The Battle of Gaugamela had resulted in
the defeat of Darius’ second great army, but Alexander’s failure to capture or kill
Darius meant that the war was not over. The entirety of Persia’s Eastern provinces had
been left relatively untouched by the war and Darius would be able to gather enough
money and manpower to raise a third army and challenge Alexander again. In
order to complete his conquest, Alexander would need to push into the Persian
heartland and remove Darius once and for all. You might know Alexander
cared a lot about this image, and would have wished things could be as easy
as they are today with our sponsor Manscaped. They’re the world leader in
men’s grooming and hygiene, and thanks to them you can get everything
you need for head-to-toe grooming in the Performance Package Bundle, which includes the
star of the show: the Lawn Mower four point oh. That’s a waterproof, cordless
beard and body trimmer with super-close ceramic blades and Skinsafe technology for a perfect shave, and its 4000K LED
spotlight makes sure no spot gets missed. There’s also the Weed Whacker
Ear and Nose hair trimmer, Crop Preserver ball deodorant, Crop Reviver
ball toner, and disposable shaving mats. That’s not all though: Manscaped just added
Boxers 2.0, underwear that combines fashion and function with a choice of six
designs for the best boxers around. Its stitchless Jewel Pouch design makes it
ulta comfy and suitable for all body types. Get yourself geared up right now, or pick stuff up
as nice gifts for a man in your life, at Manscaped dot com slash kings and you’ll get twenty
percent off, plus free international shipping.
Following his defeat at Gaugamela, Darius withdrew
to Media, effectively abandoning two of Persia’s greatest cities, Babylon and Susa, as he knew that
Eastern Provinces could sustain the war effort. The main thing Darius needed was time and
he hoped that Alexander would be distracted by two of the wealthiest cities of the Empire
long enough for Darius to rebuild his forces. Alexander arrived at Babylon around October
23rd, 331BC. The city, which had rebelled against Persian rule numerous times in its history,
welcomed him with gifts. Babylon was one of the most impressive cities in the world and Alexander
treated his men to a well-deserved month-long rest during which they were reinforced by
men from Greece, Macedonia, and Thrace, including approximately 15,000 infantry
and 2,000 cavalry. While his men enjoyed the luxuries, wine, and women, Alexander
occupied himself with administration. Satraps were appointed, mainly Greeks and
Macedonians, but with one notable exception: the Persian satrap of Babylon, Mazaeus. Mazaeus
had commanded the Persian right at Gaugamela and was allowed to retain his position as satrap,
having surrendered Babylon without a fight. This, combined with Alexander’s partaking in Babylonian
religious ceremonies, made some of Alexander’s companions uneasy. Alexander had professed
to be invading Persia as revenge for the Persian attacks on the Greeks: appointing
Persians and taking part in Eastern rites seemed to fly in the face of that agenda. This
attempt to blend Eastern and Hellenic cultures would prove to be a consistent theme in
Alexander’s life from this point onwards. From Babylon, Alexander marched the 200 miles
to Susa in 20 days. Following Gaugamela, he had already sent men ahead to secure the
city's surrender, and once again the city was taken without a fight, Alexander also finding
almost 50,000 talents worth of gold and silver. Back in Greece, a Spartan-led revolt had
arisen, and Alexander was now able to send a large amount of money back to Macedonia to
help Antipater stay on top of the situation, as well making sure to pay his own troops
a generous bonus for their service so far. Alexander did not spend long in Susa,
though. Darius was still his priority and so, rather than wait out the winter in the
city, Alexander headed to the Zagros Mountains. The Zagros Mountains were in the territory of
the warlike Uxian tribe. The Persians had never been able to completely subdue the tribe, settling
for an agreement, where the Persians paid a fee to the Uxians if they needed to pass through their
lands, in return for which the Uxians would not bother the Persians. When Alexander approached,
the Uxians similarly demanded that he also pay the fee. Alexander seemed to agree to this, sending
messengers requesting a meeting in the defiles to pay the tax. Precisely what happened next is
not clear, and our sources differ drastically. According to Arrian, after sending
the messengers to the Uxians, Alexander was informed by men from
Susa about a pass around the defile and took a force of 1,000 hypaspists and another
8,000 infantry along this path. He fell upon some Uxian villages in the night, killing many and
forcing the remainders to flee into the mountains. Alexander then split his force, sending some
under Craterus to wait in ambush on high ground, while Alexander took his portion of the army
on a forced march to the defile, reaching it before the Uxians. From this commanding position,
Alexander was easily able to rout the Uxians, who tried to flee to the high ground but were
ambushed there by Craterus’ force and cut down. Quintus Curtius Rufus, however, gives a very
different account. He claims that Alexander sent a force of 2,500 light infantry under Tauron,
one of his lieutenants, to take the path around the Uxians position. Alexander, meanwhile, led the
main force in a difficult siege of an Uxian city. Siege towers were built, and the Uxians inflicted
many casualties from their strong defensive position. Alexander kept up the attacks, however,
until Tauron finally emerged behind the Uxians position, at which point they surrendered.
