Реферат: Alexander

Persians believe the real battle had started. They fell for it and soon the Persians had lost

the majority of their men along the banks. Alexander then proceeded in sending in his

elite cavalry squadrons down into the river and across into the face of his enemies.

Several of the Persian officers tried to kill Alexander himself, in the attempt eight were

killed, including Darius’s son-in-law.

The Greek mercenaries, meanwhile, who were among the Persian’s best troops

watched the battle at the river Granicus. The Persian cavalry retreated and among the

midst came Alexander’s companion cavalry heading straight for them. The phalanx was

set up and war against the mercenaries ensued into the night. The mercenaries were cut in

half before finally surrendering. They were then sent in chains to hard labor for life in the

silver mines of Thrace. This was Alexander’s way of sending a grim message to any other

Greeks considering joining the Persians.5

Memnon, now Darius’s commander-in-chief of Western operations, was setting

up once again in anticipation of Alexander’s arrival. With him were the Athenian

mercenary commanders Ephialtes and Thrasybulos, two men who had been on

Alexander’s hit list for quite some time. This time they believed they had the best

defenses to defeat Alexander’s army. Their town was a fortress fortified by a huge wall

winding up into the hills above Boldrum. It had two or three main gates and the low

ground was protected by deep ditches; it also had forts above the harbor and out in the

bay was a fleet of four hundred ships. This place was so fortified that it was almost

impossible to get in. Fortunately Alexander who had just about any type of weapon

imaginable of this period used his siege-technology6 to gain entrance.

Alexander attacked on the flat ground first on the east side of town. His army

attempted to get in through the wall but this soon failed. Alexander then used his siege

technology to wage war and gain entrance. Memnon launched a massive raid at dawn to

overtake Alexander’s army. This was almost a stalemate until Alexander’s reserve army

came in and inflicted heavy losses, and Ephialtes was killed. Memnon realizing his defeat

retreated and evacuated his forces by sea, setting fire to everything they could not take

with them on the ships. Alexander emerges victorious again.