What happened at the Battle of Gaugamela?
On October 1, 331 BC, a battle was fought at Gaugamela, that concluded with the end of the 200-year-old Persian Empire that stretched from the Aegean Sea in the west to India in the east. Alexander’s army numbered 47,000 men. The Macedonian army was put in the same battle situation as in the past battles.
Where can I find media related to the Battle of Gaugamela?
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Battle of Gaugamela. Livius.org tells the story of Alexander and quotes original sources. Favors a reconstruction of the battle which heavily privileges the Babylonian astronomical diaries.
How many Persians died at the Battle of Gaugamela?
The most conservative, and thus most likely, estimate of Persian losses comes from Curtius, who says that 40,000 Persians lost their lives at Gaugamela (Arrian writes that 300,000 Persians fell with another 300,000 taken prisoner, but it is highly unlikely that there were that many men in the entire Persian force.)
Who did Alexander the great fight at the Battle of Gaugamela?
Alexander the Great faced a formidable Darius III at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC. The Battle of Gaugamela began on the morning of October 1, 331 bc, when two great armies drew up for battle to determine the destiny of empires.
How did the Battle of Gaugamela end?
A charge by Persian scythed chariots aimed at the centre of Alexander's forces was defeated by Macedonian lightly armed soldiers.
Why did Alexander win at Gaugamela?
Despite the overwhelming odds, Alexander's army emerged victorious due to the employment of superior tactics and the clever usage of light infantry forces. It was a decisive victory for the League of Corinth, and it led to the fall of Achaemenid Empire and of Darius III.
How many died at the Battle of Gaugamela?
A more conservative estimate is 40,000 Persian dead, and Alexander himself claimed that his army suffered about 500 killed and 5,000 wounded. With widely fluctuating casualty lists, it is virtually impossible to determine how many lost their lives or limbs at Gaugamela.
Where did the Battle of Gaugamela happen?
ErbilMosulBattle of Gaugamela/Locations
Why was the Battle of Gaugamela an important turning point?
His undermanned defeat of the Persian King Darius III at the Battle of Gaugamela is seen as one of the decisive turning points of human history, unseating the Persians as the greatest power in the ancient world and spreading Hellenistic culture across a vast new empire.
Did Alexander the Great ever lose a Battle?
In 15 years of conquest Alexander never lost a battle. The centerpiece of Alexander's fighting force was the 15,000-strong Macedonian phalanx, whose units held off the sword-wielding Persians with 20-foot-long pikes called sarissa.
What age Alexander the Great died?
32 years (356 BC–323 BC)Alexander the Great / Age at death
Which nation defeated Persia?
The Persian Empire began to decline under the reign of Darius's son, Xerxes. Xerxes depleted the royal treasury with an unsuccessful campaign to invade Greece and continued with irresponsible spending upon returning home. Persia was eventually conquered by Alexander the Great in 334 B.C.E.
What did Alexander the Great died of?
June 323 BCAlexander the Great / Date of death
How did Alexander won the Battle of Gaugamela?
He fashioned longer swords and lances as well as adding more cavalry. The terrain of Gaugamela was also significant; it was much wider so he could make use of his chariots and deploy his cavalry more effectively, something that had been impossible at Issus.
Who defeated Alexander the Great?
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday (November 14) said that Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the Mauryan empire in the 4th century BC, had defeated Alexander of Macedon in battle — and yet, it is the latter whom historians have chosen to call “great”.
How many battles did Alexander the Great win?
Of the four great battles Alexander fought in the course of his brilliant military career, the Battle of the Granicus, fought in May 334 BC, was the first–and the one in which he came closest to failure and death.
How many Persians were killed in Gaugamela?
In all, Arrian states that over 300,000 Persians were killed and more captured, with only 100 Macedonian dead. These figures are almost certainly grossly inflated. A more conservative estimate is 40,000 Persian dead, and Alexander himself claimed that his army suffered about 500 killed and 5,000 wounded. With widely fluctuating casualty lists, it is virtually impossible to determine how many lost their lives or limbs at Gaugamela.
What was the gap in the Macedonian battle line?
The right-wing elements of the line had followed Alexander into the Persian centre, but their comrades had been forced to go to the assistance of the left flank. This created a gap in the Macedonian battle line, and Persian and Indian cavalry swarmed through this gap.
What happened at midnight in the Macedonian army?
