Gaugamela

October 1, 331 BC
Strategic Context
In his quest to conquer the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great defeats Darius III in
battle twice, at the River Granicus in 334 BC and Issus the following year. After

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neutralizing the Persian navy by capturing its ports along the Mediterranean coast,
Alexander forces Darius to fight another battle, this time on the plain of Gaugamela. The
night before battle, Darius keeps his army awake in expectation of a surprise night attack
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while Alexander gives his army much-needed rest. Not surprisingly, Alexander is able to
march his army to the Persian left wing at dawn before Darius can respond.

Stakes
+ A Macedonian victory would send
Darius fleeing and critically destabilize the
Persian Empire.
+ A Persian victory would check the
Macedonian advance and tarnish
Alexander’s unbeatable reputation.

By Jonathan Webb, 2009

 Gaugamela, 331 BC
Strength

 Macedonians  Persians

 Alexander the Great  Darius III

 30,000 heavy infantry  4,000 heavy

 10,000 light infantry  52,000
infantry light infantry
 7,000 cavalry  35,000
 cavalry
200 scythed
 chariots
15 war elephants
 Well  Fatigued

By Jonathan Webb, 2009

Middle East c.400 BC
The battlefield is flat and open with no major elevation or obstacles. Darius even orders his troops to flatten the battlefield
for optimal conditions for his scythed chariots.

Persians
(Darius)

Macedonians
(Alexander)
Alexander deploys
his his armyattack
in
toasoften
hollow boxtheto prevent it from being encircled.
DariusAlexander’s
Mazaeus
With
Only uses
now renews
does archers
the
Alexander
attention against
receiveup
diverted the
word
toMacedonian
Macedonian
histhat
right, phalanx
his Darius
leftleft
wingwing,is inHe
with
sends hisplaces
which
aserious
rain ofhisdanger
cavalry pike phalanx
appears
arrows toand
wings be
soinhe in thesends
then
two center, his
crumbling,
delays
massive
the screened
while
pursuit
sweepsby light
scythed
the right
and infantry,
chariots
against wing
turns flanked
forward
both
theholds by
toitscavalry,
Macedonianbreak
Companions
infantry line. Alexander’s right wing edges forward and is strengthened by archers and his elite Companion cavalry. Alexander plans to advance in oblique order, using his strong right wing to
ground.andAlexander’s
it. backed
As this
flanks.
around by occurs,
a second
hitlight
Alexander
to the
infantry
Alexander’s
must
Persian screen
commit
rightstrikeallow
force
the at
scythed
his center
chariots
exploits
through
the wedge
to be destroyed
between by
the the
Persian
phalanx,center
which
and also
left opens
wing and
its disciplined
smashes theranks
forcesto let
arrayed
some directly
through in
to front
be destroyed
of Darius. in
kill Darius himselfwing
infantry
while in its
reserves
refusing flank.
his left to
Word
wingpreventof battle.
from Darius’
hisDarius
leftflight
wing rapidly
deploys from breaking
spreads
his massive cavalry through
while
forces his
in the
right
a line Persian
wing
which ranks,
actually
overlaps thecausing
pushes
Macedonian thethethem
line. Persian
to places
Darius flee.
cavalry
Darius’
his back.
heavy Indian
Both
infantry, cavalry
wings
archers and
the
Darius
rear.panics,
At the takes
same the
time,reigns
Darius
from sends
his fatally
some cavalry
wounded from
chariot
his left
driver
wing
and to flees
hit the
the Macedonian
battlefield, followed
right; Alexander
by many responds
of his troops
by committing
at his centerinfantry
who witness
units from
this.
devolve
fail to chariots
scythed free
into
hisatstalemate
family
his center,and
as the
arehisMacedonian
hiding destroyed bycenter
Macedonian
relatively untrained lightadvances,
infantryinfantry
levyled
andbyreserves.
warAlexander himself.
elephants behind the main line. Darius plans to use his scythed chariots to open holes in the Macedonian
his
His reserve
lastwhile
phalanx order
to
hisstiffen
iscavalry
to histhis
Indian
front.
exploit cavalry
them to break
and envelop bothinto
flanks.theThe
Macedonian
stars show thecamp and
position of rescue his family.
each commander.
Persians Persians
(Darius) Mazaeus Darius Bessus
(Darius III)
4,000 heavy infantry
52,000 light infantry
Macedonians Persians
35,000 cavalry
Heavy Infantry Heavy infantry 200 scythed chariots
Light infantry Light infantry 15 war elephants
Archers Archers
Cavalry Cavalry
Camp Scythed chariots
Baggage train War elephants
Macedonians
(Alexander the Great) N
30,000 heavy infantry Parmenio

10,000 light infantry Symbol guide

Macedonians
7,000 cavalry (Alexander)
 Gaugamela, 331 BC
Casualties & Aftermath
Macedonians: Persians:

5,500 40,000
or or
12% 44%

Alexander’s pursuit of the Persians was so aggressive that he reportedly lost over
1,000 horses to exhaustion doing so. Darius vanished while Alexander marched to
Babylon to accept Mazaeus’ surrender, and then reopened the pursuit of Darius. As
it turns out, Darius was murdered by his own generals and so Alexander merely
captured Darius’ murderers, executed them, and consequently stood at the head of
the entire Persian Empire.
By Jonathan Webb, 2009
 The Art of Battle:
Animated Battle Maps
http://www.theartofbattle.com

By Jonathan Webb, 2009