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Battle of Arbela

Battle of Gaugamela
Part of the Wars of Alexander the Great
The battle at Arbela (Gaugamela) between Alexander and Darius, who is in flight (1696).jpg
Battle of Gaugamela, Flemish tapestry, first half of 18th century
Date October 1, 331 BC
Location Probably Tel Gomel (Gaugamela) near Erbil, modern Iraq
Result Decisive Greek victory, Persian military capabilities are crippled.
Territorial
changes
Alexander wins Babylon, half of Persia and all parts of Mesopotamia not already under his control.
Belligerents
Macedon
Hellenic League
Achaemenid Empire
Commanders and leaders
Alexander the Great
Hephaestion
Craterus
Parmenion
Ptolemy
Perdiccas
Antigonus
Cleitus
Nearchus
Seleucus
Ariston
Simmias
Coenus
Ariston
Glaucias
Sopolis
Darius III
Bessus
Mazaeus
Orontes II 
Atropates
Strength

47,000

(See Size of Macedonian army)

52,000–120,000 (modern estimates)
250,000–1,000,000 (ancient sources)

(See Size of Persian army)
Casualties and losses
100 infantry and 1,000 cavalry
(according to Arrian);
300 infantry
(according to Curtius Rufus);
500 infantry
(according to Diodorus Siculus)
40,000
(according to Curtius Rufus)
47,000
(according to Welman)
90,000
(according to Diodorus Siculus)
300,000+ captured
(according to Arrian)

Coordinates: 36°33′36″N 43°26′38″E / 36.56°N 43.444°E / 36.56; 43.444

47,000

52,000–120,000 (modern estimates)
250,000–1,000,000 (ancient sources)

The Battle of Gaugamela (/ˌɡɔːɡəˈmlə/; Greek: Γαυγάμηλα), also called the Battle of Arbela (Greek: Ἄρβηλα), was the decisive battle of Alexander the Great's invasion of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. In 331 BC Alexander's army of the Hellenic League met the Persian army of Darius III near Gaugamela, close to the modern city of Dohuk (Iraqi Kurdistan). Even though heavily outnumbered, Alexander emerged victorious due to his army's superior tactics and his deft employment of light infantry. It was a decisive victory for the Hellenic League and led to the fall of the Achaemenid Empire.

In November 333 BC Darius III had lost the Battle of Issus, resulting in the capture of his wife, his mother and his two daughters, Stateira II and Drypetis. Darius had retreated to Babylon, where he regrouped the remaining army from the previous battle. The victory at Issus had given Alexander control of southern Asia Minor. Following a victory at the Siege of Tyre (332 BC), which lasted from January to July, Alexander controlled the Levant. After his victory at Gaza Persian troop counts were low and the Persian satrap of Egypt, Mazaeus, peacefully surrendered to Alexander.


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