Editing Alexander the Great (section)

===Asia Minor===
{{Further|Battle of the Granicus|Siege of Halicarnassus|Siege of Miletus}}

[[File:MacedonEmpire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Map of Alexander's empire and his route]]
{{Campaigns of Alexander the Great}}
{{OSM Location map
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| label1 = Pella
| mark-coord1 = {{coord|40.75|22.52}}
| mark-title1 = Birthplace July 356 BC
| mark-description1 = [[Pella]] in [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)]]
| label-pos1 = top
| label-offset-x1 = 10

| label2 = Granicus
| mark-coord2 = {{coord|40.32|27.28}}
| mark-title2 = [[Battle of the Granicus]] May, 334 BC
| mark-description2 = [[Granicus River]]
| label-pos2 = right
| label-offset-y2 = -10

| label3 = Miletus
| mark-coord3 = {{coord|37.53|27.28}}
| mark-title3 = [[Siege of Miletus]] 334 BC<br>[[Siege of Halicarnassus]] 334 BC
| mark-description3 = [[Miletus]]
| label-pos3 = right
| label-offset-y3 = -10

| label4 = Issus
| mark-coord4 = {{coord|36.75|36.19}}
| mark-title4 = [[Battle of Issus]] 334 BC
| mark-description4 = [[Issus (Cilicia)]]

| label5 = Tyre
| mark-coord5 = {{coord|33.27|35.2}}
| mark-title5 = [[Siege of Tyre (332 BC)]] January–July 332 BC
| mark-description5 = [[Tyre, Lebanon]]
| label-offset-x5 = 2
| label-offset-y5 = -2

| label6 = Gaza
| mark-coord6 = {{coord|31.52|34.45}}
| mark-title6 = [[Siege of Gaza (332 BCE)|Siege of Gaza]] October 332 BC
| mark-description6 = [[Gaza City]]
| label-pos6 = right

| label7 = Alexandria
| mark-coord7 = {{coord|31.2|29.92}}
| mark-title7 = [[Alexandria|Foundation of Alexandria]] 331 BC
| mark-description7 = [[Alexandria]]
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| label8 = Gaugamela
| mark-coord8 = {{coord|36.56|43.44}}
| mark-title8 = [[Battle of Gaugamela]] 1 October 331 BC
| mark-description8 = [[Erbil]]
| label-pos8 = right
| label-offset-y8 = -5

| label9 = Uxians
| mark-coord9 = {{coord|32.19|48.25}}
| mark-title9 = [[Battle of the Uxian Defile]] December 331 BC
| mark-description9 = [[Susa]]
| label-pos9 = right
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| label10 = Persian Gate
| mark-coord10 = {{coord|30.71|51.6}}
| mark-title10 = [[Battle of the Persian Gate]] 20 January 330 BC
| mark-description10 = [[Persian Gates]]
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| label11 = Cyropolis
| mark-coord11 = {{coord|40.28|69.63}}
| mark-title11 = [[Siege of Cyropolis]] 329 BC<br>[[Battle of Jaxartes]] October 329 BC<br>[[Siege of the Sogdian Rock]] 327 BC
| mark-description11 = [[Cyropolis]]
| label-offset-x11 = 2
| label-offset-y11 = -2

| label12 = Cophen
| mark-coord12 = {{coord|35.2|72.48}}
| mark-title12 = [[Cophen campaign]] May 327 BC – March 326 BC
| mark-description12 = [[Kabul River]]
| label-offset-x12 = 2
| label-offset-y12 = -2

| label13 = Hydaspes
| mark-coord13 = {{coord|32.83|73.64}}
| mark-title13 = [[Battle of the Hydaspes]] May 326 BC
| mark-description13 = [[Jhelum River]]
| label-offset-x13 = 2
| label-offset-y13 = -2

| label14 = Malavas
| mark-coord14 = {{coord|30.7|72.3}}
| mark-title14 = [[Mallian campaign]] November 326 – February 325 BC
| mark-description14 = [[Punjab]]
| label-offset-x14 = 2
| label-offset-y14 = -2

