Battle of the Persian Gate 330 BC - Alexander the Great DOCUMENTARY

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The new Kings and Generals animated ancient historical documentary series covering the conquests of Alexander III the Great of Macedon continues with the aftermath of the siege of Tyre of 332 BC ( • Siege of Tyre 332 BC -... ), the battle of Gaza and conquest of Egypt ( • Siege of Gaza 332 BC -... ) as well as the decisive battle of Gaugamela against Darius III in 331 BC ( • Battle of Gaugamela 33... ). This video will cover the continuation of Alexander's Persian campaign, as he marches in Iran, which leads to the battles of the Uxian Defile and the Persian Gates, and the end of Darius III. We are planning to cover all campaigns of Alexander and all of his major battles, including Gaugamela, Tyre, Issus, Granicus, Halicarnassus, Gaza, Hydaspes and more.
How Alexander Defeated his Balkan enemies: • Alexander the Great's ...
Battle of Granicus 334 BC: • Battle of Granicus 334...
Sieges of Miletus and Halicarnassus 334 BC: • Siege of Halicarnassus...
Battle of Issus 333 BC: • Battle of Issus 333 BC...
Siege of Tyre of 332 BC: • Siege of Tyre 332 BC -...
Alexander in Palestine and Egypt: • Siege of Gaza 332 BC -...
Gaugamela 331 BC: • Battle of Gaugamela 33...
How Rome Conquered Greece: • How Rome Conquered Gre...
Philip II and Macedonian Phalanx: • Armies and Tactics: Ph...
Philip II's Cavalry and Siegecraft: • Armies and Tactics: Ph...
Diplomatic Genius of Philip of Macedon: • Diplomatic Genius of P...
Military Reforms of Alexander the Great: • Military Reforms of Al...
Alexander the Great: Logistics: • Alexander the Great: L...
Special Forces of Alexander the Great: • Special Forces of Alex...
Ancient Macedonia before Alexander the Great and Philip II: • Ancient Macedonia befo...
Why were Alexander's Body and Tomb So Important? • Why were Alexander's B...
What happened to Alexander's tomb? • What happened to Alexa...
Alexander the Great in Quran and Middle Eastern Myths: • Alexander the Great in...
Ancient Greek State Politics and Diplomacy: • Ancient Greek State Po...
Demosthenes: Greatest Enemy of Philip of Macedon: • Demosthenes: Greatest ...
Greek and Barbarians: • Greek and Barbarians -...
Bosporan Kingdom - Longest Surviving Ancient Greek State: • Bosporan Kingdom - Lon...
Ancient Greek Kingdom in India: • Ancient Greek Kingdom ...
Ancient Greek State in Afghanistan: • Ancient Greek State in...
Support us on Patreon: / kingsandgenerals or Paypal: paypal.me/kingsandgenerals or by joining the youtube membership: / @kingsandgenerals We are grateful to our patrons and sponsors, who made this video possible: docs.google.com/document/d/1o...
The video was made by MalayArcher ( / mathemedicupdates , while the script was researched and written by Peter Voller, assisted by Peter Voller. This video was narrated by Officially Devin ( / @offydgg & kzbin.info/door/79s.... Art by Nargiz Isayeva. The artwork was inspired by Joan Francesc Oliveras - / jfoliveras Machinima: Total War: Rome II engine Divide et Impera mod Alexander submod.
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Sources:
Arrian’s Anabasis
Plutarch’s Life of Alexander
Justin’s Epitome of Pompeius Trogus
Quintus Curtius Rufus’s History of Alexander the Great
Diodorus Siculus’ Library of History book 17
Encyclopaedia Iranica
Badian, E. (2000) ‘Darius III’, in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology vol. 100
Borza, E. and Green, P. (2013) Alexander of Macedon 356-323BC
Heckel, W. (2002) The Wars of Alexander the Great
Heckel, W. (2008) The Conquests of Alexander the Great
Lane Fox. R. (2004) Alexander the Great
Marsden, E. W. (1984) The Campaign of Gaugamela
Murison, C. L. (1972) Darius III and the Battle of Issus
Worthington, I. (2014), By the Spear: Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the Rise and Fall of the Macedonian Empire
Production Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound: www.epidemicsound.com
#Documentary #Alexander #PersianGate

[@KingsandGenerals]

Get 20% OFF + Free International Shipping with my link manscaped.com/kings

[@user-jr3dk6qf2t]

I find it annoying when you say, mainly Greeks and Macedonians...

[@SafavidAfsharid3197]

Hey can you continue your maratha series or mughal series or british conquest of india series? Like how about making a video on maratha sack of Delhi in 1737 or battle of Bhopal?

