Articles such as this one were acquired and published with the primary aim of expanding the information on Britannica.com with greater speed and efficiency than has traditionally been possible. In November of 333 BCE, Alexander and Darius would face each other at Issus. Battle Granicus-en.svg; Autor: Battle Granicus-en.svg: Andrei Nacu, from the English Wiki; derivative work: Gizmo II ¿Eu? Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Alexander had lined his forces on the western banks of the river; Parmenion commanded the left while Alexander (with his eight bodyguards), his Companion cavalry forces, and light troops stationed themselves on the far right. Wasson, Donald L. "Battle of the Granicus." Arrian wrote: He himself led the right wing with sounding of trumpets, and the men raising the war-cry to Enyallus. The victory left Asia Minor wide open to the Macedonian invasion. Thank you! He saved Alexander's life at the Battle of the Granicus in 334 BC and was killed by him in a drunken quarrel six years later. In addition, the one weapon unique to the Persians, the scythed chariot, was almost useless on the muddy riverbank. Spithridates, another Persian commander, raised his own weapon to attack Alexander, but Cleitus the Black attacked him first, severing Spithridates’s arm, saving Alexander’s life. In addition, the one weapon unique to the Persians, the scythed chariot, was almost useless on the muddy riverbank. Warfare is generally understood to be the controlled and systematic... Battle of the Granicus by Charles Le Brun, 1665 CE THE BATTLE OF THE GRANICUS RIVER 75 dawn battle sub luce was padded out with details from Arrian's (or his source's) account; but at least the Itinerarium did not transfer those details to a different battle-scene. 1) It had steep (and in some places sheer) banks making it hard to climb. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University and Michigan State University and University of Missouri. To honor all who had died in battle, Alexander buried both Greek and Persians alike (although the Persians normally burned their dead). We must get used to these figures as he does not provide any more ahead of his account of the Battle of the Granicus, which begins in chapter 16. xvii 11.3, 12.1–2). After the death of his father Phillip II of Macedon (r. 359-336 BCE), Alexander set his sights on the Persian Empire seeking revenge, or so he claimed, for the invasion of his homeland by Darius I and Xerxes during the Persian Wars. The local satraps rejected the idea in part because Memnon was Greek but also because they did not want their lands destroyed. fight for him without question. Alexander attacked, slashing Mithridates across the face. Alexander gambled that winning an early victory would allow him to gather supplies for his troops from conquered territory as the harvest ripened. His goal was simple: to defeat Darius III (r. 336-330 BCE) and conquer the vast Persian Empire. In total it numbered nearly 40,000 men according to the Greek historian Arrian, slightly larger than Alexander’s 37,000-strong force. Some historians believe this idea cost the Persians the battle. Last modified December 20, 2011. Cite This Work And so in May 334 BC the Persian and Macedonian armies faced each other on opposite sides of the Granicus River. In The Life of Alexander the Great historian Plutarch discussed Alexander’s trip to Troy where he honored Homer’s hero Achilles. The Persian cavalry could neither move forward because of the river banks nor pull back because of the location of the infantry. However, the battle very nearly cost Alexander his life. Please support Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation. Alexander had crossed the Hellespont with his combined Macedonian and Greek forces and stepped upon the shores of Anatolia. According to Arrian and other sources, Alexander made himself extremely conspicuous both by the “brightness of his arms” and the “respectful countenance of his staff.” He was also quite noticeable by the large white plume on his helmet. Rhoesaces, a Persian satrap commander, noticed the attack upon Mithridates and raised his sword at Alexander, slicing off part of his plume and cracking his helmet. As he was expanding eastward, Alexander would have three major battles with the Persians, and the first was at the crossing of the Granicus River in 334 BC. By Alexanders order, all who had fallen in the Battle of the Granicus, including the Persian leaders and Greek mercenaries, were buried with military honors. For a brief moment, both armies stood across from each other in silence. Alexander led a charge of his elite Companion cavalry across the steep-sided stream, but the Persian cavalry launched a countercharge, and Alexander was surrounded and disarmed. Updates? Alexander quickly ran him through. A map showing the Empire of Alexander the Great, his conquests... Alexander the Great: Journey to the End of the Earth, Alexander the Great at War: His army - His battles - His Enemies, Granicus 334 BC: Alexander’s First Persian Victory, Alexander the Great at the Battle of Granicus: A Campaign in Context, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. While Alexander and his men were at Troy, the Persians held a council of local satraps to discuss the arrival of the young Macedonian and possible strategies to defend against him. Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. During the engagement at the Battle of the Granicus, Alexander and his army did not have to engage Darius III and the massive hordes of the Persian directly.At the time Alexander was not seen as a threat and it was thought in Persia his invasion was going to be short lived. His companions rescued him, and the rest of the Macedonian forces succeeded in joining the fight. At the Granicus, as has been noted, Alexander, in Arrian’s account, had to fight his way across the river, but in the account of Diodorus, the battle is fought on the other side of the river. Alexander’s forces numbered 13,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. Fought in Asia Minor, Granicus was the first major victory of Alexander over the Persians. Wasson, D. L. (2011, December 20). Alexander the Great in Combatby Warner Brothers (Copyright, fair use). Some historians believe this idea cost the Persians the battle. At the Battle of the Granicus River in 334 B.C. Battle of the Granicus. 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