Dr Adrian Goldsworthy

This is we're going to go that way.

And then I'm going to go on bucephalus, probably at the head of the companion cavalry.

And I'm going to steam stroke.

I'm going to fight at your head and show that I'm as brave as the rest of you and expect you to live up to me as I will live up to your expectations.

Once you're doing that, you really are going to be focusing on the people coming through the dust trying to kill you.

And he has no sense at all of what's happening in the wider battle and no way of influencing it, even if he did know what was happening.

So it's integral to his style of command.

So in a sense, Alexander's experience of the battle, which is what the sources tend to focus on, would actually be this progression from the sort of the big plan, the big scope where the enemy are.

my initial order to attack, and then it's just me and what's going on around me.

Or are they aiming for him?

Because this is this very fancy looking guy.

And you know, this is a young king.

You probably know there's no heir.

But anyway, you kill the king of Macedon.

And A, you'll be famous.

The great king in Persia is going to be rewarding you.

But also, that's it.

War won.

Yes.

I mean, one thing just to throw in quickly, in any form of common sense or military sense, you don't put cavalry to defend a riverbank and you don't make cavalry static.