The Battle of Issus and the Conquest of Egypt

Ancient readings:
Arrian 2.4-3.5
Curtius Rufus 3.2-4.8
Diodorus 17.30-52
Justin 11.8-11
Plutarch: Alexander 19-28

Modern Readings:
Devine, A. M. "The Strategies of Alexander the Great and Darius III in the Issus Campaign." AncW 12 (1985): 25-38
Devine, A. M. "Grand Tactics at the Battle of the Issus." AncW 12 (1985): 39-59
Romane, J. P. "Alexander's Siege of Tyre." AncW 16 (1987): 79-90.
Romane, J. P. "Alexander's Siege of Gaza." AncW 18 (1988): 21-30.
Bloedow, E. "Egypt in Alexander's Scheme of Things." Quaderni Urbinati di Cultura Classica 77 (2004): 75-99

Questions:

  1. What is the Persian strategy at this point? Why does Darius take the field personally?
  2. What are Alexander's tactics at the Battle of the Issus? What are Darius'? How well can we reconstruct the course of this battle from the sources?
  3. How well does the Alexander mosaic seem to depict the critical moment of the battle? What can we tell about the artist's understanding of Alexander and Darius?
  4. How does Alexander treat Darius' family? How do the historians portray this differently from each other, and why?
  5. How do the historians differ in their presentations of Darius' peace offers? Which seems most likely to be correct, and why?
  6. What do Alexander's relations seem to be with his generals, especially Parmenio, at this point?
  7. What is Alexander's approach to conquered peoples? How does it differ from Persian rule? What does this show about Alexander's long-term plans?
  8. Why does Alexander lay siege to Tyre? What does the siege and its aftermath reveal about him and his character? 
  9. Why does Diodorus go into so much more detail about the siege of Tyre than the battle of the Issus?
  10. Why does Curtius go into such detail about the siege of Gaza? What is he trying to show? Why might Arrian chose to go into less detail about this?
  11. Why, according to the ancient sources, does Alexander not pursue Darius and instead go to Egypt? 
  12. Why does Alexander make a long detour to visit the oracle of Zeus-Ammon (Amun) at the Siwah oasis in the middle of the desert? What does he ask the oracle, and what responses does he receive? What does this reveal about Alexander's aims and his character? How do the historians differ in their presentations of this?
  13. Why does Alexander found a city at the mouth of the Nile?


© Charles E. Muntz 2011-2024