Lecture 6 - ALEXANDER IN MESOPOTAMIA AND IRAN

• When was the Battle of Gaugamela?

• Who vs. who?

• Where was Gaugamela? What was its terrain?

• What is Alexander the Great called in the battle?

• What military devices did the Persians have? Which battle was this device previously used in/when?

• What happened?

• Who wins?

• What happens to Alexander the Great after the battle?

• Which cities surrender to the winner? When?

• Which spoils are sent where? When?

• What happens to Persepolis? When?

• October 1, 331 BCE

• Alexander the Great and the Greeks vs. Darius III and the Persians

• Gaugamela: near Arbela, broad terrain

• Alexander - called “king of the world”

• Persian army had scythed chariots, war chariots with spikes

  • (Just like in the Battle of Cunaxa, 401 BCE)

• What happened:

  • 1) Alexander’s cavalry charges towards Darius, breaking the Persian line

  • 2) Darius III flees

  • 3) Darius’s treasure captured at a nearby city of Arbela

  • 4) Darius retreats to Ectabana, in Media

  • 5) Babylon surrenders to Alexander

• Winner: Alexander and the greeks

• After the battle, Alexander is welcomed in Babylon with a road carpeted by flowers and processions of people/animals

• 330 BCE: Susa, Pasargadae, and Persepolis surrender to Alexander

  • In Susa:

    • A LOT of silver is found

      • They were spoils stolen from Athens by Xerxes in 480 BCE

      • bronze statues of Harmodius and Aristogeiton = “the tyrant slayers” (athenian statues)

    • Alexander sends the statues back to Athens → leads to good public relations

• 330 BCE: Persepolis is burned

When was the Battle of Gaugamela?

331 BCE

• What is this? When was this?

• What is the source?

• Battle of Gaugamela, 331 BCE

• From a Babylonian Chronicle

• What is this?

• When was this?

• Who is the source?

• 331 BCE

• Alexander the Great is welcomed into Babylon with a road covered by flowers and processions of people/animals after the Battle of Gaugamela

• From Curtius Rufus, roman historian

When did Darius III die? How?

330 BCE

• Killed by Bessus (persian satrap)

  • Bessus then declared himself king, wears tiara upright

• What is this?

• Who are the figures depicted in the image?

• Who made the statues?

• When was this sculpted?

• Who was this returned to? When?

• What is the story behind this statue?

• Roman marble copy of bronze statue group

• Aristogeiton (on left)

• Harmodius (on right)

• Sculptor - Kritios, Athenian sculptor

• Sculpted in 477/476 BCE

• Stolen by Xerxes in 480 BCE, returned by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE

• Story:

  • Athenian tyrant Hippias made romantic advances on Harmodius. Harmodius and Aristogeiton wanted to kill Hippias and his brother, Hipparchus, the tyrants. They only killed Hipparchus. Harmodius and Aristogeiton were killed.

  • They were lovers, and considered national heroes

What does Alexander do to Bessus after he declares himself king?

• Alexander pursues Bessus and Persian supporters

• tracks them to Sogdiana (modern-day Afghanistan)

• Alexander has Bessus mutilated (nose/ears) and killed

  • significance of mutilation:

    • it was a persian royal punishment