Siege of Halicarnassus

Siege by Alexander the Great in 334 BC

Siege of Halicarnassus

Part of the Wars of Alexander the Great

The siege and capture of Halicarnassus under Alexander the Great
| Date| 334 BC

|

Location|

Halicarnassus
(modern-day Bodrum, Turkey)

37°02′00″N 27°26′00″E﻿ / ﻿37.0333°N 27.4333°E﻿ / 37.0333; 27.4333
Result|  Macedonian victory[1][2][3][4]
Territorial
changes|  Alexander captures Caria
Belligerents
Macedonia
Hellenic League|  Achaemenid Empire
Commanders and leaders
Alexander the Great
Hephaestion|  Orontobates
Memnon of Rhodes
Casualties and losses
16[3]|  170[3]

Halicarnassus

class=notpageimage|

Location of the siege of Halicarnassus

* v
* t
* e

Campaigns of
Alexander the Great

Balkans

* Mount Haemus (335 BC)
* Pelium (335 BC)
* Thebes (335 BC)

Persia

* Granicus (334 BC)
* Miletus (334 BC)
* Halicarnassus (334 BC)
* Issus (333 BC)
* Tyre (332 BC)
* Gaza (332 BC)
* Gaugamela (331 BC)
* Uxian Defile (331 BC)
* Persian Gate (330 BC)
* Cyropolis (329 BC)
* Jaxartes (329 BC)
* Gabai (328 BC)
* Sogdian Rock (327 BC)

Indian subcontinent

* Cophen (327 BC)
* Aornos (326 BC)
* Hydaspes (326 BC)
* Mallian campaign (326 BC)

Alexander the Great

900km
559miles

Babylon

Malavas

Hydaspes

Cophen

Cyropolis

Persian Gate

Uxians

Gaugamela

Alexandria

Gaza

Tyre

Issus

Halicarnassus

Granicus

Pella

current battle

The siege of Halicarnassus was fought between Alexander the Great and the Achaemenid Persian Empire in 334 BC. Alexander, who had no navy, was constantly being threatened by the Persian navy. It continuously attempted to provoke an engagement with Alexander, who would not oblige them. Eventually, the Persian fleet sailed to Halicarnassus, in order to establish a new defense. Ada of Caria, the former queen of Halicarnassus, had been driven from her throne by her younger brother Pixodarus of Caria. When Pixodarus died, Persian King Darius had appointed Orontobates satrap of Caria, which included Halicarnassus in its jurisdiction. On the arrival of Alexander in 334 BC, Ada, who was in possession of the fortress of Alinda, surrendered the fortress to him.[2]

Orontobates and Memnon of Rhodes entrenched themselves in Halicarnassus. Alexander had sent spies to meet with dissidents inside the city, who had promised to open the gates and allow Alexander to enter. When his spies arrived, however, the dissidents were nowhere to be found. A small battle resulted, and Alexander's army managed to break through the city walls. Memnon, however, now deployed his catapults, and Alexander's army fell back. Memnon then deployed his infantry, and shortly before Alexander would have received his first defeat, his infantry managed to break through the city walls, surprising the Persian forces. Memnon, realizing the city was lost, set fire to it and withdrew with his army. Strong winds caused the fire to destroy much of the city.[2] Alexander leading his army through the gates, ordered crews to extinguish the blazing structures and issued a decree that the citizens should not be harmed.[4]

## Aftermath

[edit]

After the capture of Halicarnassus Alexander sent his newly married soldiers home to spend the winter with their families. [5] Alexander committed the government of Caria to Ada; and she, in turn, formally adopted Alexander as her son, ensuring that the rule of Caria passed unconditionally to him upon her eventual death. During her husband's tenure as satrap, Ada had been loved by the people of Caria. By putting Ada, who felt very favorably towards Alexander, on the throne, he ensured that the government of Caria, as well as its people, remained loyal to him.[2]

* Map of Halicarnassus at the time of the siege

* Ruins of the fortications around Halicarnassus (the Myndus Gate), 4th century BC

