura-Mazda, Cyrus hoped, the enemy would be placed between his veteran infantry and his invincible cavalry, and so be ground to pieces.
Near the margin of the river in front of the army was a group of men whose dress and demeanor denoted them leaders. One of these, to whom the others gave worshipful attention, was mounted on a noble Nisæan stallion. He was watching the distant mass of enemies with searching attention. He seemed indeed a king and worthy to be a King of Kings. Historians and storytellers have surrounded him with heroic luster. His countenance was eagle-like. His forehead was high, his nose sharp and slightly bridged, and his chin firm. The piercing glance of his black eyes never failed to read men nor to impress them with the necessity of instant obedience to orders. His demeanor was humorous and kind toward friends but fierce and terrible to evil-doers or to an enemy. Despite his sixty years, forty of which had been spent in war, his body was erect and soldierly. A helmet, glittering with gold, was on his head, and from beneath it his straight gray hair fell to the collar of his cloak. A white, silky beard covered the lower portion of his face and lay upon the silver breast-scales of the flexible coat-of-mail which covered his body and hips. Brazen greaves, fastened to soft leathern breeches, protected his limbs. His only weapon was a short sword, pendent from a belt around his waist. The trappings of his horse were rich. Its chest and neck were also protected by link mail.
In the group of officers surrounding the Great King, there were two of no less royal birth than he. One was Hystaspis, King of Iran, his cousin, one of the Achæmenides, the family that had ruled in Iran for ages. Cyrus had been King of Fars, or Persia, before he became King of Kings. Hystaspis had ruled in Bactra, the ancient seat of the Aryan race. Astyages was king of Medea and grandfather of Cyrus, whose mother was a Medean princess. He claimed suzerainty over all Iran. Cyrus had conquered his grandfather in war and, having dethroned him, had stepped up into the exalted position of King of Kings. He had then placed Persia under control of Hystaspis, who loyally supported him and acknowledged him as the overlord of all Iran. Cyrus was a warrior. Hystaspis was a student, a lover of peace and a mystic, though he ruled his people well as a statesman and showed qualities of a great warrior when necessity demanded. In his youthful days he had known the famous Zoroaster, the seer of Iran, who had reduced to writing the ancient songs and the ritual of religious worship of his race and had preached new life into its creed. Hystaspis was milder, more benevolent, and less alight with energy than Cyrus.
Prince Darius Hystaspis, son of the King of Iran, was the other royal person in the group. He had dismounted from his war-horse and, with folded arms, was standing at its head, also watching the enemy. Six feet in height and well-proportioned, youthful and gallant, he was an ideal soldier. A helmet of gold and silver leaves covered his black, short-cropped hair save at the temples. A coat of leaf-mail protected his chest and his limbs halfway to the knee and was confined at his waist by a broad leather belt studded with gems set in golden buttons. A bronze plate further protected his breast, and greaves of the same metal were fastened to his leather riding-breeches as a protection to his legs. High-laced leather shoes encased his feet. A short sword hung at his belt, and a short-handled battle-ax swung from the saddle on his horse. A soldier from boyhood and already a veteran, having served in Cyrus’ last campaign against Babylon, yet he was, like his father, a student, and had learned wisdom of the greatest seer of that age, Belteshazzer, the Hebrew. His shaven cheeks were fair and glowing with the health of right living. His eyes were blue and clear and were set deeply beneath dark eyebrows and a lofty forehead. He was the idol of all Aryans, and, next to Cyrus, the hero of the army. He was commander of the Imperial Guard, and to him had been entrusted the duty of leading the Guard in the flank movement by which Cyrus hoped to crush the enemy.
Otanes, a giant in size, the noblest of Iran’s seven great nobles, was another of the group. He was shield-bearer to Cyrus and commander of his chosen body-guard. There was also Hydarnes, another of the seven nobles, a short, heavy man whose long, upturned mustache and beetling eyebrows were his most prominent features. He was commander of the Persian infantry. Vomisces, one of the seven nobles and commander of the allied infantry, the Babylonian, Assyrian, and Hebrew levies, and Gobryas, another one of the seven, a young man, blood-brother and closest friend of Prince Darius, were in the group. There was also Prexaspes, a Medean noble, commander of the light-armed cavalry, a brave, ambitious man, richly dressed in jeweled armor and having his hair and whiskers curled and perfumed. He was a cynical, unscrupulous, and pleasure-loving man, but energetic, resourceful, and brave. Of him we shall hear much in this story. A number of orderlies waited near by to receive and transmit the Great King’s commands.
The herons in the Jaxartes have become restless but have not yet flown. While they wait and while Cyrus is watching the enemy, we may study the private soldiers to whose blows he will owe his victory, if he wins. They were not of the same quality as those effeminate men who, in later years, were unable to withstand the Greeks under the great Alexander. This was true at least of the Aryans who constituted the bulk of the army.
Passing along the front of the light-armed cavalry, we observe the dusky Arab, with his curved scimiter and long javelin, his bow and arrows. He is clothed in turban, short tunic, loose cloak, brazen breastplate, and leathern breeches. He is mounted on the beautiful, swift horse of the desert which he loves as his own brother. Here also we see famous bowmen from Edom and Canaan, slingers from the Mediterranean isles, and Syrians from Mesopotamia, severally arrayed in their national costumes. When we pass along the lines of infantry, we note a distinctive army dress. Each soldier wears on his head a high, round felt cap; on his body, a stout, leathern, tight-fitting jacket, or tunic, with skirt extending halfway to the knee, and on his legs linen trousers, confined at the ankles by the tops of the soft leathern shoes with which his feet are shod. A bronze breastplate covers his chest, and bars of the same metal are on his arms and shoulders. The front rank, as it stands in position, is protected by wicker shields, covered with heavy leather, braced with metal bands. These shields are about seven feet long and are placed upright with the pointed lower ends thrust into the earth. Behind them, as a wall, the spearmen are comparatively safe from the enemy’s javelins and arrows. If the fight comes to close quarters, the shields may be easily thrown down; then for his further protection, the soldier must rely on a small, round targe held in place by straps on his left forearm.
Each heavy-armed infantryman in the six front ranks carries a heavy spear about seven feet long and a short sword somewhat like a long dagger. A short-handled battle-ax with sharp, shearing blade and pointed beak is hung by a strap over his shoulder. The soldiers in the rear ranks, instead of the heavy spear and battle-ax, carry bundles of light javelins, for casting at short range, and long bows with sheaths of arrows, for fighting at long range. Protected by the wicker wall and the hedge of spears in the fore, they will meet the assault with showers of darts cast over the front ranks or, advancing behind the charging spearmen, will gall the enemy thus before the shock of the hand-to-hand fight comes.
At intervals along the lines stand the captains of hundreds and commanders of thousands, distinguished from private soldiers only by richer armor and plumes of horse-hair on their caps.
We next note the soldiers of the Imperial Guard. They are all large men, none of them over forty years of age, every one of noble birth, and all belong to the military class of Iran. They know but one calling, that of arms. All had entered military service at the age of sixteen, had been enrolled in the Guards at the age of twenty, and will remain there until they shall reach their fortieth year, at which time they will either be made civil officers or promoted and placed in command of companies and divisions of the imperial armies. Their armor consists of brazen helmets for their heads, chain-mail for their bodies, and brazen greaves for their legs and arms. A round shield, held on the left forearm in battle, will give further protection. A long, sharp javelin, a sword, and a battle-ax are their weapons. Their horses are protected by chain-mail on neck, forehead, and breast.