Conquest Of The Achaemenid Empire - I. Battle Of The Granicus River (334 BC)

Cyrus the Great established the Achaemenid Empire (The First Persian Empire), which stretched from the Balkans and Eastern Europe to the Indus River in the east. It was skillfully administered by the King through centralized bureaucratic administration involving Satraps (provincial governors). At the town of Zelea, Alexander encountered a gathering of numerous Satraps and their soldiers as he entered into Asia. The battle took place at Troy, Turkey, on the banks of the Granicus River. By battling on the bank, Alexander reduced the Persians' numerical advantage and rendered their deadly chariots ineffectual on soft, muddy ground. Alexander would keep using this advantage against the Persians, fighting many more battles along riverbanks. Alexander moved quickly to the left, cutting a hole in the center with his wedge formation and deploying his troops to attack the Persian army. Alexander or his horse friends assassinated several high-ranking Persian aristocrats. The battle was soon over.

The Battle of the Granicus River: Alexander the Great's First Major Battle Against the Achaemenid Persian Empire examines one of antiquity's most important battles and how it influenced the rest of the campaign. This is another major accomplishments of Alexander the Great.