Gaugamela Anniversary: The Decisive Battle That Forged Alexander’s Empire

Alexander the Great. Credit: Public domain

On October 1, 331 BC, Alexander the Great’s service defeated the Persian service led by Darius III astatine the Battle of Gaugamela to implicit the conquest of the mighty Persian Empire.

It was an bonzer triumph achieved against a larger army. The superior tactics and the heroism displayed by the Macedonian cavalry led by Alexander carried the day.

Attempting to halt Alexander’s incursion into the Persian empire, Darius prepared a battleground connected the Plain of Gaugamela, a colony connected the banks of the stream Bumodus adjacent Arbela—present-day Irbīl successful bluish Iraq—and deployed his troops to await Alexander’s advance.

Darius had the terrain of the prospective battlefield smoothed retired truthful that his galore chariots could run with maximum effectiveness against the Macedonians.

His full forces greatly outnumbered those of Alexander, whose forces amounted to astir forty 1000 infantry and 7,000 cavalry. Modern historians accidental that “the likelihood were capable to springiness the astir experienced seasoned pause.”

Despite the overwhelming odds, Alexander’s service emerged victorious owed to the employment of superior tactics and the clever usage of airy infantry forces.

Alexander the Great’s run astatine the Persian Empire

Following the assassination of Phillip II, successful 336 BCE, his son, Alexander, and his service near their location of Macedonia for the past clip and acceptable retired connected a run aimed astatine conquering the Persian Empire.

After crossing the Hellespont, Alexander traveled northward wherever helium met and defeated the Persians nether the enactment of the Greek mercenary Memnon astatine the Battle of River Granicus. As successful aboriginal battles with Alexander, Darius and his generals continually underestimated the abilities of the young Alexander. He was considered by many—even those successful Greece—to beryllium thing much than an upstart veteran.

Alexander moved southward on the seashore of Asia Minor to Halicarnassus, wherever helium defeated Memnon for the 2nd time. Finally, aft waiting for implicit a year, Alexander and his forces met Darius astatine Issus successful November of 333 BCE where, again, the Persians suffered defeat.

Mosaic representing the conflict of Alexander the Great against Darius (III) the Great, perchance astatine Battle of Issus oregon Battle of Gaugamela. The mosaic is housed astatine the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Naples). Credit: an earlier Greek coating of Philoxenus of Eretria / Wikimedia Commons

Alexander past captured Darius’ family—his mother, wife, and daughters. Wishing to debar further struggle and with hopes that helium would regain his family, Darius offered Alexander fractional of his kingdom and adjacent his daughter’s manus successful marriage. However, Alexander rejected the connection by simply saying determination could ne'er beryllium 2 suns arsenic it would upset the satellite order.

Alexander challenged the Persian king to erstwhile again look him successful battle. Following the conflict astatine Issus, Alexander continued his run and moved on the Mediterranean coast, capturing the coastal metropolis of Tyre successful a seven-month siege.

As helium traveled southward, helium was welcomed successful some Jerusalem and Egypt, for they had felt the wrath of the Persian army. After laying retired the plans for the aboriginal metropolis of Alexandria and visiting the temple astatine Siwa, Alexander prepared for his adjacent subject engagement with Darius.

Alexander the Great scores triumph astatine Gaugamela

Alexander had planned to march consecutive to Babylon, but erstwhile helium learned of Darius’ beingness astatine Gaugamela, helium alternatively turned northward to conscionable and conflict the Persian king. He realized a triumph astatine Gaugamela meant the conquest of each of Persia, including Babylon, Persepolis, and Susa.

Darius who had learned his acquisition astatine the Battle of Issus had cautiously chosen Gaugamela for his adjacent conflict against Alexander. This time, his service was rather much advanced, having brought unneurotic men from each implicit his empire—even Indian mercenaries.

Estimates of his service alteration from 50 1000 to astir a million. The terrain of Gaugamela was besides significant, arsenic it was overmuch wider, truthful helium could deploy his cavalry much effectively. For Darius it was wide that the size of his service and the terrain gave him a important vantage against Alexander.

Alexander’s well-trained service of astir forty 1000 faced Darius’ monolithic conflict enactment and organized for the attack, charging the near of the Persians’ enactment with archers, javelin throwers, and cavalry portion defending against Darius’ outflanking cavalry with reserve flank guards.

Map of the Battle of Gaugamela, which depicts Alexander’s attack. Credit: US Military Academy / Public Domain

While Alexander was challenging the Persians connected the right, Darius sent his scythed chariots towards the center, a determination that failed to person the effect Darius had hoped. As the chariots approached, the phalanx simply opened ranks, allowing the chariots to walk through. Alexander and his idiosyncratic cavalry instantly wheeled fractional near and penetrated this spread and past wheeled again to onslaught the Persians’ flank and rear.

Alexander, spying Darius, seized upon the accidental and threw a spear astatine the shocked king, missing him by simply a fewer inches. Just similar astatine Issus, Darius realized that triumph was hopeless and fled. Panic past dispersed done his full army, which began a headlong retreat.

Plutarch, successful his Life of Alexander, spoke of Darius’s flight:

Darius present seeing each was lost, that those who were placed successful beforehand of him were breached and bushed backmost upon him, that helium could not crook oregon disengage his chariot without large difficulty, the wheels being clogged and entangled among the dormant bodies…was gladsome to discontinue his chariot and his arms, and mounting, it is said, upon a mare that had been taken from her foal, betook himself to flight. 

Darius was aboriginal murdered by 1 of his satraps, and Alexander conquered the Persian superior of Babylon. The triumph signified the extremity of the Persian Empire founded by Cyrus II, commonly known arsenic Cyrus the Great, and made Alexander the master of southwest Asia.