Advertisement. At about midnight, the Macedonian army crested the hills, taking in the thousands of twinkling Persian campfires below. Whilst the men halted and rested, Alexander took some of his Companions and light infantry down to reconnoitre the plain.
How long was the Sarissa?
Their chief weapon, the sarissa, was a pike of up to twelve cubits (18 ft) in length. In terms of length alone it conferred an enormous advantage to the Macedonian infantry, because they could start the slaughter whilst the enemy were still attempting to bring their own weapons to bear.
How far was the gap between the two armies?
The gap between the two armies was now about seven miles, although neither side was visible to the other because a low range of hills ran between them. Leaving his baggage, camp followers, and prisoners under guard, Alexander left his encampment after nightfall, with his troops prepared for battle. Remove Ads.
Who killed horses and drivers in the Battle of Darius?
They ran into a thick screen of Macedonian light infantry, who grabbed the chariot reins and killed horses and drivers.
Who led the charge into the gap in the Persian lines?
Forming his cavalry into a gigantic wedge, with himself and the Companions at the tip, Alexander met with the right-wing infantry elements of his centre and led a ferocious charge into the gap in the Persian lines, making for Darius himself.
Who won the Battle of Gaugamela?
The Battle of Gaugamela, 331 BC, was a decisive victory in the conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great, when he defeated the Persian king Darius III. after this battle, the Achaemenid Empire ceased to exist.
How did Alexander conquer Asia?
The Macedonian king Alexander the Great started his conquest of Asia by passing through the Hellespont Strait in the spring of 334 BC. First, he defeated Persian satraps, at the Battle on the Granicus River. With that he captured all of Asia Minor. One year later, in the Battle of Issus, he managed to defeat a Persian army led by the Persian king Darius III. The Persian Emperor had to flee to the center of his Empire to try to collect a new army. After that, Alexander captured Syria and Egypt. Alexander first had to destroy the Persian Navy that controlled the sea. The Persian Emperor did not aspire to regain his possessions quickly, but he adopted a new strategy; lure the enemy deep into his territory, wear them down and then finish the enemy. The Persian Emperor tried to propose a peace and divide the Empire, but he was declined.
What was the significance of the Battle of Gaugamela?
The outcome was influenced by a celestial omen that announced the imminent downfall of the Persian king Darius III Codomannus and the succession by Alexander the Great.
What did Mazaeus' horsemen set fire to?
All around them, Mazaeus' Babylonian horsemen set fire to the thatched roofs of houses, to sheaves of wheat, to crops and food stores: The entire area to the east of the Tigris was still smoking from recent fires, since Mazaeus had put the fields to the torch as if he himself were the invading enemy.
Who was the Macedonian commander who took up position on a hill between the Persian and Macedonian camps?
Mazaeus, who had taken up position on a hill between the Macedonian and Persian camps, could see that the enemy was not breaking camp that morning, in fact the Macedonians were starting to reinforce their position with a palisade. Alexander had never approached an enemy so circumspectly.
Did the enemy turn out on 27 or 28 September?
The enemy did not turn out on 27 or 28 September either. No doubt the soldiers made use of the time to sharpen their weapons and to exercise. On the evening of the twenty-ninth Mazaeus saw that the enemy army was on the move and he knew it was time to abandon the hill and join the Persian main force.
When did the Battle of Gaugamela begin?
The Battle of Gaugamela began on the morning of October 1, 331 bc , when two great armies drew up for battle to determine the destiny of empires. Three years before, an army of Macedonians and Greeks had crossed to Asia behind the young king of Macedonia, Alexander III, known better to history as Alexander the Great.
Where did Alexander the Great go after his sojourn?
Thousands more flocked to his banner for pay even while Alexander rested in Egypt. After his sojourn along the Nile, Alexander departed for Tyre in late spring of 331 bc. There he met with delegations from Athens, Chios, and Rhodes.
What river did the Macedonians march on?
The Macedonians then marched from Tyre for Thapsacus on the Euphrates River in July, when temperatures there average about 120° F in the daytime. A Persian cavalry force 3,000 strong under the command of one of his officers, Mazaeus, shadowed the Macedonian army. Darius surmised that the rich city of Babylon was Alexander’s objective and, accordingly, he directed Mazaeus to pursue a scorched-earth policy in hopes of weakening the Macedonians before they came to grips with the main Persian army.
How long did Darius escape Alexander's grasp?
