Map Description

Historical Map of the Ancient World.

Conquests of Alexander the Great, who became King of Macedonia in 336 BC

Illustrating

• Battle of the Granicus 334 B.C.
  
  Alexander's first major victory against the Persian Empire. Crossing the Granicus River in modern-day Turkey, Alexander led a bold cavalry charge against the Persians. Despite being outnumbered, his innovative tactics of combining cavalry and infantry operations resulted in a decisive victory, securing his foothold in Asia Minor and capturing vital Persian territories.
  
  
• Battle of Issus 333 B.C.
  
  This battle saw Alexander face Persian King Darius III personally for the first time. Taking place in a narrow coastal plain in southern Turkey, Alexander exploited the confined terrain to neutralize the Persians' numerical advantage. His cavalry charge targeted Darius directly, causing the Persian king to flee and abandon his army. This victory gave Alexander control over the eastern Mediterranean and captured Darius's family.
  
  
• Battle of Gaugamela 331 B.C.
  
  Alexander's decisive engagement against Darius III, fought on an open plain near modern-day Mosul, Iraq. Despite facing a vastly larger Persian force with war elephants and scythed chariots, Alexander's tactical genius prevailed. He created a deliberate gap in his lines to lure the Persians, then launched a decisive cavalry charge at their weakened center, forcing Darius to flee once again and effectively ending Persian imperial resistance.
  
  
• Battle of the Hydaspes 326 B.C.
  
  This battle pitted Alexander against King Porus of Paurava in India, marking his easternmost conquest. Fighting during monsoon season near the Hydaspes River (modern-day Jhelum), Alexander outmaneuvered Porus's elephant-led army by crossing the rain-swollen river at night through an unguarded crossing. Despite fierce resistance and challenging conditions, Alexander's forces prevailed, though the battle's difficulty and his army's weariness contributed to their refusal to march further east.
  

Credits

Courtesy of the United States Military Academy Department of History.

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