Decisive battle of Alexander the Great's invasion of the Persian Achaemenid Empire
The Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC destroyed Achaemenid Persian power and enabled Alexander the Great's conquest of the entire Persian Empire.
Key Facts
- Date
- 331 BC (26 September)
- Victor
- Army of Macedon / League of Corinth
- Defeated
- Persian Achaemenid Empire under Darius III
- Battle number
- Second and final battle between Alexander and Darius III
- Location
- Village of Gaugamela, banks of the river Bumodus
- Outcome consequence
- Fall of the Achaemenid Empire
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Alexander the Great launched his invasion of the Persian Achaemenid Empire, seeking to conquer the vast domain ruled by Darius III. After an earlier inconclusive engagement between the two kings, Darius sought to force a decisive confrontation on terrain favorable to his larger forces, assembling a massive Persian army to defeat the Macedonian invader once and for all.
On 26 September 331 BC, the Macedonian army under Alexander faced the Persian forces of Darius III near the village of Gaugamela on the banks of the river Bumodus, north of Arbela. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Alexander's forces employed superior tactics and effective use of light infantry, breaking the Persian lines and routing their army.
The Macedonian victory at Gaugamela proved fatal to the Achaemenid Empire. Darius III fled and the Persian imperial structure collapsed, allowing Alexander to complete his conquest of the empire. The battle marked the effective end of Achaemenid rule and transformed the political order across the Near East and Central Asia.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Alexander the Great.
Side B
1 belligerent
Darius III.