The most reliable ancient account of Alexander the Great's campaigns. Arrian draws on the memoirs of Ptolemy and Aristobulus — eyewitnesses — and writes with a soldier's eye for terrain and tactics.
Start ReadingAlexander inherits the Macedonian throne and secures Greece's submission before crossing the Hellespont with 37,000 men to begin the conquest of Persia.
The sieges of Miletus and Halicarnassus, followed by Alexander's sweep through Asia Minor, establishing his reputation as both brilliant tactician and ruthless besieger.
The decisive Battle of Issus sees Alexander defeat Darius III in person, followed by the legendary siege of Tyre and the visit to the oracle of Ammon.
The Battle of Gaugamela shatters Persian power forever, as Alexander enters Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis — burning Xerxes' palace in a night of celebration.
Alexander pursues Darius to his death, then campaigns in Central Asia against insurgency — and begins adopting Persian customs that alienate his Macedonians.
The Indian campaign reaches the Hydaspes, where Alexander defeats King Porus and his war elephants in one of the most dramatic battles in ancient history.
The army's refusal to march further, the gruelling return through the Gedrosian desert, the mutiny at Opis, and Alexander's death in Babylon at thirty-two.