Today in History (1 october): Alexander the Great defeats Darius III at the Battle of Gaugamela

Alexander Mosaic (c. first century AD), ancient Roman floor mosaic from the House of the Faun in Pompeii showing Alexander fighting king Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Issus.

The Battle of Gaugamela was a decisive Macedonian victory against Darius III, and a watershed moment in Alexander the Great’s conquest of Persia. Alexander had previously beaten Darius at their first major engagement at the Battle of Issues. After Issues, he went on to besiege and capture the city of Tyre and defeated Persian troops again at Gaza. Fearful of losing his entire empire, Darius resorted to diplomacy and tried three times to negotiate with Alexander - he would have none of it.

While marching towards the ancient capital city of Babylon, Alexander finally got his wish as Darius decided to meet him on the battlefield near the town of Gaugamela. The Persian army had been greatly depleted so it’s likely they didn’t outnumber Alexander’s army by very much. Both forces are estimated to have been around 50,000.

Battle of Gaugamela, Flemish tapestry, first half of 18th century

After a number of innovative maneuvers, Alexander was able to route the Persian center lines. He and his cavalry unit cut through and made it all the way to Darius’s royal guards. Darius immediately fled the field. As Alexander was about to give chase, he received news that his left flank was surrounded by the Persian cavalry. Faced with a tough decision, Alexander opted to relieve his own forces rather than pursue and capture Darius.

Alexander’s victory secured Babylon and the rest of Mesopotamia.Darius attempted to regroup and form another army, however was later murdered by his own satraps.The ivory relief above depicts Darius fleeing the battlefield.