In fact, Darius would escape Alexander’s grasp for 10 more months, only to fall into his hands after a shameful betrayal by Bessus. But for the present, Alexander had won a smashing victory. Gaugamela was decisive. With the defeat of Darius the whole of the Persian Empire lay open to Alexander.
Why did Alexander the Great tardy in waking?
John Keegan has suggested that Alexander’s tardiness in waking was meant as a theatrical gesture, to convince his men that he was certain of victory and so could afford some more sleep. If so, it was yet another example of Alexander’s appreciation of the usefulness of the grand gesture, the great example.
Who attacked the Persian right wing?
Reluctantly, Alexander let Darius make good his escape and attacked the Persian right wing in the flank. After some hard fighting the battle was won, and the Macedonians helped themselves to the rich spoils of the Persian camp. But the Issus was not a decisive battle.
Who was willing to stake everything on a battle with Darius for the “lordship of Asia”.?
This makes his decision to strike out even deeper into Asia all the more dramatic, showing that Alexander, even after securing the entire eastern Mediterranean for himself, was willing to stake everything he had on a battle with Darius for the “lordship of Asia.”.
The unknowns
And yet we know so very little about what actually happened that day. Robin Lane Fox – whose 1973 biography of Alexander is still the best – is honest about the many problems of reconstruction. The ancient accounts are few and mainly derivative. The contemporary chroniclers were court historians imbued with the Homeric ethic of Alexander’s retinue.
The strategic challenge
Though Alexander had faced and defeated Darius himself at Issus in 333 BC, he would have known that this was not the final battle. The Persian Great King had escaped the battlefield and could be assumed to have fled eastwards deep into his heartlands. To have followed him there immediately would have been exceptionally hazardous.
The tactical challenge
Darius’s army probably outnumbered Alexander’s by at least two-to-one, quite possibly more, and the Persian advantage in cavalry may have been at least four-to-one.
What happened?
Information about Alexander’s deployment of his troops, and the intention implicit in it, is more reliable than information about the action itself – for all the reasons explained above. Some oft-repeated statements about the action are quite ludicrous. I will give one example.
The crisis of the battle
The discipline and solidity of Alexander’s heavy formations was critical: the Foot Companions, the Hypaspists, and the Greek hoplites were especially adept at dogged defensive fighting, their formations effectively impenetrable as long as morale held. This remained true even with limited breaches in the Macedonian line.
Assessment
The story – the Homeric version concocted by Alexander’s courtiers – is that the Macedonian king would have run Darius down but for Philip’s old general Parmenion on the left, who made a desperate appeal for help.
Who won the Battle of Gaugamela?
The period that preceded the Battle of Gaugamela was filled with a steady onward progression of the forces of Alexander the Great. He delivered a crushing defeat to the Achaemenid ruler Darius III at the Battle of Issus in 333 BC - one of the defining victories of Alexander’s conquests.
What battle did Alexander the Great defeat?
Battle of Gaugamela: Alexander the Great Thrashes the Achaemenids. No name in world history rings more familiar than that of Alexander the Great. A man that managed extraordinary feats, conquering huge swaths of the world and placing his banner in many a kingdom and empire. His empire spanned from Greece to India - one of ...
What did Alexander see after the Immortals engaged that fierce forest of the phalanx?
After the Immortals engaged that fierce forest of the phalanx, Alexander saw what he wanted - Darius and his center exposed. In a daring maneuver - fit only for the most daring commanders - Alexander wheeled a large part of his cavalry from the right flank and attacked Darius’ exposed core.
How many casualties did the Achaemenids have?
The end result was decimating for the Achaemenids. The disparage between the casualties of the two factions was enormous. Achaemenids suffered an estimated 40,000 casualties and numerous captives, while the forces of Alexander had as little as 1,500 casualties. Greek hoplite and Persian warrior fighting each other.
What was Darius' next move?
Darius’ next move was to send his right flank, under the commander of Mazaeus, towards the left flank of Alexander’s army.
Who was Alexander the Great's adversary?
He truly was a commander ahead of his time. Top Image: ‘Battle of Alexander versus Darius’ (1644-1650) by Pietro da Cortona. Darius III was Alexander the Great’s adversary at the Battle of Gaugamela.
Was Alexander the Great defeated?
