The Battle of the Granicus (334 B.C.E.)

Sources:
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Music:
"IMF," by Dot
"Heliograph," by Chris Zabriskie
"Infados," by Kevin MacLeod
"The House Glows (With Almost No Help)," by Chris Zabriskie
"Hallon," by Christian Bjoerklund

[Lawaleeth]

He took a sword to the head and lived. If he had any religious doubt about being invincible, that definitely vanished when he was still kickin'.

[KevLindsey]

Dude you need to continue Alexander the greats story. I can’t believe this is the last video you posted of his life I need more !

[CreepsMcPasta]

I hope things go better for this Macedonian than that Roman guy

[bronzedivision]

These are some of the most violent squares you've ever animated.

[cshaffer]

In 10 years*
My son: dad do you like history?
me: Yes I do, Cleitus the Black, yes I do.

[markog]

Alexander: "Can't lose troops if i do all the fighting myself"

[hamarbiljungskile]

This Alexander sure sounds like an interesting fellow. I hope he lives long.

[davidhoran]

“I’m here to liberate you!”

“Please don’t!”

[GravitoRaize]

While the financial situation of the Macedonians was dire, I think it's important to point out the crazy politics and behind-the-scenes dealings of this era that led to good reasons why an invasion was likely to succeed.

Alexander's father had already made plans for invading the mostly prosperous and expansive Achaemenid Empire. In fact, Philip II had been hoping to succeed in an invasion himself before he was killed.

The vizier of the Persians/Achaemenids, Bagoas (Note: not Bagoas the Elder who was a courtier), had been blamed by Alexander for orchestrating Philip's assassination in a letter. Historia Civilis did a video on Philip and his death, but Bagoas was left out of the conversation. It's unknown if Bagoas had anything to do with it, and it is sort of implied history that he didn't and this could have just been Alexander blaming Bagoas to get the heat off of him. This Bagoas character was known as somewhat of a king-maker, poisoning or orchestrating the downfall of people in his way (sort of like a Lord Varys/Petyr Baelish from Game of Thrones). He was also very close friends with Mentor who was the brother of Memnon of Rhodes (the only general that came close to stopping Alexander, frankly) after cleaning up a rebellion in Egypt. These were the people most able to know how to thwart any Macedonian threat. Mentor died while commander of the west and that left his brother Memnon to take over.

Bagoas seemingly had support of most of the satraps (governors in the Achaemenid Empire) and was effectively the power behind the throne and possibly the reason the Empire was in the state it was. Bagoas was believed to have poisoned the previous ruler, Artaxerxes III (Darius's uncle), and possibly even was involved in the assassination of Darius's grandfather, Artaxerxes II. While Artaxerxes II had mostly quashed all of the rebellions in Achaemenid Empire, the satraps were given wide autonomy, and many of the people hated them for it. Worse, it seemed like anytime someone seemingly had a firm grasp on power in Persia, they were assassinated/poisoned. In fact, Bagoas's downfall would be the fact he was trying to poison Darius about two years before Alexander invaded, when he was caught and forced to drink his own poison resulting in his death.

So, a new ruler in Alexander has united everyone in the West seemingly against the Persians, the satraps of Persia just lost their best ally and the real architect of the empire has been killed. No one wants to listen to this "old guard" that were Bogoas's friends (Memnon) and two of the three that knew the real threat the Macedonians posed were dead. Part of Alexander's success lay in the groundwork Phillip had already laid down for "liberation" of the Persians, but some of it was just blind political in-fighting and dumb luck. Additionally, the well-built roads the Achaemenid's had built to help them trade easier and travel quickly to suppress all these satrap rebellions only made a possible Macedonian invasion even easier.

[bobchipman]

Alexander was really out there fighting like he was playing Mount & Blade Warband.

[eutropius]

Hey Historia Civillis, finish the Alexander the Great storyline

We want more

[goldenfiberwheat]

10:06 imagine throwing a javelin at someone and they catch it with their shield, pull it out, and start charging you. I’d crap my pants

[genericyoutubeaccount]

There we go. Persians fighting to the last Greek Mercenary.

[thejackman]

Persian Cavalry-men: *About to kill the enemy king and save his country
Cleitus the Black: “I’m about to end the man’s whole career.”

[MarcieParcie]

This sounds like one of those fire emblem maps where you just let your general of lvl 20 do all the fighting

[phillipelias]

Would love a continuation of this series 🥺

[VladTevez]

15:22 On the contrary, enslaving Greek mercenaries was a good P.R., as they were seen as traitors to the Hellenic League. That's what Arrian wrote about Alexander's thinking on this issue... and SPOILER ALERT: As we'll see in the future, it is a standard practice of Alexander to punish Greek mercenaries working with the Persians, as traitors

[wisedragon]

You realize how badass Alexander the Great was when you find out that almost all Roman emperors and generals were his fanboys. Julius Ceasar, Augustus, Vespasian, Hadrian, even maniacs like Caracalla and Caligula, and generals like Pompey, Germanicus, Mark Antony- they all idolized and were obsessed with Alexander the Great. When reading Alexander’s life Julius Caesar wept. On his visit to Egyp after defeating Mark Antony and Cleopatra, Augustus made a special trip to Alexander’s tomb in Alexandria where he reverentially laid flowers and a golden crown across the Macedonian king’s body. When asked whether he’d like to see the tombs of the Ptolemies, he sneered, replying: “I’ve come to see a king, not a row of corpses.” Caracalla, a great admirer of Alexander, wore a blond wig to emulate his idol and started a war against the Parthians. Caligula looted the tomb of Alexander the Great in order to snatch his breastplate from his corpse. He was wearing this breastplate full of pride.

[james_baker]

Ok, A sad goodbye to Rome and a warm welcome to Greece. Here we go.

[GriffintheGuy]

Please continue the Alexander series, it is so well done and informative. I have re-watched these more times than I can count.