The two accounts have enough similarities that they are surely discussing the same battle,
but they seem almost impossible to reconcile. In general, Arrian’s history was better researched
and primarily used two eye-witness accounts. His work undoubtedly has flaws, often overlooking
some of the more negative actions of Alexander and assuming some of the biases
of the eye-witness sources, but he is generally the most reliable
when it comes to military affairs. In comparison, Rufus’ main source was Cleitarchus,
who was not an eyewitness, and was generally considered by the ancients to be an excellent
writer, but an inaccurate historian. Rufus did use other sources as well, but his work was often
more interested in the psychology of Alexander than the military details. As such, Arrian’s
version is generally the one that is preferred. Whichever version is favored though, the
outcome was the same. The Uxians sued for peace, sending messages to Darius’ mother to entreat on
their behalf. Alexander agreed, enforcing a yearly tribute of horses and livestock from the Uxians
and then pressing on into Persis, the heart of the Persian Empire. Before crossing the mountains into
Persis, Alexander split his army in two. Parmenion would take the less direct, but easier route,
leading the Thessalian cavalry, Greek allies and other mercenaries along with the baggage train.
Alexander, meanwhile, would lead the main phalanx, Companions, light cavalry, Agrarians, and
archers, approximately 14,000-20,000 men, on a forced march through the mountains, aiming
for the Persian ceremonial capital of Persepolis. Unbeknownst to Alexander, a Persian force
under the command of Ariobarzanes, a veteran of Gaugamela, had built a makeshift wall across the
narrow pass through the mountains, known as the Persian Gate, and was waiting for him. The exact
size of Ariobarzanes’ army is of some debate. Ancient sources give Ariobarzanes numbers as
being between 40,000 and 25,000 infantry with a few hundred cavalry, while some modern writers
give a number as low as 700 total. The number of 40,000 is likely exaggerated, as was the often
case with Greek sources giving Persian numbers, but the number of 700 is almost certainly too
low. In order to arrive at such a low number, one would have to almost completely
disregard the ancient sources entirely, and assume that the Persians fielded only
a fraction of their total military power to defend the capital. Leading experts on Alexander,
such as Heckel, Worthington, Borza and Lane Fox, tend to agree that the ancient sources
which claim 40,000 are too large, usually preferring the sources that give
their numbers as, at maximum, 25,000. Alexander’s force passed through the
narrow gorge, until they found their way blocked by the wall. Suddenly, Ariboarzanes men
attacked the Macedonian column from both sides, showering Alexander’s ranks with
a mix of missile fire and rocks. The Macedonians took severe casualties in this
initial ambush, with the terrain making it almost impossible for Alexander’s men to fight
effectively. As more of his men were killed or wounded, Alexander signaled a retreat. The narrow
pass made such a withdrawal difficult however, and his men were continuously harassed by
arrows and javelins from the Persians. Finally, though, Alexander’s force managed to extract
itself from the gorge and establish a camp. While encamped, Alexander had any Persian
prisoners that had recently been taken brought to him, and questioned about any other routes around
the Persian position. One of these prisoners had been a shepherd in the area and, in return for
a hefty reward, agreed to show Alexander a path around Arizobarnes defences. Taking the majority
of the army with himself, Alexander made for this path, leaving Craterus with approximately 3,000
infantry, 500 cavalry and archers in the camp and with orders to light extra fires at night to make
it appear as if the entire army was still there. Alexander’s force departed in the night. It was
still mid-winter, and the mountain cold and rough terrain made it a particularly difficult journey.
