EDFNIURPWKHULJKWÀDQNWRZDUGWKHFHQWHURIWKH3HUVLDQIRUPDWLRQ
where Darius stood in his chariot. The Companion cavalry, formed
into a wedge with Alexander himself at its head, crashed into the
Persian ranks.x Darius apparently took fright and, just as he had at the earlier Battle
RI,VVXVWXUQHGKLVFKDULRWDQGÀHGIURPWKH¿HOGDEDQGRQLQJKLV
DUP\8SRQKLVGHVHUWLRQWKH3HUVLDQVLQWKDWVHFWLRQRIWKH¿HOG
ORVWKHDUWDQGDIWHUVRPHWRXJK¿JKWLQJ$OH[DQGHUDQGKLVFDYDOU\
routed them.x Alexander had won the battle and, with it, the Persian Empire.
Although Darius escaped and would manage to evade capture for
another year or so, until mortally wounded by his own men, from
WKHPRPHQWWKDWKHÀHG*DXJDPHODKHKDGHIIHFWLYHO\IRUIHLWHGKLV
throne; Alexander became the new king of kings of Persia.Outcomes
x *DXJDPHODZDV$OH[DQGHU¶V¿QHVWDFKLHYHPHQWDVDJHQHUDO,WZDV
DEDWWOHLQZKLFKKLVHQHP\VHHPHGWRKDYHVLJQL¿FDQWDGYDQWDJHV
VXSHULRULW\LQQXPEHUVFKRLFHRIEDWWOH¿HOGDQGDVHFUHWZHDSRQ
But through a combination of carefully preparing and training
his army and skillfully and boldly using them during the battle,
$OH[DQGHUQXOOL¿HGWKHVH3HUVLDQDGYDQWDJHVRQHE\RQH
x Alexander is sometimes accused of impulsiveness, but he showed
calculation after Issus in not pursuing Darius and, instead,
QHXWUDOL]LQJ WKH 3HUVLDQ QDY\ WR VHFXUH KLV ÀDQNV DQG SURWHFW
his supply lines. Even in the heat of combat at Gaugamela, he
demonstrated sound judgment in curtailing his charge and going to
the aid of his phalanx.x After Gaugamela, Alexander went on to capture the royal cities
of Persia. Even though his united empire did not survive beyond
his own lifetime, his real legacy was the spread of Greek culture
throughout the empire. Indeed, the next period of Mediterranean