[@dasbear-1408]

Much appreciation for the video and continuation of the Conquest of Alexander though I will continue to look forward on more great and amazingly/Magnificent Videos and detailed knowledge shared thanks for your time n creating these video's and I will be looking forward and waiting for the next video-videos

[@aryaputram]

You should also do video on battle of hydapsues where Indian small king(but brave) defeated Alexander by a huge loss 🔥🙏

[@Nabil-jv6jn]

@@aryaputramok first remove boobs from your name

[@ValensBellator]

To be fair to Darius, I have a feeling most men would be viewed as “incompetent” by historians if they had the misfortune of being pitted against Alexander and his armies 😂

[@rabidspatula1013]

This guy gets it.

[@TheAshHeritor]

Indeed. Darius was simply outmatched. This, in no way, makes him incompetent or a coward. I'm very glad Alexander treated him with dignity and respect even after his death though.

[@byronwaldron7933]

@@tornado4708 Decreasingly few scholars now believe that he heavily outnumbered Alexander, and some, such as Delbruck, actually suggest that the armies were of similar size at Gaugamela, but with the Persians using superior numbers of cavalry to spread out their flanks (ultimately to their detriment). Delbruck perhaps goes too far, but my one criticism of this otherwise great series is that they have bought too much into the manpower figures attributed to the Persians at Issus and Gaugamela. It was a trope among Greek and Roman authors to exaggerate enemy numbers to make a victory look spectacular (and yet Alexander's battles were already impressive without such exaggerations). Armies with 100,000+ men couldn't have feasibly operated in the field in a sufficiently coordinated manner, and it would have been logistically impossible to support such armies for any decent length of time, if at all. The fact that the Romans had access to massive manpower reserves but, according to their own accounts, hardly ever fielded more than 80,000 in the field (and even instances where such a large number is claimed can be counted on one hand) points to the fact that even larger armies, if possible to muster in a single place, created more tactical and logistical issues than they solved. So I favour scholars who argue that Darius' manpower advantages at Issus and Gaugamela were more modest.

[@paulstephensia1412]

@@byronwaldron7933 not to mention logistics in maintaining a large army would be costly and time-consuming, an army on the march is difficult and slow so supplies are always a problem for maintaining a large army.

[@bryguysays2948]

So basically Darius was a good leader...But Alexander was a better leader.

[@tyranitararmaldo]

That analysis of Darius III near the end was very humane and almost beautiful.

[@1987MartinT]

Darius III of Persia is one of the people who has been treated most unjustly by posterity. From what I've been able to see, he was not the foolish, arrogant, coward that he has often been portrayed as, but a talented, resolute, and honorable man. I'm glad to hear more people who agree.

[@curranlakhani]

@Rosario Manorang Manik Alexander is only Great because he had defeated a great empire with a great king. Darius was a worthy adversary to the legend that was Alexander

[@omarbradley6807]

Yes however his administration left the Empire weaken in military and home matters, without speaking of the corruption...

[@danielzhang1916]

there is always more than one side to any historical figure's story, just need to take a closer look

[@geordiejones5618]

His only fault was not being as brave as Alexander. Very few if any have been

[@klaudioabazi4478]

Darius III was a tragic figure. I think he was a noble king considering many satraps, and thousands of greeks fought for him even at the cost of their lives. Darius suffered from the inevitable fact that his opponent was simply better at war. However, in a twist of fate that is rarely mentioned, Darius ended up having the last laugh, for Alexander transformed into almost a Darius once he conquered the empire. He behaved like Darius, enjoyed the wealth of Darius, and worshipped by his subjects as a god king like Darius. History's loser did have a win after all.

[@gauravrao6529]

I think the best part of the video is the analysis of Darius III , just that it really is a change on how I read about him and makes sense that he was not this incompetent king that he was portrayed as and had very strong characteristics needed. This is one of the best series of KNG. You guys continually are pushing well and upwards in the right direction!

[@KingsandGenerals]

Thank you!

[@paulstephensia1412]

@@KingsandGenerals I really wish I discovered this channel sooner it really would’ve helped a lot when I was still learning a lot in history, also KNG is unbiased and seeks proper sources and resource materials to properly explain any topic they choose.

[@ValensBellator]

I believe the bit that they always held against him is that he abandoned his family as he fled, though there wasn’t much choice there. Ultimately, dang near everyone would seem “incompetent” if they had the misfortune of having to fight Alexander.

[@archaeaoris900]

Darius was unlucky, he faced one of the best tacticians in human history, maybe the most ambitious man ever lived, who also had amazing generals and an almost professional army who blindly followed Alexander (at least at the beginning of the campaign). While he (Darius) lost one of his best and smartest generals (Memnon) early in the war.

