Battle of the Persian Gate | |||||||||
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Part of the Wars of Alexander the Great | |||||||||
Highway 78 through the Persian Gate in modern-day Iran, 2012 | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Macedonian Empire | Achaemenid Empire | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Alexander the Great Craterus Ptolemy I Soter | Ariobarzanes of Persis | ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
~17,000 picked fighters[1][2] |
40,000 infantry and 700 cavalry (Arrian) 700–2,000 (modern estimate)[1][3][4] | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
Unknown, but moderate to heavy | Entire army | ||||||||
The Battle of the Persian Gate took place as part of the Wars of Alexander the Great. In the winter of 330 BC, Ariobarzanes of Persis led a last stand with his outnumbered Persian army at the Persian Gate, near Persepolis,[5] and held back the Macedonian army for approximately a month. However, through captured prisoners of war or a local shepherd, Alexander found a path around to flank the Persian troops from the rear, allowing him to capture half of Persia proper in another decisive victory against the Achaemenid Empire.