The battle of issus 333 bC

a. Alexander hurried eastward through the pass inthe taurus mountains and met the persians king darius III at issus, where he defetes him

b. Since aexander had achieved his goal, most of the soldiers and officers thought the rhe army would return home, but alexander dicided to continue his conquest because :

i. Domosthenes was stiriring up dissension in greece after hearing of the difficulty with which alexander. “ freed” some of the cities

ii. Alexander fet that it he were to return and fight his city-states, they would hate him ; if he were to continue his conquest, they would stand in awe of him

iii. Furthermore, aexander felt that the persian teritories of syria and egypt would be willing to revolt.

iv. He also felt the powerful persians havy had to be eliminated; one way was to control the entire shore-line on the eastern  mediteranian sea.

B. The conquest of syria and egypt (333-332)

1. The syrian coaste area was taken with little resistence, except for the cities of tyre and gaza which fell after long sieges.

2. Egypt was taken without a struggle.

a. Alexander visited the famous oracle of zeus-amon in the oasis of siwa, and was addrested as the “son of amon”, divinity was essential in ruing oriental peoples.

b. He founded the city of alexander on the mediteranian.

C. Alexander became king of king in 330.

1. He met darius III at gaugamea, near arbela, in 331

a. The city of peesepolis was burned.

b. The persian army was routed.

c. Darius and some of his troops escaped; he was assassinated by some of his own peope inthe following year (330). Alexander claimed his empire and title by right of conquest.

2. The persian capitals of babylon. Susa, and others, welomed him and declared him king of kings, the successor of darius.

3. All the persian empire recognized him as their ruer, except a few eastern provinces. These he subdued in the following two years.

D. The invansion of india (327 - 325)

1. To make sure of his eastn boundary, alexander invaded india as far as yhe indus river

a. Many rajahs welcomed him and became his allies.

b. He defeated the few who opposed him at the battle of hydaspes which has been called a master piece in millitary strategy.

2. He returned west, marching a part of his army by and; the rest he sent by sea under  the eadership of nearchus.

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