Battle of the Granikos
Battle formation
| date | May 334 BC Chr. |
|---|---|
| place | On the Granikos River ( Asia Minor ) |
| output | Macedonian victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
|
Greeks / Macedonians |
Persians / Greek mercenaries |
| Commander | |
|
Council of War of the Persian Satraps |
|
| Troop strength | |
| 32,000 foot soldiers, 5,100 horsemen | approx. 6-15,000 to 100,000 |
| losses | |
|
115 |
1000-2500 riders / unknown |
Granicus - Miletus - Halicarnassus - Issus - Tire - Gaugamela - Persian Gates - Jaxartes - Sogdian Rock - Chorienes Rock - Gabai - Hydaspes
The Battle of Granikos in May 334 BC Chr. Was the first success in the campaign of the Greeks under Alexander the Great against the Persian Empire. The young Macedonian king was the suffering from constant civil wars Greece einschwören toward a common goal: The Greeks should the Persians their attacks and the destruction of the Athenian Acropolis in 480 BC. Chr. "Pay back". The main burden of the fighting, however, was borne by the Macedonian units, only the Thessalian cavalry played a role worth mentioning.
Crossing over the Hellespont
After the Macedonian army broke out in the spring of 334 BC. Chr. And the train along the north coast of the Aegean reached Alexander the Great on the twentieth day Sestos . From there, the transition to Asia Minor via the Hellespont was planned. Since the Persian fleet had failed to block the strait, Alexander was able to position his fleet (160 triremes and numerous cargo ships) there. The Macedonian General Parmenion transferred the bulk of the army to Abydos , while Alexander went ashore with a few troops across from Troy . Symbolically he threw his lance ashore ("spear-acquired") and sacrificed the hero of the Trojan War, especially his role model Achilles , in whose sanctuary he exchanged his shield for that of the hero. He ordered that Troy be rebuilt and gave the new citizens autonomy and tax exemption.
According to the thinking and self-image of antiquity, Alexander placed great emphasis on religious ceremonies and cultic acts. It was unusual for the time that he also honored the gods of other peoples and made sacrifices to them. In this context, Alexander's declaration for his move in retaliation for the destruction of Greek cities and above all the Acropolis in Athens in 480 BC can be seen. . AD by the Persian king Xerxes I understand. In fact, solid political and economic interests were in the background even then.
Starting position
At Abydos, Alexander met the main part of his army again in order to then move as quickly as possible against the army of the Persian satraps of Asia Minor, which had already been deployed . In preparation for this meeting, the great king Dareios III. committed a grave mistake when he did not appoint a commander in chief, but left the proceedings to a council of war of his satraps. In this council of war the Greek mercenary leader Memnon of Rhodes had advised a defensive tactic to lure the Macedonians into the country and then use a scorched earth strategy to bring them into supply difficulties. However, Memnon had no chance of enforcement against the satraps because the Persian nobles fought him as a favorite of the great king and they did not want to destroy their lands either. In addition, backing down would not have been worthy of her honor.
Thus the Persian army moved towards Alexander on the eastern bank of the Granikos River. The river Granikos (now Biga ) was about 20 m wide at the battle site. It flows into the Marmara Sea . As they were eager to defeat the intruders as soon as they passed, the Persian cavalry took up position directly on the river, while the Greek mercenaries were positioned backwards in the sloping terrain.
Course of the battle
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The position of the Persians, which was unfavorable for them, was immediately recognized by Alexander. Cavalry is an offensive weapon and not suitable for repelling foot troops - especially against Macedonian phalangites with their overly long spears. The king did not allow himself to be deterred by his general Parmenion, who advised to wait and see, as he feared that his opponents would understand their mistakes. He put the light cavalry with the heavily armed foot troops left and right on the wings of the opposing army, so that the Persian horsemen divided on the distant focal points. Immediately afterwards, Alexander himself attacked with his cavalry, the agema of the knighthood, the densest mass of opponents and the military leaders assembled there. The king's white plume was seen in the greatest turmoil and he only narrowly escaped death, at last he was saved by his companion Kleitos . The Macedonians got the upper hand and shattered the Persian center. The distant foot soldiers of the Persians and especially the Greek mercenaries were condemned to watch. Now they were attacked concentrically from all sides - not very many escaped, 2000 were captured. Only the Thebans were released.
The battle took place in early May.
Alexander also had the opposing dead buried, personally inquired about their health and the circumstances of their injuries. The captured mercenaries were taken to Macedonia for serf labor - this was supposed to deter Greeks from going into Persian service. After the battle of Issus they were given amnesty.
The sculptor Lysippus created a group of 34 bronze equestrian statues depicting Alexander with the generals who had fallen in battle. The statues were placed in the city of Dion . After they were brought to Rome, they were placed in the porticus of Octavia .
consequences
Alexander sent 300 suits of armor for Persian knights to Athens as a consecration gift for the city goddess Pallas Athene . This should show the citizens there, whose loyalty was definitely in doubt, the initial success. The power of Persia in Asia Minor was broken by the victory - although Memnon had escaped with some of the mercenaries and tried to rely on the Persian garrisons in the Ionian cities, he was only able to establish himself again in Halicarnassus . Only now did he receive the supreme command of the Asian theater of war from the Great King. Alexander avoided going inland, although this would have promised rich booty. In order to deny effective operations to the superior Persian fleet, he had to occupy the coastal cities. The satrap residence of Sardis , the former capital of Lydia , was an exception - its conquest in the interior of the country was necessary to secure the flank of his further ventures. The feared resistance from Sardis did not materialize - the commander Mithrines met the Macedonians to hand over the city and castle. Alexander took the Persian into his retinue, the Sardinians and Lydians regained their freedom and their old constitution.
Alexander turned with the main power to Ionia , whose cities - as far as they were not in the grip of Persian occupations or in the hands of oligarchic regimes - willingly opened their gates. Stations of this train were the cities of Ephesus and Miletus , as well as the cities of Magnesia , Tralleis , Smyrna , Priene and Klazomenai , the cities in Caria with the capital Halicarnassus and on to Perge and Aspendos on the south coast until he got back with the army Inland to Gordion . It was wintered there.
At the end of the year 334 BC The coastal regions of Asia Minor were largely in the hands of the Macedonians, but Memnon and the fleet were still master of the sea and the islands and he had begun to cut off Alexander's connection to Macedonia and wanted to carry the war to Greece. On the Persian side, there did not yet seem to be any cause for concern. The next year (333 BC) had to bring a decision.
literature
- Walther Judeich : Die Schlacht am Granikos , in: Klio 8 (1908), pp. 372–397.
- Konrad Lehmann: The Battle of Granikos , in: Klio 11 (1911), pp. 230–244.
- Johann Gustav Droysen : History of Alexander the Great , DVA 1955, pp. 130–132.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 16, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Helmut Berve : Greek History III - Late Period of Greek Culture , in: Herder Vol. 69, Freiburg 1960, p. 21
- ^ Romolo A. Staccioli, Guida di Roma antica , Milano 1995, p. 307. ISBN 88-17-16585-9
Web links
See also: List of Wars , List of Battles , Battle of Issus , Battle of Gaugamela , Battle of the Hydaspes