Ancient readings:
Arrian 1.12.6-2.3
Diodorus 17.17-29
Justin 11.6-7
Plutarch: Alexander 14-18
Curtius Rufus 3.1
Modern Readings:
Hammond, N. G. L. "The Battle of the Granicus River." JHS 100 (1980): 73-88
Devine, A. M. "A Pawn Sacrifice at the Battle of the Granicus: the Origins of a favorite stratagem of Alexander the Great." Ancient World 18 (1988): 3-20
Green, Peter. Alexander of Macedon. pp. 168-181, 489-512
Romane, J. P. "Alexander's Sieges of Miletus and Halicarnassus." Ancient World 25 (1994) 61-76.
Questions:
- What steps does Alexander take to "advertise" his invasion and create his own image during this period?
- What is Alexander's approach towards the Greek cities of Asia Minor? What is the approach of the Greek cities towards Alexander?
- What are the differences between Arrian and Diodorus in their accounts of the Battle of the Granicus? On what do they agree?
- How well can we reconstruct the Battle of the Granicus? What does it reveal about Alexander's tactics? What does it reveal about Persian tactics?
- What can we infer about the attitude of the sources of Arrian and Diodorus to Alexander?
- What are Alexander's relations with his generals, especially Parmenio, like?
- What is the strategy of Memnon of Rhodes? How does it change as Alexander advances? Why does Diodorus give more detail?
- What does Memnon reveal about the role of Greek mercenaries in the Persian Empire, and their relationship with the Persians?
- What kind of administrative apparatus does Alexander put in place as he "liberates" Asia minor? What does this show about his overall strategy and his larger plans?
- How does Alexander conduct siege warfare? Do we see his tactics evolve from Miletus to Halicarnassus?
- What is the purpose of the Gordion knot? What are we to make of the different stories of how Alexander unties it?