Alexander the Great and the Battle of Gaugamela

King Alexander at only 25 years old, his reputation already one of greatness had led his men into Asia. To his soldiers, their invasion of Persia was to fight back after half a century of devastation brought onto Greece during the Persian wars between 499 and 448 BC. Alexander’s private desire, however, was to cast a shadow on the large Persian empire by winning all its lands and bringing it under his rule. Gaugamela, named after the village it was fought by, was the decisive battle in the struggle between Alexander III and Darius II for the Persian Empire. The battle occurred in 331 BC, this battle was one of importance as it shows a significant amount of Alexander’s tactical and military genius while including examples of his great leadership skills with his men.

Mesopotamia was an abundant region between the rivers, Euphrates and Tigris, dominated by Darius more than a century earlier. The major city in this region was Babylon and was located south where Darius anticipated Alexander would lead his troops. Instead Alexander headed north in the direction of the Tigris River basically there was more food for the horses, the heat was less intense and it would also tempt Darius away from the widespread plains surrounding Babylon. Darius needed vast, flat, obstacle free areas for his chariots and cavalry to be allowed to fight effectively. Alexander knew this, hence the reason he wanted to force Darius northward where the ground would be less favourable to him. This was just one instance that shows a factor that contributed to Alexander’s triumph in the battle.

Therefore Darius moved north and encamped near the village of Gaugamela while Alexander camped a few kilometers away. Alexander managed to capture some Persian soldiers and discovered where Darius’ location was so he could observe the activities of his rival. Unlike previous battles, Darius had found a suitable battlefield and was unwilling to give this one up. The ground here was flat, perfect for