Topic summary
Battle of the Granicus
Hellenic League
18,100 total
4,200 heavy cavalry
- 1,800 Companion cavalry
- 1,800 Greek Thessalian cavalry
- 600 Greek allied cavalry
900 light cavalry
12,000 heavy infantry
- 9,000 Foot Companions
- 3,000 hypaspists
1,000 light infantry
14,000–40,000 total
10,000–20,000 cavalry
4,000–20,000 infantry
- 4,000–5,000 Greek mercenaries
- 0–16,000 other infantry
115 total
- 85 cavalry killed
- 30 infantry killed
5,000–6,000 total
- 1,000 cavalry killed
- 2,000–3,000 Greek mercenaries killed
- 2,000 Greek mercenaries taken prisoner
The Battle of the Granicus in May 334 BC was the first of three major battles fought between Alexander the Great of Macedon and the Persian Achaemenid Empire. The battle took place on the road from Abydus to Dascylium, at the crossing of the Granicus in the Troad region, which is now called the Biga River in Turkey. In the battle Alexander defeated the field army of the Persian satraps of Asia Minor, which defended the river crossing. After this battle, the Persians were forced onto the defensive in the cities that remained under their control in the region.