Battle of Issus {November 333}

Sources

Check the battle book

Arian 2.5-13 (p. 137-171)

Diodorus 17.32-36 (p. 207-221)

Polybius 12.17-23

Curtius 3.8-11

Justin 11.9

Plutarch, Alex. 20.1-5

Battle

Divine intervention

Divine plan of imperial succession (A 2.6.6; cf. Daniel 2)

Divine intervention (A 2.7.3)

Darius gets behind Alexander and cuts his supplies (D 17.32.2-3)

Leaves baggage at Damascus

Pre-battle

Alexander Pre-battle speech (A 2.7.3-9)

Darius council; Amyntas as advisor to Darius (A 2.5.3)

Macedonian OB deployed (A 2.8.1-4; D 17.33.1; C 3.9.7-12)

Persian OB deployed (A 2.8.5-8; C 3.9.1-10)

600,000 men (A 2.8.8)

Early actions

Persian cavalry screen (A 2.8.10)

Persian cavalry mustered on right (A 2.8.11)

Alexander moves cavalry to counter (A 2.9.1)

Watching the Persians on the hill (A 2.9.4)

Alexander encourages the troops (A 2.10.2; C 3.10.6-10)

Phalanx slow to advance to maintain order (A. 2.10.3; C 3.10.1-5)

Main battle

Charge when within archery range (A 2.10.3; D 17.33.2-3)

Gap between Alexander and phalanx (A 2.10.4-5)

Phalanx is almost defeated by Persians (A 2.10.6; C 3.11.5-6)

Cavalry battle on Persian right (A 2.11.2-3)

Persians start to win (C 3.11.1-2)

Alexander shifts cavalry reinforcements (C 3.11.3)

Persian cavalry is routed (A 2.11.3; D 17.33.2; C 3.11.13-15)

Heavy armor and narrowing path (C 3.11.15)

Fight around Darius

Alexander charges with companions straight at Darius (D 17.33.5-34.7; C 3.11.4)

Darius flees without fighting according to Arian (A 2.11.4-7)

Alexander’s pursuit fails

Alexander’s wound (A 2.12.1; D 17.34.5)

Battle around Darius (C 3.11.7-10)

Darius fights until horses are unmanageable, then panics (D 17.34.6-7; C 3.11.11-12)

Persian guard follows king, followed by all cavalry (D 17.34.7-8)

General flight of the Persians (C 3.11.16-20)

Casualties

(A 2.11.8; D 17.36.6; C 3.11.27)

Persian survivors (A 2.13.1-3)

Treatment of Darius’ women

A 2.11.9, 2.12.3-8; C 3.11.21-26

Raping of most captive women, (D 17.35.5-7)

Darius’ family protected (D 17.36)

Bibliography

Devine, A.M., “Grand Tactics at the Battle of Issus,” Ancient World 12 (1985), 39-59

Devine, A.M., “The Strategies of Alexander the Great and Darius III in the Issus Campaign (333 BC),” Ancient World 12 (1985), 25-38

Hammond, N.G.L., “Alexander's Charge at the Battle of Issus in 333 B.C.,” Historia 41 (1992), 395-

Murison, J.A., “Darius III and the Battle of Issus,” Historia 21 (1972), 399-423