[@albanianshqiptar]

So true best part is the analysis of darius. First time someone doesn’t call him a coward but explains the situation

[@petervoller3404]

Hey guys, I was the scriptwriter and historian for this episode, hope you enjoyed! If you've got any questions or feedback for me, please do leave them below and I'll do my best to get around to them all!

[@MalayArcher]

Hi, Im your biggest fan

[@AshleyWeech]

Thank you, Peter!

[@smollumine5313]

nice work

[@petervoller3404]

@@marshallsilverstar9636 Basically, there's two ways that "Greek" could be used. It could be used to refer to people from the Greek city-states, so in a kind of national identity way, or it could be used as a cultural term, "Greek art" for instance. In the video, "Greek" is used to refer to those from the Greek city-states, mainly the League of Corinth. For all intents and purposes, Macedonians were Greek in terms of culture, although there were some small differences.

[@alanMeplusYou]

I wanted to know the motivation behind this numerous wars and invasion back then??? Thanks

[@Mr_M_History]

From one history teacher to a much better one. Thankyou for all you do Kings and Generals!

[@apexnate8460]

I'm 20 now and didn't pursue higher education because I prefer trade work but history teachers were always my favorite through school, be it social studies or any period of world or u.s. history. Thank you for being a teacher man

[@Lp-army1]

@@tdzida proof?

[@donnysandley4649]

So much to learn with so little time 😉

[@hassandeen5131]

Love you mitch

[@Spahbed]

Thanks for covering Iranian history, it tends to be criminally overlooked especially anything outside the Achaemenid empire.

[@alexandersasani7645]

Are you descendant from the house of Sasan?

[@Spahbed]

@@alexandersasani7645 lol I wish. That’s my username because the Sassanian Empire is probably my favourite Iranian empire.

[@Kaiyanwang82]

I am Italian I can guarantee you we remember and study Parthians and Sasanians :D

[@Spahbed]

@@Kaiyanwang82 good to know, my old rival ❤️.

[@Kaiyanwang82]

@@Spahbed Comparing with all that came, especially later, I miss you guys like you wouldn't believe.

[@Henry-sd7vd]

I loved how in his last breadth, Darius thanked Alexander for the good treatment of his family. It shows he developed an admiration and respect for Alexander even though they were enemies. And Alexander likewise respected and honoured the king with fair treatment and a proper king burial. It delves deep into Darius's character, showing he wasn't an empty minded incompetent leader, he was just bested by the greatest conquerer in history.

[@freedomtosayno7880]

The greatest disaster of the burning of Persepolis (Parsa), was the not palaces (although terrible), it was destruction of the archives (climate controlled) and libraries. Thank you so much for yet another outstanding video, the world benefits and well done sir!

[@No-0ne-is-Alone]

Was this burning the culprit of the claimed destruction of the Golden Avestan texts?

[@NickG_]

Unfortunately, and obviously I'm guessing, if Greeks didn't, Arabs would have burnt and destroyed it

[@easthurricane]

@@NickG_ that's true but the Arab conquests were several hundred years later. By that point the knowledge could've been spread further throughout the world.

[@easthurricane]

@SarrumSaBabilim it may be difficult for you to comprehend, but the idea of "lost knowledge" from libraries being burnt throughout history, is literally that nobody knows what knowledge is lost. That's literally why it's called "lost knowledge". If you propose to know, then you should write some books explaining what knowledge was lost, and whilst you're at it do Alexandria. You could make a lot of money from your self-given wisdom and your ability to see history that no other person can see.

[@marchellochiovelli7259]

@SarrumSaBabilim Pretty lame and uneducated comment.

[@lakshmipraveen8734]

Thank you for mentioning of Greatness of Darius III and I like the way you counter-charge against one of the misunderstood Events in Ancient History. This is my one the favorite History channel all the time.

[@BoogieBubble]

@@alih6953 Are you seriously quoting the ten commandments to justify a narrative about an ancient figure of the past? What does jewish abrahamic religion has to do with ancient Greeks? Loooool.... Talking about presenting a better alternative , a man that was at war and marching all the time surely had time to rule and present his ideas of administration, right? It is ok we get it you don't like Alexander The Great , but at least try to make sense. Maybe all these "great" persian rulers should have stayed away from Asia minor and Greece in general cause they bit more that they could chew. Also trying to justify ancient tradition about statues of victors , deities , and people worshiped as such with todays morals and standards..... Logic has left the building. Talking about emotions clouding someones judgement ... the irony.

[@meganthropusmagericus1548]

@@alih6953 I don't think got mentioned in the bible is an achievement. Alexander also died in his 30s while Cyrus II live until 70s. If he doesn't die young he can easily provide this stable alternative.