Still, Alexander was never defeated in battle - and is considered one of the most important military commanders to have ever lived. His victories are many and today we will focus on one of his most successful - the Battle of Gaugamela. This was Alexander the Great ’s decisive victory over the Achaemenid Empire and the victory gained him many riches ...
Where did Alexander the Great stop?
Alexander stopped at Thermopylae, where he was recognized as the leader of the Sacred League before heading south to Corinth. Athens sued for peace and Alexander received the envoy and pardoned anyone involved with the uprising. At Corinth, he was given the title ' Hegemon ' of the Greek forces against the Persians.
Where did the Battle of Issus take place?
After Alexander's forces defeated the Persians at the Battle of the Granicus, Darius took personal charge of his army, gathered a large army from the depths of the empire, and maneuvered to cut the Greek line of supply, requiring Alexander to countermarch his forces, setting the stage for the battle near the mouth of the Pinarus River and south of the village of Issus. Darius was apparently unaware that, by deciding to stage the battle on a river bank, he was minimizing the numerical advantage his army had over Alexander's.
What did Alexander the Great do after the Battle of Athens?
After the battle, Alexander buried the dead (Greeks and Persians), and sent the captured Greek mercenaries back to Greece to work in the mines, as an abject lesson for any Greek who decided to fight for the Persians. He sent some of the spoils back to Greece, including three hundred panoplies (complete Persian suits of armor) back to Athens to be dedicated in the Parthenon with the inscription "Alexander, son of Philip and the Greeks, Lacedaemonians ( Spartans) excepted, these spoils from the barbarians who dwell in Asia".
What states did Philip's death roused?
News of Philip's death roused many states into revolt, including Thebes, Athens, Thessaly, as well as the Thracian tribes to the north of Macedon. When news of the revolt reached Alexander, he took quick action.
What happened to Alexander the Great after he died?
However, Alexander's diadochi (being his rival generals, families, and friends) quietly abandoned these plans after he died. Instead, within a few years of Alexander's death, the diadochi began fighting with each other and divided up the Empire between themselves, triggering 40 years of warfare .
What were the names of Alexander the Great's wars?
Alexander's. Indian campaign. Cophen (327 BC) Aornos (326 BC) Hydaspes (326 BC) Mallian Campaign (326 BC) The wars of Alexander the Great were a series of wars, fought over a span of thirteen years (from 336-323 BC), that were carried out by King Alexander III of Macedon (his moniker being Alexander "The Great").
Who was Alexander the Great fighting?
Alexander fighting Persian king Darius III. From Alexander Mosaic of Pompeii, Naples, Naples National Archaeological Museum. The wars of Alexander the Great were a series of wars, fought over a span of thirteen years (from 336-323 BC), that were carried out by King Alexander III of Macedon (his moniker being Alexander "The Great").
Alexander Sets Up Camp
Battle Lines
- The battle itself began about mid-morning. The scene that confronted Alexander's army must have been awe-inspiring. The Persian line stretched across the plain, far outflanking the Macedonians. The Persian left flank was composed of cavalry - Bactrians, Scythians, and Arachotians, some of the finest mounted warriors in the Empire. Screening this force was more …
Opening Moves
- Initially, Alexander led his cavalry out to the right. Darius ordered his left-wing Bactrian and Scythiancavalry, under the command of his cousin Bessus, to keep pace with Alexander's outflanking movement. Furthermore, as the Macedonian line advanced, they were subjected to 'phalanx drift' - a phenomenon that occured as each man huddled instinctively behind his right-h…
Mid-Battle Maneuvres
- Darius now committed reserve Persian cavalry to contain Alexander's right, thus opening up a gap in his centre. Leaving behind his commander Aretas and some cavalry to deal with the Persian horsemen that still attempted to envelop the Macedonian right flank, Alexander wheeled his squadrons left, a complete about-turn that highlights the Macedonian's discipline and training. T…
Victory
- In all, Arrianstates that over 300,000 Persians were killed and more captured, with only 100 Macedonian dead. These figures are almost certainly grossly inflated. A more conservative estimate is 40,000 Persian dead, and Alexander himself claimed that his army suffered about 500 killed and 5,000 wounded. With widely fluctuating casualty lists, it is virtually impossible to deter…
Delay
Opening Game
Macedonian Detour, Persian Preparations
Crossing The Tigris
Evil Omens
The Macedonians Advance
Preparing For Battle
Night
The Battle of Gaugamela
Thanks