The Battle of Issus Looms :
18 months had passed since Alexander’s Army crossed the hellespond and invaded the Persian Empire now Alexander LED his man into salicia and was soon poised to cross the nor mountains into Syria but then the main Persian army led by King Darius III himself emerged behind the Greek army to the north Darius was determined to trap and Destroy Alexander’s Army which he outnumbered almost two to one so he blocked Alexander’s only Escape Route by moving his army to the coastal plain near Asus just six miles wide from mountains to Sea the narrow Battlefield would force Alexander to fight but it also prevented Darius exploiting his huge numerical advantage his army by some estimates was up to 100,000 strong and contain some of the finest soldiers in his vast Empire including 10,000 of his own household troops known as The Immortals is best Cavalry were masked on his right towards the sea where the ground was better for horses his best infantry his Greek mercenary hoplights formed the center Persian infantry formed his left wing.
The Phalanx in Trouble :
Alexander deployed his own Army for battle once again in trusting his left wing nearest the sea to Pomeranian with the Greek Cavalry and Infantry in the center as always was the Macedonian phalanx Alexander positioned himself and his best troops on the right wing toward the mountain slopes please Elite agriani Javelin throwers is archers and behind them the high passports and the companion cavalry when Alexander saw the strength of the Persian Cavalry facing Pomeranian on the left he moved across his the Salient Cavalry to reinforce him despite his overwhelming numbers Darius held his position behind a small River the pinarus and waited for Alexander to attack he didn’t have to wait long Alexander called out to his men urging them to fight bravely picking out some by name then at the head of his armies right wing he charged once again the speed and shock of the Macedonian Advance sent the enemy reeling back but in the center of the battlefield the Macedonian Phalanx was in trouble and its effort to keep up with Alexander it’s formation had become disordered.
The Collapse of the Persian Line and Darius’s Flight :
now in Fierce fighting with darius’ Greek mercenaries the Phalanx was slowly being driven back Alexander seeing the danger regrouped and led the companions in a headlong charge straight at the Persian Center the Greek mercenaries threatened on their flank was soon in disarray and the Macedonian Phalanx was able to resume its advance Alexander fought his way towards the great king Darius himself rather than face this apparently mad and fearless (21 :50) Macedonian King Darius fled the battlefield in his Royal chariot meanwhile the Macedonian left wing under Armenian was in a desperate fight against the best of the Persian cavalry if the Persians could break through here they could envelop Alexander’s Army and snatched Victory from the jaws of defeat but Armenian and his troops forced doggedly they continue to hold the Persians at Bay the news that Darius had fled spread among his troops they abandoned the fight and tried to save themselves the battle turned into a massacre Ptolemy one of the Macedonian commanders told Alexander there was so many Persian dead his man had used them to fill a deep ravine so they could cross over it.