[@megasalexandros714]

​​​​​@@meganthropusmagericus1548 probably not, he would have likely invaded other territories like italy,panonia, india or even china, keeping the achemenind Empire as a tax farm

[@JavidShah246]

@@something4179 chill pal, you also share alexanders thingy’s name. So,he died at 30s. He should have known better if he was a civilised man. Alcohol kills! So does the raw meat.

[@BoogieBubble]

@@JavidShah246 Lol people calling Greeks uncivilized ...... The founders of western culture..... Get over it man , you lost , history is not black and white. You sound really offended by the man for some reason....

[@seyedhasanzolanvar]

It brought tears to my eyes watching this episode about my birthplace: Persepolis, and the discreet and benevolent way you honored our defeated king, Darius in your narration. Respect to you all in Kings & Generals. ❣🤝

[@211pirate6]

You did a great service to Darius's memory. The respect is on another level. He was a good man.

[@manabellum]

This is the first documentary that I think did the justice for Darius III. While I’m a big fan of Alexander and his stories, I always felt that a king that led an army of hundred thousands to defend their homeland had nothing incompetent nor coward. Great channel with rich of sourced detail. Looking forward to more great videos to come.

[@user-qe3hl7ql6b]

It was Ariobresen who did his best to defeat Alexander, not Darius, he was undoubtedly not an efficient king on the battlefield.

[@enderreaper1482]

I love how you are unbiased about Alexander and Darius. Alexander was definitely one of the greatest generals and Darius was definitely not incompetent. I mean anyone would look bad against Alexander

[@nestormakepontos9700]

True

[@Quagmire123]

Exept Genghis khan

[@user-dk2ol7pq6r]

@@Quagmire123 Good joke

[@lavosico]

​@@Quagmire123 Alexander 330 BC Gangihs khan 1250 ce The difference 1600 years. Still Alexander able to conquer most of know world.

[@saeedvazirian1620]

Noone looks bad against the worse incompetent nut in history. lol.

[@Liquidsback]

I think this is good to show that Plutarch, Diodorus, Arrian and Rufus all disown the burning of Persepolis in their own ways.

[@firestorm1088]

I noticed a lot of comments on how Darius wasn’t actually incompetent, it’s just that he was up against Alexander. It should also be noted that he had to face Alexander with an empire that had definitely passed it’s peak and was beginning to slide into corruption, decadence, and internal division.

[@saeedvazirian1620]

he did better than alexander, what do oyu mean he was up against?

[@KingNoTail]

The same could be said about that camel riding mofo Khalid Ibn Walid. 😂😂

[@flashgordon6670]

Alexander was a master of lighting blitz logistics and combined military manoeuvres with precision, timing and he had command over the best infantry and cavalry in the world of the age. Plus he had the backing and finance of the combined Greek states, the greatest powerhouse in the world aside Persia.

[@christopherg2347]

"Oh no, the Persian King 'escaped' again. I guess I have to go deeper into Persia - again." - Alexander to his Troops. Too many times to count.

[@tylerdurden3722]

Lol...this emoji probably expresses his soldier's reaction👉. 😑

[@christopherg2347]

@@tylerdurden3722 I was thinking more eye-rolling 🙄

[@MegaTang1234]

The Battle of the Persian Gate is basically just a Persian "Thermopylae". The only differences are there were fewer Persian defenders then Greek defenders, the battle was shorter, it wasn't by the sea and Ariobarzanes didn't have a death wish like Leonidas. otherwise, it's literally a play-for-play beat for the same battle, all complete with a shepherd betraying the pass for the enemy.

[@nonyabeeznuss304]

Alexander's grasp of maneuver warfare never ceases to amaze.

[@saeedvazirian1620]

for losing?

[@KingNoTail]

​@@saeedvazirian1620You mean like you? You've been losing your whole life.

[@KingNoTail]

​@@saeedvazirian1620Y'all run so much that's why your country's name is Iran.😂😂

[@arshamj7975]

In Ferdousi's epic (Shahname), Alexander is the last of the highborn kings of Persia (The Kianians). He is admired by Ferdousi in many ways as being both a philosopher and a warrior king. His attempt of slaying the fire breathing dragon in the epic to save a group of helpless women and children is a perfect example of his feats.

[@erfancurufinwe8356]

Because in Shahnameh he was half brother to Darius III , and Macedonia was one of the satraps who rebel in Shahnameh and Persians sources.

