Some historians believe this idea cost the Persians the battle. Memnon, a high-ranking Greek mercenary loyal to Darius, suggested applying a burned-earth policy - to destroy crops, farms, and villages - depriving Alexander of any possible provisions. Fought in northwestern Asia Minor, near the site of Troy, it was here that Alexander defeated the forces of the Persian satraps of Asia Minor, including a large force of Greek mercenaries led by Memnon of Rhodes. Upon arriving on the opposite bank of the river, the fight turned to a hand-to-hand confrontation. The Battle of the Granicus River in May 334 BC was the first of three major battles fought between Alexander the Great and the Persian Empire. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. In addition, the one weapon unique to the Persians, the scythed chariot, was almost useless on the muddy riverbank. They were intent upon attacking the Macedonians in the water where the footing was slippery and difficult. According to adjusted modern accounts, the Persians lost 10-20 percent of their forces and two-thirds of their commanders. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Please move this article to Battle of the Granicus River, if you could.--Ariobarza 13:29, 1 March 2008 (UTC)Ariobarza talk Oppose This (or rather Battle of the Granicus, where the article actually is) is the usual English name, and the only meaning of Granicus; the proposed title is as redundant and unnatural as Battle of the Marne River. A map showing the locations of battles in ancient Greece. The statues were eventually set up in Dium, a city in Macedon at the foot of Mount Ol… Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. 60 - 90 feet wide. At the Battle of Issus in 333 B.C. In the early years of Alexander’s career as ruler of Macedonia and leader of the army, his determination for conquest was shared by his men. The Persians responded with a hail of arrows and javelins. After Granicus there was little resistance against Alexander and his forces. The Greek mercenary commander’s strategy had been sound. His army consisted chiefly of Macedonians, but with some allied Greeks. Alexander's victory at Granicus shattered the myth of Persian invincibility and launched the persona of Alexander as one of history's great commanders. Alexander defeated the forces of the Persian satraps of Asia Minor. Plutarch spoke of this encounter saying: The mercenary Greeks, who, making a stand upon a rising ground, desired quarter, which Alexander, guided rather by passion than judgment refused to grant, and charging them himself first, had his horse (not Bucephalus) killed under him. With the loss of a number of their leaders, the Persians became disorganized and, with morale destroyed, retreated. Although advised by Greek mercenary Memnon of Rhodes to fall back and starve Alexander into retreat, the Persian commander Arsames decided to confront the invaders on the Granicus River, east of the Dardanelles. After receiving word from his scouts of the Persians' location at Granicus, Alexander advanced towards the river; he had come to realize that he must defeat the Persians to gain the necessary resources to continue on his quest of conquering Persia. Losses: Macedonian, 400 dead and 2,000 wounded of 40,000; Persian, 5,000 dead and 2,000 captured of 50,000. Corrections? Written by Donald L. Wasson, published on 20 December 2011 under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Alexander became the aggressor sending, from the center, Companion cavalry, lancers and light troops across the river first. Diodorus describes a north-south battle, over open ground, that commenced in the morning after Alexander had crossed the Granicus. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Ancient History Encyclopedia, 20 Dec 2011. The best account in the ancient sources, which include Diodorus Siculus (1st century bc) and Plutarch’s Life of Alexander (2nd century ad), is that of Arrian’s Anabasis (2nd century ad), which draws directly from contemporary accounts. Warfare is generally understood to be the controlled and systematic... Battle of the Granicus by Charles Le Brun, 1665 CE Throughout the battle, however, the Greek mercenary infantry remained in its position and did not move. In addition, the one weapon unique to the Persians, the scythed chariot, was almost useless on the muddy riverbank. Last modified December 20, 2011. For a brief moment, both armies stood across from each other in silence. Web. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. After a tough struggle, Alexander’s heavy cavalry broke through the Persian army, the Macedonian phalanx followed through the gap, and the Persians fled. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2021) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Battle of the Granicus: Amazon.es: Miller, Frederic P., Vandome, Agnes F., McBrewster, John: Libros en idiomas extranjeros His companions rescued him, and the rest of the Macedonian forces succeeded in joining the fight. The Battle of the Granicus River in May 334 BC was the first of three major battles fought between Alexander the Great and the Persian Empire. 15 Jan 2021. And so in May 334 BC the Persian and Macedonian armies faced each other on opposite sides of the Granicus River. The spoils of war - gold and rich cloth - were sent home to Alexander’s mother Olympias. Map of the Battle of the Granicusby US Military Academy (Public Domain). The Battle of the Granicus River in May 334 BC was the first of three major battles fought between Alexander the Great and the Persian Empire. The Persian plan to tempt Alexander across the river and kill him in the melee almost succeeded; but the Persian line broke, and Alexander’s victory was complete. Was this a tactical error or pure arrogance? The Persian army consisted predominantly of cavalry but it also had a substantial number of Greek mercenary infantry. Sources concerning Alexander are varied - 25-30 Companions - possibly 120 in total. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. 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. It allowed Alexander to replenish his empty supply stores and encouraged some key Greek states to rebel against the Persians. Upon stabilizing rebellious conditions among the various Greek city-states, he crossed the Hellespont and travelled along the northern coast of Anatolia (present-day Turkey) avoiding the mountain ranges of the northern uplands to the site of ancient Troy. Some historians believe this idea cost the Persians the battle. 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. Although numbers vary among the various ancient sources, modern accounts number the Persians at 10,000 cavalry and 5,000 Greek mercenary infantry. Besides, the newly appointed king was more concerned with possible rebellion and unrest among the local satraps. A map showing the route that Alexander the Great took to conquer... A map showing the Battle of the Granicus River, May 334 BCE. In total it numbered nearly 40,000 men according to the Greek historian Arrian, slightly larger than Alexander’s 37,000-strong force. Half died in battle; the rest were sent as chained slaves to work in Macedonian mines. Although causing considerable damage to the attacking center, the Persian weaponry did not match well against the Macedonians – light javelins versus 15-foot lances. However, the battle very nearly cost Alexander his life. They, of course, considered Persian warfare superior to the tactics of invading Greeks. 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. The Persian cavalry could neither move forward because of the river banks nor pull back because of the location of the infantry. Omissions? Of the 5,000 Greek mercenaries only 2,000 survived, and they were sent to Macedon to work the mines; the rest were slaughtered. Alexander’s experienced second-in-command Parmenion advocated attacking the next day, but his impetuous commander overrode him and decided … The victory left Asia Minor wide open to the Macedonian invasion. 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. The Ancient History Encyclopedia logo is a registered EU trademark. Was this a tactical error … Together with the lack of true leadership - besides Memnon - the battle was lost before it was begun. Fought in Northwestern Asia Minor, near the site of Troy, it was here that Alexander defeated the forces of the Persian satraps of Asia Minor, including a large force of Greek mercenaries led by Memnon of Rhodes. fight for him without question. Back home, statues honoring the 25 fallen Companions were erected at the sanctuary of Zeus at Dium near Mount Olympus. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Alexander’s forces numbered 13,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. Wasson, D. L. (2011, December 20). Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. 2) The river bed was uneven, meaning the water was deep in places and hard to cross. Little of him was known to the Persians and King Darius felt little or no inclination to meet him, believing, instead, his trusted commander, Memnon, and the local governors (or satraps) could handle the young upstart. 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. 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