Part way through, Alexander came to a split in the mountain path; one of these led more directly
to Ariobarzanes position, the other circled even further behind, leading to the Persian camp.
Alexander ordered Philotas and 3,000 men to take the first, while he led the remaining force
along the second path around the Persian camp. After a day and two nights of grueling marching,
Alexander’s men were finally in position. After resting his men, Alexander began the
attack falling upon the Persian camp and blasting trumpets as he did so. At this signal,
the forces of Craterus and Philotas also attacked the Persians who now found themselves attacked on
three sides. Ariobarzanes' men fought back bravely and desperately, despite being almost completely
surrounded. It soon became clear, however, that the battle was lost, and Ariobarzanes, along
with 40 cavalry, were able to cut their way out of the encirclement and escape. The rest
of the Persian force was cut down to a man. It is not exactly clear how long Ariobarzanes
and his men had been able to delay Alexander, but some modern sources suggest it had been
almost a month. The amount of casualties the Macedonians took is also not given in the sources,
though it seems clear that they were significant. Though Ariobarzanes had fought
bravely, his fate is not clear. Arrian says he simply escaped into the hills,
while Rufus says that he fled to Persepolis but found the gates barred to him, and
was eventually killed by Alexander’s men. Despite the losses and delay, however, Alexander
had once again managed to salvage victory and the route to Persepolis now lay open to him. The
governor of Persepolis sent messages to Alexander and, with Ariobarzanes force having been
destroyed, offered to turn the city over to Alexander, an offer he gladly accepted. En route
to the city, a number of sources mention that Alexander’s army came across a group of Greeks
on the road, usually given as numbering 800, all of whom were old and mutilated. They
had all apparently been skilled craftsmen, captured by the Persians and mutilated in order
to prevent them from escaping. Moved to pity at the sight of them, Alexander made sure to
award land, riches, and grain to all of them, ensuring that they would live out their remaining
days in luxury. How true or not this story is, is hard to say. Alexander certainly was known as a
generous man who often gave lavish gifts, however, given the later actions of Alexander and his army
in Persepolis, it may be that these mutilated Greeks were an invention of pro-Alexander
sources to justify the subsequent events. Upon entering Persepolis, sometime in January
of 330BC, Alexander claimed the Persian massive Persian treasury of 120,000 talents,
sending the majority back to Susa. Persepolis was one of the richest and most
brilliant cities in the world at the time, and many of Alexander’s men took to looting the
city. Whether this was on Alexander’s orders, and the extent of the looting, is debated.
