ORDER OF BATTLE // -329 BCE
Battle of the Persian Gate on the Mountain
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 57,000 estimated
Macedonian Empire
17,000
Medium-confidence figure
Achaemenid Empire
40,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
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.
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