| label15 = Babylon
| mark-coord15 = {{coord|32.54|44.42}}
| mark-title15 = [[Death of Alexander the Great]] 10 or 11 June 323 BC
| mark-description15 = [[Babylon]]
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After his victory at the [[Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC)]], [[Philip II of Macedon|Philip II]] began the work of establishing himself as ''hēgemṓn'' ({{langx|el|ἡγεμών}}) of a league which according to [[Diodorus]] was to wage a campaign against the Persians for the sundry grievances Greece suffered in [[Second Persian invasion of Greece|480]] and free the Greek cities of the western coast and islands from Achaemenid rule. In 336 he sent [[Parmenion]], [[Amyntas (son of Andromenes)|Amyntas]], Andromenes, Attalus, and an army of 10,000 men into [[Anatolia]] to make preparations for an invasion.<ref name="PB">{{cite book |last1=Briant |first1=Pierre |title=From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire |date=2002 |publisher=Eisenbrauns |isbn=978-1-57506-120-7 |page=817 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lxQ9W6F1oSYC&pg=PA817|access-date=21 February 2019}}</ref><ref name="WH">{{cite book |last1=Heckel |first1=Waldemar |title=Who's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great: Prosopography of Alexander's Empire |date=2008 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-4051-5469-7 |page=205 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NR4Wn9VU8vkC&pg=PT205|access-date=21 February 2019}}</ref> The Greek cities on the western coast of Anatolia revolted until the news arrived that Philip had been murdered and had been succeeded by his young son Alexander. The Macedonians were demoralized by Philip's death and were subsequently defeated near [[Magnesia on the Meander|Magnesia]] by the Achaemenids under the command of the mercenary [[Memnon of Rhodes]].<ref name="PB"/><ref name="WH"/>

Taking over the invasion project of Philip II, Alexander's army crossed the [[Hellespont]] in 334&nbsp;BC with approximately 48,100 soldiers, 6,100 cavalry, and a fleet of 120 ships with crews numbering 38,000{{sfn|Roisman|Worthington|2010|p=192}} drawn from Macedon and various Greek city states, mercenaries, and feudally raised soldiers from [[Thrace]], [[Paionia]], and [[Illyria]].<ref>{{harvnb|Arrian|1976|loc=I, 11}}</ref>{{Cref2|i}} He showed his intent to conquer the entirety of the Persian Empire by throwing a spear into Asian soil and saying he accepted Asia as a gift from the gods. This also showed Alexander's eagerness to fight, in contrast to his father's preference for diplomacy.{{sfn|Roisman|Worthington|2010|p=192}}

After an initial victory against Persian forces at the [[Battle of the Granicus]], Alexander accepted the surrender of the Persian provincial capital and treasury of [[Sardis]]; he then proceeded along the [[Ionia]]n coast, granting autonomy and democracy to the cities. [[Miletus]], held by Achaemenid forces, required a delicate siege operation, with Persian naval forces nearby. Further south, at [[Halicarnassus]], in [[Caria]], Alexander successfully waged his first large-scale [[siege]], eventually forcing his opponents, the mercenary captain [[Memnon of Rhodes]] and the Persian [[satrap]] of Caria, [[Orontobates]], to withdraw by sea.<ref>{{harvnb|Arrian|1976|loc=I, 20–23}}</ref> Alexander left the government of Caria to a member of the Hecatomnid dynasty, [[Ada of Caria|Ada]], who adopted Alexander.<ref name="Arrian 1976 loc=I, 23">{{harvnb|Arrian|1976|loc=I, 23}}</ref>
[[File:Alexander cuts the Gordian Knot.jpg|thumb|upright=1|''Alexander Cuts the [[Gordian Knot]]'' by [[Jean-Simon Berthélemy]] (1767)]]
From Halicarnassus, Alexander proceeded into mountainous [[Lycia]] and the [[Pamphylia]]n plain, asserting control over all coastal cities to deny the Persians naval bases. From Pamphylia onwards, the coast held no major ports and Alexander moved inland. At [[Termessos]], Alexander humbled and did not storm the [[Pisidia]]n city.<ref>{{harvnb|Arrian|1976|loc=I, 27–28}}</ref> At the ancient Phrygian capital of [[Gordium]], Alexander "undid" the hitherto unsolvable [[Gordian Knot]], a feat said to await the future "king of [[Asia Minor|Asia]]".<ref>{{harvnb|Arrian|1976|loc=I, 3}}</ref> According to the story, Alexander proclaimed that it did not matter how the knot was undone, and hacked it apart with his sword.<ref>{{harvnb|Green|2007|p=351}}</ref>