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Battle

Hydaspes

May 326 BC

Shift the crossing, dislocate the wings, survive the elephants

Military history

How does Alexander secure a crossing and then face Porus’s elephants?

In 326 BC, Porus blocks Alexander’s crossing of the Hydaspes, in present-day Pakistan. The Macedonian king secretly crosses upstream, then faces an army protected by its elephants. His cavalry disrupts the wings; infantry must then withstand the animals’ charges. Defeated, Porus retains his kingdom under Alexander’s authority.

Taxila and Porus

Taxiles welcomes Alexander and provides allies. Porus refuses submission and can delay behind the Hydaspes, while the conqueror seeks battle before further reinforcements arrive.

A dangerous river crossing

The current and elephants make a landing vulnerable. Alexander stages visible preparations to maintain several threats and conceal the chosen crossing.

An army divided

Craterus remains at the main camp under conditional orders. Alexander crosses upstream with a selected force: the surprise he achieves also exposes him to battle before the whole army can reunite.

Two separate engagements

Sources differ on the detachment that responds to the crossing. The map distinguishes this skirmish from the main battle, for which Porus chooses firm ground according to Arrian.

Military history

Sources

Ancient primary source, non-eyewitness account · Archival heritage edition · Late antique chronicleArrien, Anabase d’Alexandre, V.8–19, traduction E. J. Chinnock

V.8–10 : Taxila, refus de Poros, garde des passages et feintes ; V.11–13 : ordres conditionnels à Cratère, point boisé, île et bras profond ; V.14 : force avancée et variantes du premier contact ; V.15 : petite armée et quelques éléphants laissés au camp, distincts des 200 éléphants emmenés par Poros, puis ordre de bataille ; V.16–17 : cavalerie et combat des éléphants ; V.18–19 : pertes, sortie de Poros, règlement, Nicaea, Bucephala et mois Munychion

Principal narrative source for chronology, marching orders, formation states, and ancient figures; ancient but late, it is not a contemporary record.

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Late ancient biography · scholarly editionPlutarque, Vie d’Alexandre, §60.1–15, traduction Bernadotte Perrin

§60.1–7 : surveillance, fausses alertes, nuit orageuse, île, second bras et traversée ; §60.8 : 1 000 cavaliers et 60 chars sans chef nommé ; §60.9–11 : Poros avance, Alexandre à gauche, Coenus à droite et combat jusqu’à la huitième heure ; §60.12–15 : Poros blessé, capture, traitement royal et territoire ajouté

Biographical tradition for the crossing, 1,000 cavalry and 60 chariots without a named commander, battle duration, capture of Porus, and addition of territories.

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Late ancient chronicle · scholarly editionDiodore de Sicile, Bibliothèque historique XVII.87–89, traduction C. H. Oldfather

XVII.87.1 : bataille placée sous l’archonte Chremes ; XVII.87.2–5 : effectifs, attente d’Embisaros, cavalerie aux ailes, éléphants au front et infanterie dans les intervalles ; XVII.88.1–7 : chars, action des éléphants, Poros blessé qui s’effondre tandis que l’armée fuit ; XVII.89.1–6 : pertes, captifs, 80 éléphants, soins, rétablissement de Poros sur le pays qu’il gouvernait auparavant, sans agrandissement immédiat

Competing tradition for chronology, strengths, action of the elephants, losses, Porus's collapse, and restoration of his former kingdom; its figures and settlement are not combined with Arrian's.

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Specialist academic studyJ. R. Hamilton, “The Cavalry Battle at the Hydaspes”, Journal of Hellenic Studies 76 (1956), p. 26–31

Extrait Cambridge : les grandes lignes sont claires mais la tactique de cavalerie reste disputée et les ordres à Coenus sont le nœud du problème ; notes visibles 2 et 11–12 : absence d’appui textuel pour plusieurs reconstructions de la ligne ; notice bibliographique, p. 26–31

Dispute over the geometry of the mounted engagement and caution in reconstructing Coenus's manoeuvre.

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Recent academic study published by a university pressThomas R. Trautmann, “Alexander and the Elephants”, Comparative Studies in Society and History, Cambridge University Press, 2025

PDF p. 7–8 / pagination de revue p. 713–714 : franchissement, début des pluies vers le milieu de l’été, chars, ligne d’éléphants, cavalerie arrière et durée du combat ; PDF p. 13–14 / pagination de revue p. 719–720 : discours et armes chez Quinte-Curce, motif du retournement des éléphants, contraste avec le va-et-vient d’Arrien

Modern synthesis on the role of elephants, rainy season, figures transmitted by Arrian, and limits of the ancient traditions.

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Late ancient Latin account · university editionQuinte-Curce, Histoire d’Alexandre, VIII.13–14, traduction Trognon revue par Pessonneaux

VIII.13.1–28 : refus de Poros, dispositif de rive, îles, feintes, leurre royal, orage et passage ; VIII.14.1–10 : Spitacès, 3 000 cavaliers, 100 chars et sol boueux ; VIII.14.11–45 : déploiement, combat des éléphants, blessures et règlement avec Poros

Distinct Latin tradition concerning the advance guard's identity, figures, and elephant fighting; its speeches and spectacular details are not merged into Arrian.

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Academic topographical study with field surveysAurel Stein, “Alexander’s Passage of the Hydaspes and the Battle with Poros”, The Geographical Journal 80 (1932), p. 31–46

p. 31–33 : problème ancien et absence de solution définitive ; p. 33–35 : déplacements du fleuve et méthode topographique ; p. 42–44 : hypothèse du camp vers Haranpur et du passage vers Jalalpur, pointe boisée, île et ravine ; p. 44–46 : impossibilité de fixer exactement le champ et Nicaea

Working hypothesis for the camp–crossing–terrain relationship and justification for a non-georeferenced map; no modern coordinate is presented as established.

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Research master's thesis, University of LeedsShiva Sairam, Warfare, Diplomacy and Elephants: A Reinterpretation of the Battle of the Hydaspes and its Consequences, 2022

PDF p. 46–52 : examen des récits de victoire, capture ou arrêt du combat et distinction entre résultat militaire et maintien de Poros ; p. 60–61 : campagne contre les Glausae et ajout ultérieur de leur territoire au royaume de Poros

Minority modern reading of the political significance: used to distinguish battlefield victory from a favourable settlement for Porus. Cancelling the military result attested by the sources would go beyond the documentary use adopted here.

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