[@moafshar2965]

ولی جالبه که به اسکندرلجستک معروف بوده یعنی زیاد هم مورد قبول مردم نبوده

[@erfancurufinwe8356]

@@moafshar2965 بهش گجستگ میگفتن چون کتاب اوستا نابود کرد . بین زرتشتی ها یا نیمه شرقی ایران که عمدتا زرتشتیان بودند مورد قبول نبوده . حتی خود داریوش سوم هم آنچنان بین ایرانی ها بعد از قتل عام خاندان سلطنتی توسط بگوئس مشروعيت زیادی نداشته و خیلی ها میگن با زور ارتش کنترل به دست میگیره جناب اسکندر غربی ها که یه ساتراپی امپراتوری بود در این دوره شروع میکنه به شورش کردن و حمله به حکومت مرکزی منتها تاریخ نویس های غربی تبدیلش کردند به یه شخصیت قهرمان برای غربی ها که علیه یک امپراتوری منسجم و قدرت مند بيگانه جنگیده و به اسم عدالت برای یونانی که زمان عثمانی شکل گرفته جنگیده و پیروز شده .

[@JavidShah246]

Ferdowsi in Shahnameh is a story teller but he was no liar که‌رستم‌یلی بود در سیستان، من آوردمش اندراین داستان Greek historians like Arian, Plutarch and Rufus, clearly made up things out of grudge.

[@NewarkBay357]

That's fiction from the 'ROMANCES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT' and not considered factual.

[@robbabcock_]

Great video! Alexander is one of history's most intriguing characters for so many reasons. On first face his accomplishments verged on superhuman and he may well have been the greatest military mind in human history. But it's impossible to unpack the man from the legend, and even in his own lifetime the two seemed to merge. He was at once learned and educated, having been tutored by Aristotle himself. He could be tremendously magnanimous at times but he was also capable of incredible savagery, towards friend and foe alike. He seems an almost singular event in human history. I can't wait for the next installment.

[@saeedvazirian1620]

this is garbage propaganda. Invading sovereign nations and murderinc civilians isn't superhuman.

[@nestormakepontos9700]

This battle of the Persian Gate was the last battle in which Alexander the Great was outmaneuvered that heavily. Even with the odds against him, he still finds a way out and beats his enemies. The battle of the Persian Gate was the last major battle against the Persian King Darius and from there on Alexander had achieved his aim of conquering the Persian empire as a revenge for the conquests of Xerxes and his father Darius II. Alexander has become a new world ruler 🇬🇷💪. I as a Greek consider him to be the Greatest King that has ever lived on earth.

[@szarekhthesilent2047]

and the only battle in which he was outmaneuvered.

[@nestormakepontos9700]

@@szarekhthesilent2047 Yes, but still he didn't panic and managed the situation perfectly. Imagine such a King today

[@drewce390]

"Light more fires throughout the camp at night to make it appear as if the entire army was still there" That's actually pretty smart.

[@AndrewPeverells]

As a researcher, I absolutely adore your endeavour to also focus on the sources, their reliability, the style of ancient writers and their preferred methods of research, while also citing modern studies and skeptically reasoning about some of the accounts. Keep it up!

[@sepantamino3938]

There are alot videos of Alexander conquests in channels but not too much videos about Persian wars victory

[@arvinrasoulzadeh4379]

what do you expect. This is a westerner channel.

[@historyrepeat402]

What I am noticing about your series on Alexander is you guys do not downplay Alexanders personal intelligence, whether it be cunning or just pure intelligence. This is militarily and administratively, as most people tend to put all his success on his father or say he was an incompetent king. I disagree to both.

[@jonbaxter2254]

Because he was a bit of a lad, people often dismiss his clear genius. He was an incredible commander, on and off the field of battle.

[@justicethedoggo3648]

@@jonbaxter2254 even in the bedroom , he impressed men

[@jonbaxter2254]

@@justicethedoggo3648 dude had four wives too. My man just couldn't fail at life

[@justicethedoggo3648]

@@jonbaxter2254 i think had three ,but he neglected two of his wives and liked Roxanna more , Roxanna was also a very jealous type lol.

[@jonbaxter2254]

@@justicethedoggo3648 funny story, he once took a detour through the caucaus mountains, and stopped for 13 days sleeping with a tribal princess. Dude had mad game

[@benbehzadpour1177]

And so falls the last of the great ancient Persian emperors and while Alexander would go on to other conquests and eventually burn out, the world lost something wonderful the day Darius died. The coming Parthian and Sassanid Empires would be mere shadows of the splendor and might of the Achaemenids. But even those middling empires would easily dwarf the current state of Iran. Behold how far the mighty have fallen... As a person of Persian decent, this video is a wonderful reminder that it wasn't always so bleak. Persia was once the crown jewel of the world that many kings would fight over.

[@beno1129]

No empire has survived millennia. The British empire is back to being the British Isles. The Roman Empire is back to being the city of Rome. The Ottoman Empire is reduced to the country of Turkey. The Mongolian Empire has shrunk back to Mongolia. Etc. Iran/Persia will always have a special place in history as one of the great ancient powers and a contributor to past and present science and literature.

