Battle of the Granicus
334 BCE · Turkey
The Battle of the Granicus was fought in 334 BCE in Turkey between Macedon and the League of Corinth vs the Achaemenid Persian Empire; decisive Macedonian victory; Alexander's first battle in Asia opened western Anatolia to him.
Battle of the Granicus: quick facts
- Date
- 334 BCE
- Location
- Turkey
- Belligerents
- Macedon and the League of Corinth vs the Achaemenid Persian Empire
- Commanders
- Alexander the Great vs the Persian satraps and Memnon of Rhodes
- Result
- decisive Macedonian victory; Alexander's first battle in Asia opened western Anatolia to him.
- Era
- 🏺 Ancient Greece & Rome
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of the Granicus?
Alexander the Great fought his first major battle against the Persian Empire at the Granicus River in Asia Minor. Leading his Companion cavalry personally across the river, Alexander nearly died in fierce hand-to-hand combat with Persian nobles. The decisive Macedonian victory opened all of Asia Minor to Alexander's conquest and signaled the beginning of the end for the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
Did you know?
Alexander nearly died at the Granicus when a Persian nobleman's sword blow split his helmet. He was only saved when his companion Cleitus the Black cut off the Persian's arm mid-swing.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of the Granicus 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.