Arrian is silent on the issue, but Diodorus and Rufus paint a grim picture. According to them,
looting was ordered by Alexander specifically, and the Macedonians proceeded to kill many
civilians, with some Persians preferring to kill themselves instead. The Macedonians
spent an entire day looting houses and palaces, and even fought and killed one another in
order to get the most, and best riches. Alexander himself celebrated his winning
of the city by banqueting and drinking in the palaces of the Persian kings with his
Companions and courtesans. Diodorus, Plutarch, and Rufus all claim that during this drinking
session, an Athenian courtesan, called Thais, proposed that they should burn the Persian palaces
down, pointing out how ironic it would be for an Athenian woman to be burning the Persian capital
after they had burned Athens 150 years earlier. The drunk Macedonians welcomed the suggestion
and led by either Thais or inebriated Alexander himself, burned the renowned palaces of
Persepolis. A slightly different account is given by Arrian, who does not mention Thais
or Alexander being drunk, instead saying that Alexander burnt the palaces as a calculated
act of revenge for the burning of Athens. It is possible that Thais was simply being used
as a scapegoat to try and exonerate Alexander, whose destruction of Thebes had already shown
that he certainly had the capacity to destroy great cities to make a political statement. What
is clear from all the sources, however, is that none of them approved of this decision. Arrian
says that it was, in essence, simply a foolish decision by Alexander, particularly because he was
effectively burning what was now his own property. Plutarch includes a hasty apologia that Alexander
regretted his decision and ordered the fires to be put out. Diodorus says that it was done
by Alexander in a “drunken madness”. Rufus’ account is perhaps the most poignant: “Such was
the end of the capital of the entire Orient, from which so many nations once sought
jurisdiction, the birthplace of so many kings, once the special terror of Greece…and not even
in the long age which followed its destruction did it rise again”. Rufus was exaggerating
somewhat, much of the city remained standing, the fire being concentrated on the
palaces and surrounding buildings, but it nonetheless gives us an insight into
how ancient authors viewed the episode. Alexander spent approximately four months in
and around Persepolis, at some point during this time making a 30-day excursion to Pasargadae,
the old Persian capital. Sometime around May, the Macedonian king continued his pursuit
of Darius, heading into Media. Darius, who had been in Ecbatana, heard of Alexander’s
movements. Though Darius had been planning to amass a third great army to fight Alexander, he
had thus far been unsuccessful and so, with a few thousand men, he fled Ecbatana, hoping to retreat
further into the Eastern provinces of the Empire. Alexander, in turn, sent Parmenion and the
slow-moving baggage train, loaded with money, to seize the now abandoned Ecbatana, while he led
approximately 20,000 men in pursuit of Darius. His plan, initially, was to catch Darius
before he could pass through the Caspian Gates, the passes in the Alborz Mountains that
led from Media to Parthia and Hyrcania. Alexander led his men on a grueling 10 day
forced march through the difficult terrain, enduring their dehydration and suffering
alongside them. Despite their efforts though, upon reaching the gates they discovered that
Darius had already passed through them. Alexander allowed his men a few days of rest, before pushing
on again through the Gates towards Parthia. The speed of Alexander’s march was
having an effect though. In Darius’ camp, more and more of his remaining generals
and advisors were losing faith in him. Led primarily by Bessus, the satrap of Bactria,
a conspiracy formed against the Great King. Some in the army remained loyal, notably the
remaining Greek mercenaries, commanded by a man named Patron, and Artabazos. Nevertheless, the
cracks were clear; Bessus’ faction even suggested to Darius that he make Bessus king instead, on
the understanding that Bessus would return the kingship after defeating Alexander, an
offer Darius, understandably, refused. Patron tried to convince Darius to accept
his Greek mercenaries as his bodyguards, but Darius refused not wanting to seem like he
was favouring the Greeks. Eventually, Darius accepted his fate. He dismissed his servants and
inner circle, assuring them that he would “prefer to die by another’s crime rather than my own”.
He then waited in his tent, and was promptly seized by Bessus and his allies and put in chains.
