Battle of Gaugamela pt II

Aim: to understand and assess the accounts of the battle of Gaugamela.

Content quiz on the next slide!

1) Who wrote a ‘biography’?2) Who wrote a ‘History’?3) What was the 18ft pike

called?4) What part of the Army did

Alexander fight with?5) What part of the army did

Parmenio fight with?6) Where did Alexander first

fight the Persians?7) Who was in charge of the

’Persian’ force?8) Were they really Persian?9) What battle was very

similar to this?10) How did Alexander attack

Tyre at first?

11) Who came to his aid at Tyre?12) What title did Alexander get in Egypt?13) Where did he go to get this confirmed?14) What effect did this have on the Egyptians?15) What effect did it have on his men?16) What was different about the battle field at Gaugamela?17) What weapons did Darius bring?18) What did Parmenio suggest?19) What did Alexander think?20) What did Plutarch say Alexander did the night before the battle?21) What did the Persians do that night?

1) Plutarch2) Arrian3) Sarissa4) Companion Cavalry5) Phalanx/ Foot

Companions6) River Granicus7) Memnon8) Mostly Greek

Mercenaries9) Battle of Issus10)Building a Mole

11) Cyprus/ Phoenicians12) Pharoah/ Son on Ammon13) Oracle at Siwah14) Accepted him as the true king of Egypt15) Didn’t like it- turning ‘foreign’16) Vast, open and flat- no river17) Scythe bearing chariots & Elephants18) Attack at night19) Wait until morning20) Slept (as if he had already won)21) Stayed in battle formation

Onto the battle• The main problem with

Gaugamela is that the accounts vary so much.

• Many are patchy at best.• Others are largely

unreliable.• There are a few key

similarities however.• The main focus of all

accounts is Alexander’s charge directly at Darius.

Working out what happened

• First we need an overview.

• Task:• Watch the (not

overly accurate) video.

• Add events to your map/ timeline

Chapter 8 (up to 44.33)

Extension: Spot any historical inaccuracies!

Broad picture• The Persians attack using Chariots• Alexander rides to the right, tracked by Persian

cavalry• Persians Attack en mass on the Left• Alexander and Cavalry ride through the hole in

the Persian lines (caused by stretching them out to the right).

• Parmenio is forced to retreat but holds them.• Darius flees, but Alexander is forced to let him go

to help Parmenio.

To the sources• Blues- Arrian 13-15.2• Greens- Plutarch 32-33

• Highlight and annotate the main aspects of the battle (and how they are recorded)

• You may want to summarise each paragraph at the side.

Pay particular attention to how the following are recorded:

• The Chariot attack.• Alexander’s attack from

the right.• Parmenio’s defence on the

left• Persian attack on the

baggage• Darius’ escape

FRONT

Valentinas

Tiegan

RastraAmeika

MatthewDora Raeesa

Osc

arJessFazan

Uma

Daniel

Kyia

Yusuf Sam

Rachel

Ahad

Sandesh Khadeja

PraiseFatima

Farwa

Reshma

Rory

Iqra

Sara

h

Time to share• Compare the different accounts:• Annotate your copies of the sources:• Draw a chart like this (full page) and summarise

your findings:Event Arrian Plutarch Diodorus

Event Arrian Plutarch DiodorusPersian Attack

Alexander’s attack from the right

Parmenio

Persian attack on the baggage

Darius’ escape

Now for Diodorus!

• In pairs, read the sections of Diodorus you have been given• Add details to your charts• Underline/ highlight (on chart) and

major contradictions to Arrian/ Plutarch

Review- Ao3 time• Can you give 3 examples of why Plutarch/ Arrian

may not be reliable (based on their accounts of the battle)?

• 1) _______________________________________

• 2) _______________________________________

• 3) _______________________________________

Poor old Parmenio• Parmenio gets most of

the blame for Darius’ escape here.

• Which of the sources is most critical of him?

• Which is the least critical of him?

Why is there disagreement (1) ?

• Arrian relied heavily on Ptolemy for his account of the battle.

• Ptolemy was in Alexander’s personal guard and fought with the Cavalry.

• Problem…• Ptolemy would have had little knowledge

of what was actually happening on the left.

• Plutarch is more concerned with Alexander (and his armour) than the battle.

• If Alexander was so ‘great’surely he would have captured Darius.

• Problem…• Plutarch is overly critical of Parmenio in

order to aggrandise Alexander.

Why is there disagreement (2) ?

• Although they won, Gaugamela was not the decisive battle Alexander wanted.

• Parmenio is later disgraced and executed.

• Problem…• Parmenio becomes an easy scape goat

for Alexander’s inability to capture Darius.

Why is there disagreement (3) ?

• Many of the first hand accounts (like Ptoloemy) came from Alexander’s friends and favourites.

• Alexander’s anger/ frustration at Darius’ escape will have been VERY evident to them.

• As most of the favourites were in the cavalry, Alexander’s failure would reflect on them.

• Problem…• Parmenio takes the blame for the Cavalry’s

inability to capture Darius.

Why is there disagreement (4) ?

Plenary• How far do accounts of the battle of

Gaugamela serve as an accurate account of the battle OR stand to discredit Parmenio?

‘Extended Learning’: Exam question on Gaugamela