Page 645 For being that he had but newly taken upon him the Sovereign Command, none took any Offence at his Deportment, in relation either to Civil or Military Affairs, which is frequently the Lot of Old Captains, who have many times all their Faults ript up together at one time. For the Common People are not long pleas'd with the same Things; and whatever grows stale in the Use, has a pleasant Gust in the Change and Alteration. And besides the expectation of his coming to the Kingdom (his Father being now old) conjoin'd in his Succession both the Supreme Command and the Good-will of the People together. Moreover, he was a very proper and comely Person, and being clad in Royal Armour, appear'd in that Majesty as possess'd the Beholders with Awe and Reverence, and rais'd up the Spirits of the Army with high Expectations of Great Things to come. He was likewise of a mild Disposition, becoming a new Prince and General, by which he wan the Love of all, insomuch as even those as were not as yet reduc'd into Orderly Regiments, flock'd to him to receive his Commands, being much concern'd upon the account of his Youth, and the hazardous Battel that was presently to be fought. For he was not only to try the Fortune of War against a greater number of Men, but against the most Eminent and Expert Commanders of the Age, Ptolemy and Seleucus, who had been Captains under Alexander in all his Wars, and had been often Generals of their own Armies, never conquer'd to that day.
Demetrius therefore, after he had with winning and obliging Expressions courted the Soldiers, and promis'd Rewards suitable to every Man's Merit, drew up the Army in Battalia. In the Left Wing (where himself intended to be) he plac'd first Two hundred choice Horse, amongst whom, with other of the Nobility, was Pitho, who had serv'd under Alexander, and had been made General of all the Forces by Antigonus, and Fellow-Partner with him in all his Concerns. In the Front he plac'd Three Regiments of Horse, and as many Flankers to support them: At a distance out from the Wing were Three other Regiments of Tarentines, to the end that Five hundred Horsemen with Lances, and a Hundred Tarentines, might be ready at hand as the King's Lifeguard. Next he plac'd Eight hundred Horse, which were call'd Associates; and after them Fifteen hundred out of several Nations; and before the whole Wing stood as a Guard Thirty Elephants, lin'd with light-arm'd Men, of whom a thousand were Darters and Archers, and Five hundred Persian Slingers. And in this manner was the Left Wing drawn up, with which he intended to make the Onset: Then was rang'd the main Battel, consisting of Eleven thousand Foot, of whom Two thousand were Macedonians, and a Thousand Lycians and Pamphylians, and Eight thousand hir'd Soldiers.
In the Right Wing he drew up the rest of the Horse, to the number of Fifteen hundred, under the Command of Andronicus, who had Orders to keep in an oblique Line, and make a running Fight of it, still observing how it went with Demetrius. The rest of the Elephants, to the number of Thirteen, he plac'd before the main Battel of the Foot lining them with as many light-arm'd Men as were sufficient. And in this manner Demetrius drew up his Army.
As for Ptolemy and Seleucus, at the first they made it their Business to place their greatest Strength in their Left Wing, not knowing what the Enemy design'd: But being afterwards inform'd by their Scouts what was done, they forthwith so drew up, as that the greatest Strength being in their Right Wing, they might be the better able to engage with Demetrius in the Left; and therefore in that Wing were drawn up Three thousand of the best Horse, amongst whom they themselves intended to charge. Before these were plac'd those who bore an artificial Palisado before them, sharp-pointed with Iron, and fasten'd together with Chains, prepar'd against the Shock of the Elephants; for this being drawn out in length, it was an easie matter by this means to put a stop to their further Career. In the Front of this Wing were plac'd light-arm'd Soldiers, who were commanded to ply the Elephants and their Riders with Darts and Arrows as they came on. The Right Wing being thus drawn up, and the rest of the Army so dispos'd as the present Occasion at that time most requir'd, they led forth the Army with a great Shout towards the Enemy; who, on the other side, drawing down upon them, the Fight was begun by the Horse in the Fronts of both Wings, where the Demetrians had much the better; but within a little time after the Ptolemeans and Seleucians (having surrounded the Wing) made a fierce Charge with their whole Body; upon which (through the Resolution of both Parties) there follow'd a very sharp Engagement. Upon the first Onset they fought with their Lances, where many were kill'd, and as many wounded on both sides. Then they fell to it with their Swords, and there thronging together, thrust one another through, and fell in heaps together.