Bessus, a part of the Achaemenid dynasty himself, proclaimed himself King, taking the name
Artaxerxes V. The Greek mercenaries and others who had been loyal to Darius, dispersed, the
remaining troops continuing under Bessus’ command. Word of Darius' capture soon reached Alexander
late one night through deserters. Alexander immediately picked 500 of his best cavalry and
set off in pursuit. They rode at breakneck pace for a day and two nights, and by dawn of the
second day, they had closed in on Bessus’ party. Bessus’ force, having been on a continuous
march and depleted by numerous desertions, was in no position to fight, and many
fled seeing Alexander closing in, Bessus and his Bactrians among
them. Before he fled however, Bessus made sure that Darius would not be able
to concede the crown to Alexander, ordering him to be killed. A small skirmish was fought between
Alexander and the few Persians that had not fled, and a search for Darius began. He was soon found
by one of Alexander’s Companions, Polystratus. The Great King had been stabbed by
javelins and was on the brink of death. He asked for water, and after drinking thanked
Polystratus and, according to some sources, asked that Alexander be thanked for treating his family
with kindness. By the time that Alexander arrived on the scene, Darius had died. Alexander ordered
that his body be transported back to Persepolis, where he received a magnificent funeral and
was buried alongside the other Persian kings. Darius III is often seen by many as having been
an incompetent coward. This is thanks largely to a passage of Arrian who calls him “pre-eminently
effeminate” in military matters, a view that, for a while, was largely agreed upon even in
academic scholarship. More recently though, this idea has been challenged, notably by Badian
and Marsden. In terms of his personal bravery, Justin and Diodorus both agree that
Darius was renowned for his courage, having in his youth killed a Cadusian champion
in single combat. Indeed, it was partly because of his bravery that he was chosen to be King. The
fact that at both Issus and Gaugamela, Darius took to the field personally is a further testament to
his courage. Though he retreated in each battle, the sources are clear that Darius only fled
when things were looking disastrous. At Issus, for instance, the horses pulling his chariot
had both been badly wounded, almost leaving him stranded, and at Gaugamela, his chariot
driver was killed and himself possibly wounded. In terms of military matters, while there is
no need to portray Darius as a military genius, he was not utterly incompetent. Darius was forced
to take to the field after the death of Memnon of Rhodes, and in just a few months had amassed a
significant army to confront Alexander at Issus; no small feat of logistics. Issus was a poor
choice of battlefield, not allowing the renowned Persian cavalry room to maneuver, but Darius
learned from the mistake and picked an excellent location for his next battle at Gaugamela. Prior
to the battle, he also made sure to drill his troops extensively to increase their discipline.
On both occasions, he was outmatched by Alexander. However, being defeated by one of history’s
greatest tacticians is no source of shame. It is also worth pointing out that, at Gaugamela
in particular, the Persians were able to force a gap in the Macedonian line and almost crush the
Macedonian left. The battle was only won because of Alexander’s audacious generalship, and Darius
may well have been victorious against a lesser opponent. Darius’ fleeing from both battles is
often held as evidence of his cowardice. However, it is worth pointing out that on both occasions
retreating was, probably, the best strategic decision. If Darius had died or been captured at
Issus, for example, it is likely that Alexander would have been easily able to proclaim himself
as the King of Persia there and then. Darius’ survival from both battles was crucial for there
to be any kind of organized Persian resistance to the invaders. As a result, it is perhaps better
to treat Darius as Alexander did: with respect. Many in Alexander’s army assumed
that the campaign would soon be over. Years ago, Philip II had first pitched the
invasion of Persia to the League of Corinth largely as an act of revenge. Alexander
had also espoused this same message. With the death of the Persian king
and the sacking of Persepolis, it seemed that those goals had been achieved.
However, Alexander was not ready to settle. Bessus’ murder of Darius gave Alexander sufficient
cause to continue the war, insisting that the pretender must be killed or else risk another
Persian invasion of Greece. Such a situation was almost certainly unrealistic but, as we shall
see in the coming episodes, Alexander’s ambition would soon stretch even beyond the borders of the
Persian Empire. If you don’t want to miss any of these episodes, make sure you are subscribed
and have pressed the bell button to see them. Please, consider liking, commenting, and sharing -
it helps immensely. Our videos would be impossible without our kind patrons and youtube channel
members, whose ranks you can join via the links in the description to know our schedule, get
early access to our videos, access our discord, and much more. This is the Kings and Generals
channel, and we will catch you on the next one.
I have an idea to make a cover of Sunn0)))'s "My Wall" and replace the lyrics with references to the history and ancient cultures spanning from Greek to Persian Empires and all between 1000BC to 600AD.
It'd be hilarious to publish yet informative for unknowing listeners.