As the mercenaries reached the center of the Centrites River , the water depth was exactly as Chirisophus had described—only up to their waists. This reassurance calmed the soldiers, who had been nervous about the crossing. Their earlier anxiety gave way to confidence, and their pace quickened as they moved steadily toward the far bank.
Meanwhile, the Persian army, stationed some distance from the riverbank, was scrambling to respond. The rocky terrain along the shore slowed their movements, and their formations became disordered. To make matters worse for the Persians, the mercenaries' slingers positioned at the rear launched a relentless barrage, taking full advantage of their superior range to disrupt the enemy. This added to the chaos, and by the time the Persian troops reached the riverbank, they were already in disarray.
The Persian archers barely managed to release two volleys of arrows before the Greek mercenaries surged onto the shore.
