Battle of Granicus - Alexander III of Macedon against Persians and Greeks
Tuesday, 11. December 2007, 10:46:33
To Greek Liars...
Alexander sent these suits of armor to Athens for dedication in the Parthenon simply to tell the Greeks to stay put, to show them "what will happen to any Greeks - Athenians included - who were rush enough to oppose him." (Green)
The spoils of victory, the bulk of the luxury articles were sent home to his mother in Pella, and not to Athens.
At Granicus Alexander captured 2,000 Greek mercenaries (commanded by Memnon) who were sent to Macedonia (notice, not to Athens), chained like felons to force labor.
"Alexander's action smacks of pure vindictiveness" (Green); same kind of vindictiveness as the one at Thebes.
Most importantly, Alexander erected 25 statues of the fallen Macedonian Companions at Dium in Macedonia, not Greece?
Why did he not erect bronze statues of his soldiers in Athens, the most venerated cities of ancient Greece?
Surely, Athens was the leading city in Greece.
And if anyone is going to "impress" the Greeks, the tribute should have been designated for Athenian arrival, and not Dium, a city of markedly lesser political significance.
Please notice that Alexander sent 300 panoplies to Athens (by the way aren't panoplies the armor of the Greek soldiers?) and statues to Dium where characteristically he included his own likeness in the group? The truth is, that Alexander had saved his political emotions for Athens, but his heart for Macedonia.
The results of the battle.
Memnon, one of the commanders of the Greek mercenaries, had survived the battle as he had not participated in it. The Persians no longer trusted him after he had told them that it was not wise to force Alexander into a battle at the Granicus. He wanted to avoid a direct battle, combined with the tactics of the scorched earth. At the same time all naval bases at the Aegean had to be reinforced, and Alexander had to be cut off from the sea, and thus his supplies. Darius had much faith in Memnon when he heard of his plans, and gave Memnon orders to realize his plans.
Nevertheless managed Alexander to take many coastal places without much effort, and he also dominated the important road to Sardes. Milete refused to let Alexander inside the walls in the hope that the Phoenician and Cypriotic ships in Mycale would help. Alexander took the city before any help had arrived at the battlefield. Memnon retreated to Halikarnassos and reinforced it immensly. Again Alexander managed to take this city and now Memnon was forced to retreat to islands in the Aegean. Here he created several bases which not only formed a threat for the side of Alexanders army, but they were also meant for a counterattack on Macedon and Hellas. Unfortunately for the Persians he died because of a disease before this attack was launched.
The successors of Memnon continued his strategy for some time, but they realised that an attack on Macedon or Hellas was useless after Antipater, who was governor of Macedon during Alexanders absence, had shown his power. The battle against Alexander would be continued inside the Persian empire instead of in Macedon...
SORRY GREEKS..
WIDGETIZE
Anonymous # 5. May 2009, 14:51
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to post more stuff then just writting something down
cause it does not help at all!