[@benbehzadpour1177]

@@beno1129 Yes but the British, Romans ,Turks and Mongolians are all doing fairly well these days. Sure they aren't mighty world powers as they once were but they can feed their people and provide a decent standard of living. Iran today under the mullahs is one of the worst places to live with only Venezuela and North Korea being in worse shape.

[@beno1129]

@@benbehzadpour1177 Oh, I thought that the standard of living in Iran was decent. I agree that the theocracy in Iran is an obstacle to the country's development.

[@erfancurufinwe8356]

The Sassanid and parthian killed sons of Aleksandra in Iran and protect Iran for 800 years from west and east.

[@outlawfly664]

@@benbehzadpour1177 If it wasn't for the sanctions the situation in Iran would be a different story.

[@lyonvensa]

I like how just from watching the previous series, I came to the same conclusion that Darius is no coward after all. You can argue that he might be just there to increase his troops' morale in battle, but he actually would've won in Gaugamela after the disaster at Issus if he's not facing Alexander. To try again after such a defeat would already took courage.

[@saeedvazirian1620]

He won at Gaugamela, wtf are you yapping? alexander was also defeated 3 times by Persians, leading to his death.

[@samuelwetterau9226]

You could have mentioned the fact that archeological research in Persepolis has shown that the palace which was torched by the flames was the Palace of Xerxes who invaded Greece. This detail renders credibility to the ancient accounts which state that Alexander the Great portrayed himself as an avenger of the Greeks by burning down Persepolis.

[@szarekhthesilent2047]

Also they systematically emptied and evacuated it first. I don't think that drunk arsonists or out of control pillagers do that very often.

[@saeedvazirian1620]

@@szarekhthesilent2047 huh? hat a fucking lie. The books and people insider were burned.

[@AdamsYoutubeAccount]

6:49 I love that you included this section comparing the sources. It's an important thing to remember about these battles that accounts of them were often varied and biased.

[@lukestevens8509]

Honestly, hands down this is the best channel on KZbin. The history, the analysis, the quality. Privileged to watch such brilliance.

[@QuantumHistorian]

Eh, it's good, but it's not even the best history channel. It simply ignores far too much source criticism and modern historiography; choosing instead one reconstruction of events from a rather naïve reading of primary sources and presenting it as absolute truth (albeit, this particular episode does go into sources a little). If you read an actual history book you'll see there's *far* more uncertainty as to how any of these battles actually happened. Picking one version (like K&G does) makes for a better narrative and more entertaining content, but it's wildly over-simplistic bordering on misleading.

[@thax321]

Would recommend 'Epic History TV' (among others) over this channel tbf. Kings & Generals is nice as well, but they swapped historical accuracy for fancy graphics a few years ago.

[@lukestevens8509]

@@bigmoniesponge yeah lol. I mean I didn't think I needed to say anything back to QuantumHistorian. Clearly he didn't watch the video. To busy reading actual history books 😆

[@mrsnulch]

I'm Greek and was told stories of Alexander and his exploits from my grandfather. Despite my upbringing I never really saw Darius as a coward, and always had a hunch there was something wrong with that view. He participated in all the major battles against Alexander, even engaging in risky combat which wasn't even necessary for a King of Kings, and only retreated when it would make no sense strategically to stay and get killed. Alexander is said to have cried when he heard of his death. I think he was a good brave king who was just outmatched by a prodigy. This video is a beautiful tribute to him. To me, Xerxes always struck me as more of a jerk who would sit on the sidelines waiting for his troops to win battles for him, i.e. at Salamis.

[@CasualClassical]

So comprehensive. Love the source honesty and their comparative qualifications, motivations, and general credibility. Your team does such a fantastic job of presenting military history in an accessible and trustworthy way. This channel is fast becoming an encyclopedic resource in my studies. Thank you so much

[@orktv4673]

I love how in these videos particularly the sources are assessed and disputed. History isn't always clear, and it's good to take a step back and judge the objectivity and veracity of the sources.

[@hammer3721]

Ariobazarnes... He should've been the commander of the Persian army in the prior engagements. Alexander would've had a much tougher time if he would've had to fight him from start to finish.

[@AxelPoliti]

I have read a lot about Alexander and I praise your documentary for accuracy and balance. Thank you

[@user-ei3es3oo4l]

No matter how many times they burn Persia down, we Iranians always rise and form an empire like we did in the past 2580 years.

[@atharzafeer467]

Please keep this series going! this is one of the best interpretation I have seen and am absolutely thrilled to watch this!

[@thanoskoumpanis9699]

I can’t wait watching videos about Greeks!!!

[@3.75istheway7]

You’re not a coward when you live to fight another day

[@TheAshHeritor]

RIP Darius. You fought hard, and you fought well.

