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BATTLE // -329 BCE

Battle of the Persian Gate on the Mountain

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Significance

The Battle of the Persian Gate represented a significant episode in Alexander's conquest of the Achaemenid heartland during the winter of 330 BC. Ariobarzanes of Persis, commanding an Achaemenid force, held the Macedonian army in check near Persepolis for approximately a month — a substantial delay given the numerical disparity between the two forces. Despite this resistance, Alexander's eventual flanking maneuver broke the Persian defense and allowed the Macedonians to seize half of Persia proper, advancing the systematic dismantling of Achaemenid imperial authority. The outcome contributed to the broader pattern of decisive Macedonian victories that progressively stripped the Achaemenid Empire of its core territories during the Wars of Alexander the Great.

Tactics

Alexander identified a path around the Persian position through intelligence gathered from captured prisoners of war or a local shepherd. Using this route, he executed a maneuver that struck the Persian troops from the rear, breaking the defense that had held the Macedonian army in place for approximately a month.

Forces & casualties

Troop strength

  • Macedonian Empire17,000
    medium
  • Achaemenid Empire40,000
    medium

Achaemenid Empire fielded a 2.4 : 1 numerical advantage

Order of battle →

Commanders (6)

Achaemenid Empire

Macedonian Empire

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Last verified July 2026
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