ALEXANDER THE GREAT The Battle on the Granicus May 334 BC

Arrian Whilst Alexander was in Troy the Persian satraps (governors) of Asia Minor assembled at Zeleia for a war council.

Memnon’s advice at Zeleia 2 reasons why he warned against engaging the Maceodonians Why the other satraps rejected Memnon’s advice

Persians assembled for battle on the Granicus Steep banks (sheer in places) with uneven river bed (deep in places)

Amyntas’ troops suffered heavy losses from the Persian archers perched on the tops of the steep muddy bank on the opposite side They also met Memnon and his sons leading his cavalry at that part of the river. Some of Amyntas’ brigades were forced to retreat and rejoin the second wave

Persian War Council at Zeleia Memnon’s advice Do not engage Alexander!  Macedonian army is bigger  Alexander is present, whilst Darius is not  Withdraw into Phrygia with scorched earth policy to force Alexander to leave Asia for provisions Arsites: the satrap of Phrygia whose province Memnon intended to burn rejected his advice and won the support of the others. They distrusted this Greek mercenary Suspected Memnon was afraid of loosing his newly won position so soon

Memnon of Rhodes: a Greek mercenary commander who married Barsine the daughter of Artabazus (satrap of Phrygia) had been put in charge of defending Hellaspontine Phrygia by Darius. All the Persian satraps of Asia Minor – all relatives or friends of Darius including Spithridates (Lydia), Mithridates (Darius’ son-in-law) and Arsites (Phyrgia)

On the Macedonian side Alexander took command of the right wing led by the Companion cavalry, whilst Parmenio leading the Thessalian cavalry commanded the left. His phalanxes were at his centre; each squadron under the command of one of his trusted friends such as Perdiccas, Coenus and Craterus Having ignored Memnon the satraps positioned their cavalries on the banks whilst Memnon’s mercenaries took the backseat in the battle behind the ridge above the bank; although Memnon and his sons fought in the cavalry.

Advanced scouts and skirmishers were lightly armed flexible troops (both foot and horse) that would have been sent in front of the main cavalry to harass the enemy before the cavalry charge.

Next Alexander himself led the Companion cavalry on a charge across the river. He rode at an oblique angle against the pull of the current. Arrian gives two reasons for this Reason 1: to guard against an outflanking manoeuvre where the Persians would try to get behind Alexander by going around him. Reason 2: to present as wide a front as he could so that those following him didn’t have as far to ride. They could emerge from the river in force instead of one by one.

Plutarch & Arrian agree That Alexander was conspicuous at Granicus because of his armour and thickly plumed helmet. Arrian also tells us that the Persian left wing was more concentrated than the right because it faced Alexander In Plutarch’s opinion Alexander was reckless to lead the cavalry charge himself.

Again, the steep and muddy bank gave the Persians the advantage

According to Arrian The Macedonians gradually gained a foothold on the Persian bank Because of Their experience Their sheer numbers And the reach of their “long cornel-wood spears (sarissas) over the light lances of the Persians.”

Two things happened next Alexander began to force a way through the Persian lines. It was man against man and horse against horse; “a cavalry battle fought with infantry tactics” but at the same whilst the Persian gaze was trained on Alexander and his right wing Parmenio and the Macedonian centre was also beginning to ford the river.

Alexander now rode to run down the Persian nobles like Mithridates (Darius’ son-in- law), Spithridates (satrap of Lydia) and Rhoesaces (satrap of Ionia); although Plutarch says they charged him. Cleitus saved his life in this encounter... Meanwhile the infantry had mixed with the cavalry and outnumbered and outclassed the Persian cavalry was pushed back up the ridge away from the river.

The Persian cavalry thus broken were put to rout (they fled) but Alexander checked the pursuit so that only 1000 horse fell and turned his attention to the Ionian mercenaries.

Arrian says that these mercenaries were still in rank not out of courage but simply because they hadn’t had time to react because of the speed with which the rout occurred. Plutarch says that they tried to surrender but that Alexander seized by the fury of battle ordered them to be surrounded and massacred. He also adds that Alexander lost more men in this part of the battle than in the rest of it presumably because these men were now fighting for their lives and they were more experienced than the Persians.

Afterwards For the 25 Companion cavalrymen that died Alexander commissioned Lysippus to make bronze statues that would be set up at the shrine of Dium in Macedonia under Mt. Olympus. About 90 other Macedonians also died and he gave orders that they should be buried with their arms and that their families be exempted from paying taxes in the future. He visited the wounded and listened to the war stories of each man He also allowed the Persians and the Greek mercenaries to collect their dead but he sent the captured mercenaries back to hard labour in Macedonia for betraying Greece and the League of Corinth. He send 300 suits of Persian armour back to Athens dedicated to Athena with an inscription that names him as the son of Philip and the Greeks but not the Spartans He appointed Calas (the commander of the Thessalian cavalry ) to the satrapy of Phrygia formerly held by Arsites (whom Plutarch says committed suicide after the defeat) with orders not to change the taxes or the laws. The people of Zeleia were pardoned as were all the natives in the area Since the Persian garrison that held Dascylium had fled, Parmenio was sent to seize the city.