Battle of the Granicus

The Battle of the Granicus was fought in 334 BC between Alexander the Great’s Macedonian army and Persian satrapal forces in northwestern Anatolia. Alexander’s victory opened the way for his conquest of Asia Minor.

Granicus River: A river in northwestern Anatolia, near which Alexander’s army fought Persian forces in 334 BC. Its steep banks and crossing shaped the battle’s opening attack.
Alexander the Great: King of Macedon from 336 to 323 BC who conquered the Persian Empire and extended his rule across western Asia. He commanded the Macedonian army and personally led the river crossing.
Siege of Miletus: A siege in 334 BC in which Alexander captured the Persian-held city of Miletus on the Anatolian coast. After Granicus, Alexander continued westward and reduced Persian coastal strongholds.
Arrian: A Greek historian of the second century AD whose Anabasis of Alexander is a major source on Alexander’s campaigns. His account gives a detailed narrative of the crossing and close fighting.
Companion Cavalry: The elite Macedonian heavy cavalry that served as a principal striking force under Alexander. Alexander led this cavalry in the assault across the river.
Achaemenid Empire: The Persian imperial state founded by Cyrus the Great, ruling a vast territory from the sixth to fourth centuries BC. The satrapal forces at Granicus defended its western frontier.
Siege of Halicarnassus: A siege in 334 BC in which Alexander’s forces attacked the Persian-aligned city of Halicarnassus. It was a major continuation of the campaign that Granicus had opened.
Diodorus Siculus: A Greek historian of the first century BC who wrote a universal history known as the Bibliotheca historica. His version offers a distinct ancient narrative of the battle and its casualties.
Macedonian phalanx: A Macedonian infantry formation armed with long pikes called sarissas. Its advance helped turn the cavalry engagement into a broader defeat of Persian forces.
Philip II of Macedon: King of Macedon from 359 to 336 BC who expanded its power and built the army Alexander inherited. His military reforms and invasion plans formed the foundation of Alexander’s campaign.

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