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The Ancients

Alexander the Great & The Persian Thermopylae (Part Two)

The Ancients
The Ancients

In this second part of Tristan’s explainer, he takes us right into the heart of the battle dubbed the Persian Thermopylae. Listen as Alexander begins a full-blooded assault on the Persian Gates, and find out how this battle for the Persian heartlands ended.

Preorder Tristan’s book today: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Perdiccas-Years-323320-BC-Hardback/p/20188

Jona Lendering article: https://www.livius.org/articles/battle/persian-gate-330-bce/

The narrow Yasuj pass.

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Music provided by All3Media and EpidemicSound.


Further Reading

Hammond, M. (2013), tr., Arrian: Alexander the Great, the Anabasis and the Indica, Oxford.

Shepherd, R. (1793), tr., Polyaenus: Stratagems of War, Chicago.

Waterfield, R. (2019), tr., Diodorus of Sicily: The Library, Books 16-20, Oxford.

Yardley, J. (2001), tr., The History of Alexander: Quintus Curtius Rufus, Chatham.


Bosworth, A. B. (1988), Conquest and Empire: The Reign of Alexander the Great, Cambridge.

Engels, D. W. (1978), Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army, London.

Heckel, W. (2006), Who's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great, Oxford.

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