[@kingt0295]

Well, he tried

[@F0rsaken123-cm4gj]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@thebactrian7]

I always thought Darius got a bad rap considering how others treated him, during Guatemala Alexander even expected Darius to meet his charge with his own showing how his own understanding of Darius was that of a warrior rather than a coward as he was later viewed.

[@thebactrian7]

Guagemela*

[@franciscoaguirre6898]

Gaugamela*

[@saeedvazirian1620]

what a retarded comment. he wasnted to capture and execute Darius. he failed and Darius won. End of story.

[@micalangenburg1706]

Thank you very much for the wonderful content Kings & Generals! If ever I have my own family soon, I will use your videos as learning resources for my kids one day when learning history. You guys are teaching a lot better than many Highschool History Teachers. Not only you teach it very detailed it is also unbiased & entertaining! That's how you teach history. not bore your students to death and that is why a lot of people think History class is boring. Thank you very much Kings and Generals and I pray your channel to endlessly grow & reach more people globally! We love you!

[@michaellaramee1965]

Loved the analysis of Darius III, he reminds me of George Washington, a fine commander whose greatest strength was staying in the fight despite military setbacks. Darius luck ran out but kudos to that guy. Its makes Alexander's victory all the better knowing he fought a good commander then a totally inept one.

[@saeedvazirian1620]

No it doesn't. It shows alexander as arrogant and a liar. alexander never had a real victory either. Murdering someone and invading them doesn;t make you good either.

[@KingNoTail]

​@@saeedvazirian1620Like Darius and Xerxes?😂😂

[@PoochieCollins]

@@saeedvazirian1620 I mean if you're that pessimistic on evaluating ATG, why are you even watching the video series on him?

[@ledzep215]

This is my favorite series you've done. Can't wait for it to continue.

[@barryboushehri1707]

I just found out about this channel. What an amazing, detailed, and informative videos. Can't stop watching.

[@vinayakgupta787]

seeing the indus plains on the edge of the map , it has me thrilled , can't even the fathom the excitement and thrill of Alexander as he marches east at the edge of the known world

[@tankwright5489]

Thank you for discussing Darius III in a fair light. May I also add that as King of Kings of the Persian Empire, Darius was in fact literally Persia personified. When he retreated from both Issus and Gaugamela he was in fact preserving Persia, not running away in cowardice. This is why Alexander put forth such an effort to hunt him down because until Darius was killed, legally, Alexander could not be King of Kings. This is also why his family was treated with such respect by Alexander, not because he was so kind-hearted. Alexander was shrewdly aware of Persian politico-religious beliefs and culture as it pertained to Right to Rule. Sadly, western historians ignore ancient Persian culture, religious beliefs, and legal codes when discussing Darius. They interpret his actions through Western lenses with the intention of belittling him. They also portray Alexander as some sort of hippie trying to be all hip and woke and blend cultures cause it was cool. Reality: Macedonian Army less than 50,000….Persian Empire population 50,000,000. Good luck with that. All of this information is in all the classic books, but if you read the facts through Western Colored glasses without any thought of Persian beliefs you will quickly come to the same faulty conclusions, namely that Darius III was a coward.

[@user-dk2ol7pq6r]

He was a coward. He ran away from the battlefield, leaving his men to die. He didn't conduct an organised retreat like a great commander would, he turned and ran. He also left his family to be captured by the enemy. He then continued to run for years afterwards. All are actions of a coward. He was by no means incompetent and stupid, absolutely agree, but he was definitely a coward.

[@TruetoCaesar]

@@user-dk2ol7pq6r if darius would have been captured, Alexander could instantly declare himself king of kings. That is why he ran.

[@somestormcloakwithanarrowo4671]

I just love the sounds of popping rectangles and images/busts of generals going around the terrain. That's what I love about this channel, and again, thanks for the upload, I've been bingeing to the ancient civilizations videos and ancient warfares, I found them more interesting than the medieval ones.

[@marceloseixas895]

I had already seen a series on Alexander, thought I didn't need to see another video on the theme. Boy I was wrong, this video is soo good, thx kings and generals for keeping the good job

[@christianvalencia4489]

Love the info about Darius III, that kind of information is what make this channel so good, thanks K&G.

[@RoboticDragon]

Love that you guys have revisited some of your earlier battles.

[@denniscleary7580]

A video from Alexander of Macedonia and a video from Lord of the rings in the same day! This is truly a day of days 👍

[@JebusCookies]

YES! Please finish this whole series with utmost haste. It’s once of the best ones, on the same level as Ceasar’s civil war and Caesar in Gaul

[@christopherhanton6611]

I am in joying this series thank you for breaking it down even more with people at the time when this timeline is taking place.

