During that same time, Artaxerxes III Ochus, the king of Persia died. The Persian Empire was left with no powerful successor. Artaxerxes IV Arses was forced to be in charge of the revolts. As they were about to attack King Philip in 336 was assassinated. When Arses passed away, Darius III Codomannus became the successor as opposed to the successor of King Philip who was Alexander.
Took place in November 333 BC, the Battle at Issus or also known as the Battle of Issus happened in the southern Anatolia. The young Alexander of Macedonia took charge and led the invading troops against the army of Darius III of Achaemenid Persia.
The Battle of Issus began as Alexander in 334 BC set out into the region of Asia. He defeated the local Persian satraps during the so called Battle of the Granicus. Alexander conquered the rest of Asia Minor and heard about Darius while he was in Tarsus. He heard that Darius was forming a great army in the lands of Babylon. It was said that Darius had the Persian fleets support under Pharnabazus if he were to go to the Gulf of Issus. The Persian fleet was still in service at the Mediterranean Sea. The army of Alexander remained at Tarsus but the coast of Issus was occupied by Parmenion, as ordered by Alexander. Reports circulated and reached Alexander that the Persian army had progressed to Sochi, a town in Syria. Alexander then gathered his scattered troop and moved forward south beginning Issus all through the Pass of Jonah.
Darius was aware that Alexander sent Parmenion to the Pass of Jonah so he decided to take on a northern path to advance. Issus was captured by the Persians with no hostility or resistance. Hands of those wounded and sick individual that Alexander left behind, were cut off. Darius discovered that his army was now behind the Macedonians and had cut off their lines of supply. Darius, together with his army moved forward to the south and before advancing further to the river Pinarus, he perceived that Alexander and his troop were marching north. So Darius decided that he must set up a camp on that limited coastal plain where they were presently located.
There were about 69,000 Peltasts, 10,000 Greek hoplites, 10,000 Persian immortals and 11,000 cavalry under the Persian army. With roughly about 100,000 men in total, the Persian army clearly had the advantage. There were other accounts from historians that the number of Persian men reached 250,000-600,000 individuals. The Macedonian troops on the other hand did not exceeded the 40,000 count even with their Greek allies counted. As led by Alexander, the Macedonians consisted of roughly about 22,000 hoplites and phalangites, 13,000 peltasts plus 5,850 cavalry.
The Battle of Issus happened in the southern area of Issus on the side of the river of Pinarus. Issus was an ancient town which is similar to present Iskenderun, a Turkish town. the Macedonians led by Alexander moved forward through the Pillar of Jonah. The Companion cavalry of Alexander was ordered to be on the right border while the Thessalian allied cavalry was on the left side with Parmenion as their leader.
Darius focused his army on the coast located at his right. His heavy cavalry was assigned to this together with the Greek mercenary phalanx. After the Greek phalanx, Darius ordered the Cardaces, his Persian infantry to go along the riverside and into the hills. They wrapped around to the other side and posed a threat to the right flank of Alexander. Darius together with the Greek mercenaries, his very best infantry, and the royal cavalry guard positioned himself at the center. Some argue that this tactic by Darius was similar to the battle formation of the Hellenic during the Battle of the Granicus.
Parmenion together with the allied cavalry first made charge, giving way to open battle as they crossed the river. The left wing of Alexander became the heart of the encounter once again, as two years later at Gaugamela, Parmenion took charge of the wing long enough against the greater Persian troops in order for Alexander to make his planned cavalry hit against Darius and in turn make the Persian army collapse. The Hypaspists together with Alexander were able to give an assault to the Persians as they crossed the riverbed on the Cardaces and opened a crack through the Persian force.
Alexander planned a direct assault against the leader of the opposition, Darius who left the battlefield, as he mounted a horse as he led the Companion cavalry. However, Alexander had a change of heart when he saw and realized that his center and left flank were in trouble. Darius fled and broke down into the back of the Greek mercenaries. The Greek mercenaries fell apart and collapsed. The Persians recognized that their battle was starting to be lost as their great leader had gone. They ditched their positions and fled in total disorder.
The Macedonian troops continuously pursued the Persians who fled and just like most battles during the ancient times significant slaughter or carnage became inevitable after the battle. The Macedonians who pursued their rivals slaughtered their disorganized and congested foes.
There were a great deal of debate as to what the motives of Darius and Alexander was preceding the Battle of Issus. According to a modern point of view, Darius was compelled to move camp to territory that was in favor of Alexander for the reason that Alexander was battling defensively due to a proposal suggested by Parmenion and his war council. The large troop of Darius could not be backed up in the field in times of the winter and his cities founded in Phoenicia were by then in turbulence as Alexander arrived. Darius was obliged and forced to transfer and move his big army to a smaller battlefield, significantly to the benefit of the smaller army of Alexander.
The Battle of Issus was a crucial and significant Macedonian success or victory as it signified the beginning of the termination of the Persian power. The Persian troop was defeated for the first time with their King who was Darius III, present. It is believed to be the second great battle for dominance in the continent of Asia.
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