The chances of very many of those under attack getting safely across the broad flood, here almost half a mile in width, appeared hopeless. The Persian cavalry were quite busy and had not yet noticed Constantine and Dacius, so there was plenty of time to withdraw, but Constantine did not consider such a possibility. Even as his eyes quickly evaluated the situation, he was giving orders to his secondincommand.
“Take half the troops and swing upstream to encircle the Persians,” he directed. “I will close the other half of the noose with the rest.”
“Standards to the front!” Dacius ordered, drawing his sword. Alternate turmae wheel into position. Attack!”
The trumpeter sounded the call to charge and, as Constantine’s half of the ala executed the same move, a flying double line of horsemen swept down upon the enemy. Intent on destroying their intended victims, the Persians did not realize what was happening until the Roman cavalry were upon them, jabbing with their sharp javelins before the enemy could wheel to meet the new attack. The swarthy face of the leader of the beleaguered band lit up at the appearance of the Roman column and he shook his bloody sword aloft in a gesture of victory.
“Start your men across before it is dark,” Constantine shouted to him. “We can handle the enemy.”
Constantine turned to thrust
The tall man nodded, and as Constantine turned to thrust his lance into the body of a Persian officer started to wade into the muddy water, heading toward the opposite shore and calling for his men to follow. They were happy enough to obey. Under their commander’s direction, they joined hands to form a human chain and support the shorter ones, who might otherwise be swept beneath the surface in deeper water.
The falling body of the Persian officer almost twisted Constantine’s lance from his grasp, but he managed to tear it loose in time to counter the attack of another. Across the seething melee of fighting men, he saw Dacius slashing about him expertly as he shouted orders and encouragement to his column. Then, almost as quickly as the engagement had begun, the Persians who remained alive managed to break through the noose formed by Constantine’s troops and went racing away, ending the engagement.
Constantine’s men would have followed the fleeing enemy but he shouted an order to reform the column and, urging his horse into the brown flood of the Euphrates, began to cross the river.
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