Wars of Alexander the Great

The military campaigns led by Alexander III of Macedon from 334 to 323 BCE, which toppled the Persian Empire and extended his rule into Central and South Asia.

Battle of the Granicus: A 334 BCE battle in which Alexander defeated Persian satrapal forces near the Granicus River in northwestern Asia Minor. This first major victory secured Alexander’s foothold in Asia Minor.
Macedonian phalanx: A dense infantry formation whose soldiers used long pikes called sarissas. Its fixed front tied down enemy troops while cavalry sought decisive openings.
Philip II of Macedon: King of Macedon from 359 to 336 BCE who transformed its army and expanded its power across Greece. Philip built the military capacity and planned the Persian invasion Alexander inherited.
Wars of the Diadochi: A series of conflicts among Alexander’s successors over control of his empire after his death. His failure to establish a settled succession led directly to these wars.
Siege of Tyre: A seven-month siege in 332 BCE in which Alexander captured the Phoenician island city of Tyre. Tyre’s capture opened the eastern Mediterranean coast to Alexander’s advance.
Companion cavalry: The elite heavy cavalry of the Macedonian army, often led personally by its king. Alexander’s cavalry charges turned battlefield openings into routs.
League of Corinth: A federation of Greek states established under Macedonian leadership after the Battle of Chaeronea. Its declared campaign against Persia gave the invasion a pan-Hellenic political framework.
Hellenistic period: The era from Alexander’s conquests to the rise of Roman power, marked by Greek cultural influence across a broad region. The campaigns created the political setting for this era’s interconnected kingdoms.
Battle of Gaugamela: A 331 BCE battle in which Alexander defeated Darius III’s Persian army near Gaugamela in northern Mesopotamia. The victory broke Persian imperial power and cleared the way to Babylon.
Siege warfare: Military methods for capturing fortified places through assault, blockade, engineering, or negotiation. Cities such as Tyre demanded engineering and naval coordination beyond open battle.

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