Battle of the Granicus
Part of the Wars of Alexander the Great
The Battle of the Granicus
Date: May, 334 BC Location: At modern Biga Cay Result: Macedonian victory Casus belli: {{{casus}}} Territory changes: {{{territory}}}
Combatants
Macedon Greek allies	Persia Greek mercenaries
Commanders
Alexander the Great	Spithridates, Mithridates, Memnon of Rhodes, other
Strength
5,000 cavalry 26,000 infantry	15,000 cavalry 12,000 Persian infantry 4-5,000 Greek mercenaries
Casualties
Between 100-200	4,000 killed 2,000 captured
{{{notes}}}

The Battle of the Granicus River in May, 334 BC was the first major victory of Alexander the Great against the Persian Empire. Fought in Northwestern Asia Minor, near the site of Troy, Alexander here defeated the forces of the Persian satraps of Asia Minor, including a large force of Greek mercenaries. Bust of Alexander the Great in the British Museum. ... Image File history File links A diagram of the Battle of the River Granicus. ... Events Alexander the Great crosses the Bosporus, invading Persia. ... Casus belli is a Latin expression from the international law theory of Jus ad bellum. ... The Vergina Sun, a symbol associated with the Macedonian kingdom Macedon or Macedonia (from Greek ; see also List of traditional Greek place names) was the name of an ancient kingdom located in the northern-most part of ancient Greece, bordering the kingdom of Epirus on the west and the region... The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... Alexander the Great fighting Persian king Darius (not in frame) (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... Alexander the Great fighting Persian king Darius (not in frame) (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... The monument with the lion head for Thebans who died in Battle of Chaeronea The Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC), fought near Chaeronea, in Boeotia, was the greatest victory of Philip II of Macedon. ... In the Battle of Issus in 333 BC Alexander the Great of Macedonia defeated Darius III of Persia. ... In 332 BC, Alexander the Great set out to conquer Tyre, a strategic coastal base in the war between the Greeks and the Persians. ... Combatants Macedon Persia Commanders Alexander the Great Darius III Strength 7,250 cavalry 40,000 infantry probably around 245,000 200,000 Persian infantry, 44,000 cavalry 200 scythed chariots war elephants Casualties At least 1,200 killed and wounded About 53,000 killed and wounded In the Battle of... Combatants Macedon Hydaspes (Indian kingdom) Commanders Alexander the Great Porus Strength 4,000 cavalry 50,000 infantry 6,000 cavalry 30,000 infantry 200 war elephants Casualties Many infantry (900-4000 dead) Few cavalry All cavalry Many infantry 100 war elephants {{{notes}}} The Battle of the Hydaspes River was a... Events Alexander the Great crosses the Bosporus, invading Persia. ... Alexander the Great fighting Persian king Darius (not in frame) (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... Walls of the excavated city of Troy (Turkey) Troy (Greek Τροία Troia also Ἰλιον; Latin: Troia, Ilium) is a legendary city, scene of the Trojan War, part of which is described in Homers Iliad, an epic poem in Ancient Greek, composed in the 8th or 7th century BC, but containing older...

Combatants

• Macedonians and their Greek Allies, led by Alexander. With about 5,000 cavalry and 26,000 infantry.
• Persians under a "committee" of satraps with some 12,000 Persian infantry, 4,000–5,000 Greek mercenaries and 15,000 Persian cavalry.

The numbers involved vary according to different accounts, with the Macedonians numbering anywhere between 18,000 to 43,000 and the Persians numbering between 23,000 and 50,000. Cavalry is also a common misspelling of the Biblical hill Calvary. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme, First World War. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Location

The battle took place on the road from Abydos to Dascylium (near modern day Ergili, Turkey), at the crossing of the Granicus River (modern day Biga Cay). Abydos, an ancient city of Mysia, in Asia Minor, situated at Nagara Point on the Hellespont, which is here scarcely a mile broad. ...

Prelude

Alexander set out into Asia in 334 BC after he finished consolidating his Greek and Macedonian positions after the death of his father Philip II of Macedon. Events Alexander the Great crosses the Bosporus, invading Persia. ... Philip II of Macedonia (382 BC–336 BC; in Greek Φιλιππος, transliterated Philippos) was the King of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death. ...

He crossed the Hellespont from Sestos to Abydos, and advanced up the road to Dascylium, which is the capital of the Satrapy of Phrygia. The various satraps of the Persian empire united and offered battle on the banks of the Granicus River. A Greek mercenary, Memnon of Rhodes suggested a scorched-earth policy of burning the grain and supplies and retreating in front of Alexander, but his suggestion was rejected. Hellespont (i. ... Sestos was an ancient town of the Thracian Chersonese, the modern Gallipoli peninsula in European Turkey. ... Location of Phrygia - traditional region (yellow) - expanded kingdom (orange line) In antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of the Anatolian highlands, part of modern Turkey, from ca. ... Memnon of Rhodes (380–333 BC) was the commander of the Greek mercenaries working for the Persian King Darius III when Alexander the Great of Macedonia invaded Persia in 334 BC and won the Battle of the Granicus River. ...

Battle

According to the extant historian Arrian, the Persians placed their cavalry in front of their infantry, and drew up on the right (east) bank of the river. Alexander's army met them on the third day of may from Abydos. Accounts vary as to whether Alexander immediately attacked, or crossed the river upstream and attack at dawn the next day (as suggested by Alexander's second-in-command, Parmenion). Parmenion (also Parmenio) (c. ...

In any case, the Persians had some cavalry that was in contact with the first Greek units to arrive, but Alexander led the elite Companions on an outflanking charge while the Macedonian foot companions covered the rest of the battle column as it formed up against the Persians. The Macedonian line was arrayed with the heavy Phalanxes in the middle, and cavalry on either side. The Companions were Alexander the Greats elite cavalry, the offensive arm of his army and also his elite guard. ... The Macedonian phalanx is an infantry formation developed by Philip II and used by his son Alexander the Great to conquer the Persian Empire and other armies. ...

The battle started with a cavalry and light infantry feint from the Macedonian left, from Parmenion's side of the battle line. The Persians heavily reinforced that side, and the feint was driven back, but at that point, Alexander led the horse companions in their classic wedge-shaped charge, and smashed into the center of the Persian line. The Persians countercharged with a squadron of nobles on horse, and accounts show that in the melee, several high-ranking Persian nobles were killed by Alexander himself or his bodyguards, although Alexander was stunned by an axe-blow from a Persian nobleman. Before the noble could deal a death-blow, however, he was himself killed by Cleitus the Black. Alexander quickly recovered. Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. ...

The Macedonian cavalry then turned left and started rolling up the Persian cavalry, which was engaged with the left side of the Macedonian line after a general advance. A hole opened in the recently vacated place in the battle line, and the Macedonian infantry charged through to engage the poor quality Persian infantry in the rear. At this, both flanks of the Persian cavalry retreated, seeing the collapse of the center. The infantry also routed, with many being cut down in the rout.

Total casualties for the Macedonians were anywhere between 100 and 200. The Persians had 2000 infantry captured, roughly 1,000 cavalry and 3,000 infantry killed, mostly in the rout.

Aftermath

The Battle of Granicus was the closest that Alexander got to death in battle. It announced to the Persians that the Macedonian army was a force to be reckoned with. The immediate effects of the battle were that the Greek cities in Asia Minor were liberated by Alexander, and a beachhead was established so that further campaigns against the Persian empire could be accomplished.