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Fuller, J.F.C (1960). The Generalship of Alexander The Great. Da Capo Press. pp. 200–206\. ISBN 0-306-81330-0. Retrieved 2 July 2024.200-206&rft.pub=Da+Capo+Press&rft.date=1960&rft.isbn=0-306-81330-0&rft.aulast=Fuller&rft.aufirst=J.F.C&rft_id=https://books.google.com/books?id=cqorAAAAYAAJ&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Siege+of+Halicarnassus" class="Z3988">
2. ^ a b c d Cartledge, Paul (2004). Alexander the Great the hunt for a new past. Overlook Press. ISBN 1-4050-3292-8. OL 3308184M. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
3. ^ a b c English, Stephen (30 March 2010). The Sieges of Alexander the Great. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781848840607. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
4. ^ a b Easton, Jeffery A (April 2006). "A Storm of Terrors: Alexander the Great at Halicarnassus". Military Heritage. No. 7–5. Retrieved 2 July 2024.7–5&rft.date=2006-04&rft.aulast=Easton&rft.aufirst=Jeffery+A&rft_id=https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/a-storm-of-terrors-alexander-the-great-at-halicarnassus/&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Siege+of+Halicarnassus" class="Z3988">
5. ^ Fuller, J.F.C (1960). The Generalship of Alexander The Great. Da Capo Press. p. 304\. ISBN 0-306-81330-0. Retrieved 2 July 2024.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Cartledge, Paul. Alexander the Great: The Hunt for a New Past. Woodstock, NY; New York: The Overlook Press, 2004 (hardcover, ISBN 1-58567-565-2); London: PanMacmillan, 2004 (hardcover, ISBN 1-4050-3292-8); New York: Vintage, 2005 (paperback, ISBN 1-4000-7919-5).
* Fuller J.F.C The Generalship of Alexander The Great. New Brunswick, NJ : Da Capo Press, 2004 (ISBN 0-306-81330-0).
* English Stephen. The Sieges of Alexander the Great. Pen and Sword, 2010 (ISBN 9781848840607)

* v
* t
* e

Achaemenid Empire

History|

* Family tree
* Timeline
* History of democracy

Art|

* Achaemenid Persian Lion Rhyton
* Oxus Treasure
* Achaemenid coinage
* Apadana hoard
* Danake
* Daric

Architecture|

* Persepolis
* Apadana
* Gate of All Nations
* Tachara
* Palace of Darius in Susa
* Tomb of Cyrus
* Persian column
* Naqsh-e Rostam
* Ka'ba-ye Zartosht
* Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
* Tombs at Xanthos
* Harpy Tomb
* Nereid Monument
* Tomb of Payava

Culture|

* Achaemenid music
* Old Persian cuneiform
* Old Persian
* Behistun Inscription
* Xerxes I's inscription at Van
* Ganjnameh
* Cyrus Cylinder

Warfare|

* Persian Revolt
* Battle of Hyrba
* Battle of the Persian Border
* Lydian-Persian Wars
* Battle of Pteria
* Battle of Thymbra
* Siege of Sardis (547 BC)
* Battle of Opis
* Conquest of the Indus Valley
* First conquest of Egypt
* Scythian campaign of Darius I
* Greco-Persian Wars
* Ionian Revolt
* Siege of Naxos (499 BC)
* Battle of Lade
* Siege of Eretria
* Battle of Marathon
* Battle of Thermopylae
* Battle of Artemisium
* Destruction of Athens
* Battle of Salamis
* Battle of Plataea
* Battle of Mycale
* Babylonian revolts
* Wars of the Delian League
* Battle of the Eurymedon
* Peloponnesian War
* Battle of Cyzicus
* Battle of Cunaxa
* Corinthian War
* Battle of Cnidus
* Great Satraps' Revolt
* Second conquest of Egypt
* Wars of Alexander the Great
* Battle of the Granicus
* Siege of Miletus
* Siege of Halicarnassus
* Battle of Issus
* Siege of Tyre (332 BC)
* Siege of Gaza
* Battle of Gaugamela
* Battle of the Persian Gate

Diplomacy|

* Earth and water
* Peace of Callias
* Peace of Antalcidas

Administration|

* Capitals
* Pasargadae
* Ecbatana
* Babylon
* Susa
* Satrapies
* Armenia
* Districts of the Empire
* Persepolis Administrative Archives
* Royal Road
* Chapar Khaneh
* Angarium
* Angarum

Dynasties|

* Achaemenid
* Pharnacid
* Mithridatic
* Pontus
* Ariarathid
* Cappadocia
* Lygdamid
* Caria
* Orontid
* Armenia
* Seven Achaemenid clans

Related|

* 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire
* Xanthian Obelisk
* Cappadocian calendar

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template