Battle of Gaugamela
331 BCE · Gaugamela, Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)
The Battle of Gaugamela was fought in 331 BCE in Gaugamela, Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) between Macedon and the League of Corinth vs the Achaemenid Persian Empire; decisive Macedonian victory that effectively ended the Persian Empire.
Battle of Gaugamela: quick facts
- Date
- 331 BCE
- Location
- Gaugamela, Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)
- Belligerents
- Macedon and the League of Corinth vs the Achaemenid Persian Empire
- Commanders
- Alexander the Great vs Darius III
- Result
- decisive Macedonian victory that effectively ended the Persian Empire.
- Era
- 🏛️ Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia
- Quiz difficulty
- medium
What happened at the Battle of Gaugamela?
Alexander the Great faced Darius III's massive Persian army on a plain near Gaugamela that Darius had leveled to give his scythed chariots and cavalry maximum advantage. Despite being vastly outnumbered, Alexander executed a brilliant oblique attack, drawing the Persian left flank out of position before leading his Companion cavalry in a devastating charge directly at Darius. The Persian king fled, and his army collapsed. The victory gave Alexander control of Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis, ending the Achaemenid Empire that had ruled the Near East for over two centuries.
Did you know?
Darius III had the battlefield at Gaugamela specially leveled and cleared of obstacles to maximize his chariot advantage, but Alexander simply avoided the prepared ground during his decisive charge.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Gaugamela on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.