Battle of the Persian Gate on the Mountain

Overview

The Battle of the Persian Gate took place as part of the Wars of Alexander the Great. In the winter of 330 BC, Ariobarzanes of Persis led a last stand with his outnumbered Persian army at the Persian Gate, near Persepolis, and held back the Macedonian army for approximately a month. However, through captured prisoners of war or a local shepherd, Alexander found a path around to flank the Persian troops from the rear, allowing him to capture half of Persia proper in another decisive victory against the Achaemenid Empire.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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

Forces & casualties

Commanders (6)