The Battle of Gaugamela (Part 2 of 2)

One of the most accurate depictions of Ancient Greek/Macedonian war in modern media. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B... complete battle version from "Alexander Revisited - The Final Cut"With amazing speed, strength, and persistance, Alexander and his Macedonian army of Greeks and Macedonians took much of Asia Minor from the Persian Empire, in the process defeating one of their most celebrated generals, Memnon of Rhodes.After returning from Egypt, where Alexander was declared Pharaoh and son of Zeus-Ammon, Darius, King of Persia, cut Alexander's supply lines at Issus and forced Alexander to battle him there.Darius was defeated, and Alexander's supply lines were never cut by an enemy force again.Darius was not done. He rebuilt his army, swelling its size to between 100,000 to 250,000, and made up of a vast host of infantry, and some of the best and most celebrated cavalry in the world from Bactria, Hyrcania, India, and more. Included were hundreds of Scythed Chariots and a few war elephants from India. The estimates place Alexander's army at anywhere from 40,000 to 60,000 Greeks, Macedonians, and other mercenaries/auxiliaries, made up primarily of Phalangites with the 16-18 foot long sarissa, and heavy cavalry of the Thessalians, Greek allies, and the legendary Hetairoi ("Companion" Cavalry).Alexander let Darius choose the field of battle. Darius picked a field outside of the village of Gaugamela. He meticulously had the field brushed flat for maximum efficiency for his chariots. Every rock was upturned, brushes removed, the sand flattened.Alexander's plan was a madly audacious one, which very nearly failed in the heat of battle.Having massed his cavalry on his extreme right flank at the Battle of Issus, Darius was more cautious this time, and massed much of his cavalry opposite the Macedonian right to stop a major flanking maneuver, as had happened at Issus. As Darius expected, the Macedonian cavalry began to charge far off to the right, as if to flank the Persian army.Darius did not expect for Alexander's cavalry to be hiding light infantry and missile troops in the dust of the horses.While the Macedonian Phalanx held the lines (the left flank under Parmenion being particularly brutalized by the heavy Persian left, and very nearly dissolving under Persian pressure) against the Persian infantry, and the Persian cavalry mass was lured away from the King, Alexander sprung his trap. Darius had inadvertantly parted his lines and exposed himself at an angle which a cavalry charge, if done with enough force and daring, could reach the King himself.The Persian cavalry was ambushed by the light troops and missile troops, combined with the clash by the Macedonian cavalry, and were either defeated or kept in place while Alexander led his Companions straight into the crack of the Persian line. It is said Alexander got so close to Darius, that he hurled his spear at the King and missed by mere inches.The Scythed Chariots were a key element of Darius's army. In a brilliant tactic later used by Scipio Africanus against the elephants of Hannibal Barca at the Battle of Zama, Alexander's troops stepped aside, opening lanes into which the chariots could pass through, and be speared from the flanks.Portrayed in the movie, Darius panicked and fled, throwing his army into disarray. Some accounts have it that Darius attempted to regroup his army, but the army was already broken, and Darius was forced to flee.Before Alexander could pursue Darius, news came from the left flank that Parmenion's infantry were in danger of collapsing. The Persian assault had been heaviest on the left, and Persian cavalry were already trickling past Macedonian lines to loot the Macedonian camp and attempt to rescue Darius's family being kept hostage. Alexander wisely pulled back to assist Parmenion and save his army.Darius was killed some years later by his own generals. Alexander treated his body with great respect and gave him a great funeral.

Channel: Entertainment
Uploaded: February 1, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Author: BloodyMargie

Length: 05:53
Rating: 4.97
Views: 21950

Tags: 300  Alexander  Companion  Darius  Gaugamela  Greek  Hetairoi  Macedon  Oliver  Parmenion  Persia  Phalanx  Stone  

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