The Battle of Gaugamela

In 333 BC, Alexander the Great of Macedonia achieved a decisive victory over the Persian army at the Battle of Issus. Over the next two years, he traversed the eastern Mediterranean and Egypt, incorporating these territories into his empire. He then advanced towards the Persian capital. During this time, King Darius of Persia gathered troops from across the empire. Eventually, the armies of both sides met on the plains of Gaugamela.

 

 

1. The Size of the Armies
The Macedonian army consisted of 47,000 men, including 31,000 infantry, which were divided into 12,000 spearmen, 3,000 shield-bearers, and 7,000 Greek allies and 9,000 Greek mercenaries. There were also 9,000 light infantry, 5,000 heavy cavalry, and 2,000 light cavalry. In contrast, the Persian army included about 8,000 Greek mercenaries, 10,000 Immortals, 3,000 archers, 40,000 cavalry, 200 scythed chariots, 15 war elephants, and hundreds of thousands of conscripted peasant soldiers.

 

2. The Deployment of the Armies
The Persian army placed the Immortals, Greek mercenaries, archers, and cavalry in the center, with cavalry on both wings in long lines. The rear was made up of conscripted peasants, while the front line was occupied by the chariot units. The Persian strategy was to break the Macedonian lines with the charge of the chariots, then encircle the enemy with the cavalry on both wings, while the mass of peasant soldiers would charge and overwhelm the Macedonians. On the other hand, the Macedonian army placed heavy infantry in the center, with cavalry on both wings. To compensate for the smaller cavalry force, Alexander planned to pin the Persian cavalry on both wings while personally leading a charge into the heart of the Persian lines to strike at Darius. Additionally, he deployed his phalanx in a double line, advancing in a diagonal formation.

 

3. The Early Stages of the Battle
As the Macedonian army advanced, the Persian chariots were sent out, but they were quickly neutralized. Due to their design, the chariots were difficult to turn and could only move forward in a straight line. The Macedonians created gaps in their lines, allowing the chariots to pass through harmlessly, after which they were effectively removed from the battle. Meanwhile, the Persian cavalry on the left and right wings launched their charge, but the Macedonian phalanx continued to advance. Despite the Persian Greek mercenaries and Immortals attempting to hold the line and the Persian archers firing at them, the Macedonian center made steady progress. However, the Macedonian left flank became vulnerable as the advancing center weakened the connection to the right, leaving an opening for the Persian cavalry to exploit. At the same time, the Macedonian left flank was already engaged in battle with the Persian right. The Persian cavalry attempted to flank and attack the Macedonian rear, but the reserve force in the rear moved to counter this threat, preventing a potential collapse. The veteran general Parmenion, in command of the left flank, fearing the collapse of his position, sent a messenger to Alexander for assistance.

 

4. The King of Kings in Peril
Meanwhile, Alexander, leading the cavalry himself, was being pursued by the Persian general Bessus and his cavalry. However, Bessus and his forces failed to catch up with Alexander and soon found themselves embroiled in the fighting between the Persian cavalry and the Macedonian right wing. At this point, the Macedonian center was fiercely attacking the Persian center, and the Persian left wing cavalry was also pressing against the Macedonian right. Nothing now stood between Alexander and Darius. Though the Persian rear was filled with hundreds of thousands of conscripted peasants, they remained passive spectators, and the "great" King of Kings was in peril.

 

5. The Escape of the King of Kings
Alexander, leading the cavalry and supported by all available cavalry forces, charged directly towards Darius. The Persian left-wing cavalry tried to intervene but were hindered by Macedonian light infantry in the rear. When Darius saw that Alexander was nearly upon him, he was greatly startled and began to flee. As the great King of Kings fled, the peasants in the rear, who had been passively watching, also began to panic and retreat. With the Persian center in full retreat, the cavalry on the Persian left also began to fall back. Alexander, riding the momentum of his victory, attempted to pursue Darius, but at that moment, a messenger from Parmenion arrived, requesting assistance for the left flank. Alexander faced a difficult decision, torn between pursuing Darius and protecting his left flank. Ultimately, he chose to save his army and rushed to assist the left.

 

6. The Outcome of the Battle
The Battle of Gaugamela was a dramatic victory for the Macedonians, one of Alexander’s brightest military achievements alongside his victory at Issus. Despite being outnumbered, the Macedonian victory was due to the brilliance and courage of Alexander. Without his military genius and daring leadership, the victory would not have been possible. Following the battle, Alexander conquered Persia. Darius, having lost both his throne and the support of his nobility and people, fled but was eventually assassinated by his own men.