[@Rexman-Hass]

Respect to Darius

[@kiarashdadash5058]

As a Persian in this series, I almost cried. I love history very much and the fall of the Achaemenids is one of the worst moments in history for me, even the worst conquest of Persia by the Arabs or the Mongol invasion of Persia. Because the most powerful Persian empire founded by Cyrus the Great, in which some of the most important kings such as Xerxes and Darius the Great were, was destroyed. I also thank the kings and generals for Darius' analysis. Because he changed my mind about Darius. I used to always look at Darius III as a cowardly and unworthy king, but now I can have more respect for him. Because now that I think about him again, I come to the conclusion that Darius fell only in the shadow of Alexander, one of the greatest strategists of all time.

[@mohammedhasan8388]

Go and read history.

[@danielzhang1916]

some are born in the shadow of others, that is the hard truth

[@theawesomeman9821]

Darius wasn't necessarily incompetent. He was simply up against a military genius.

[@starcapture3040]

Grow up and stop being butthurt about ancient events

[@flyingberserker3965]

What hurts most for me is history being erased in Persepolis

[@MrRick461]

These stories of battle and humility fascinate me. I’ve been to issos not much but farmland now. Expected but it was a rare treat.

[@traitorfang1416]

Yay! Finally a new Alexanders Conquests Video... You have made my day, truly. thankyou.

[@davidhughes8357]

I believe that it goes without saying that Kings and Generals is preeminent. The study of ancient history would be a lesser endeavor without your wonderful programming. Look forward to new videos constantly. THANK YOU ALL.

[@tbot1633]

Truly enjoy your documentaries. Very informative and well presented.

[@robertboyle2573]

Nice to give Darius a little bit of credit.

[@shadowgod1797]

PERSIA/IRAN right now needs Ariobarzanes in these dark times

[@ramtin5152]

No, we need a Cyrus the great or a Nader Shah

[@shadowgod1797]

@@ramtin5152 داریوش کبیر هم عالیه

[@ramtin5152]

@@shadowgod1797 *بزرگ نه کبیر

[@shroomusomus]

Please never stop making ancient and medieval content!

[@AIRRAID2]

Love this channel, thanks for a nother epic ep.

[@alexandercharlesedwards-ace-]

Amazing series. Darius was defeated by a military genius who was born and bred for war and conquest. Alexander showed great respect to Darius, and we should too. ❤️🙏

[@alexmccauley503]

6:35 love this short breakdown of historical sources, please do this more often!

[@gov9068]

amazing video!! these ancient battles are my favorite💯

[@paulceglinski3087]

Oooo! The lead up to Hyspades (?). Excellent stuff, K&G. I wonder if all the Alexander vids will turn into a long video? Kudos again. Cheers.

[@tylerdurden3722]

Next is Bactria (Afghanistan). ...and Sogdiana (the places north of Afghanistan). The warlords of Sogdiana gave Alexander's officers a hard time. Alexander's planning and preparations for the various Indus Valley campaigns happen in Bactria (Alexander's base of operations in the east).

[@hemanshuchaudhari4899]

I'm excited for that too

[@bpsalami9864]

Great video as always! Could you make a video about Darius I's campaign against scythians?

[@christianmitchell9040]

Yayyy omg I have been waiting so long for another video on Alexander best way to start the day!

[@brokenbridge6316]

I love hearing about anything involving Alexander The Great. And this video was nicely done. And I don't think to badly of Darius III. He was just trying to do the best he could under the circumstances. Had he not been up against one of histories great tacticians be might've prevailed. My compliments to all those who made this video a reality.

[@lordhosseinlh]

Thank you. Very beautiful video. Its a very sad tale.

[@jackson857]

I love this series. Glad we have another episode.

[@Jacob562622]

Another great video, you guys are so great. I love your documentaries, you do a truely outstanding job on all your videos, you guys are completly top-notch.

[@rhozenheyo9045]

Darius was one of those great men that have the misfortune of facing greater men.

[@saeedvazirian1620]

Noone was greater than Darius. A pretender is not a great man. Only the great one is.

[@michaelsinger4638]

The parallels to Thermopylae are very interesting.

[@SoulReaper66623]

I really appreciate your focus on the sources. Not many history videos do that.

[@furioussherman7265]

I'm glad to see this series make its return. I was almost wondering if they'd forgotten about it.

[@omarbradley6807]

I was just expecting this video lol, great one. About the Uxian defile it certainly make much more sense in military matters the first acount. While the second acount can be compared with latter sieges of Alexanders, it was certainly of strong positions, not of a dependient position like a pass, as such if it was unguarded and was a series of passes, the manouver have much more sense. About The Persian Gates, the numbers certainly can not be 40,000 and probably not even 20,000 as it was stated by Darius III to Ariobazanes who he must fought a delaying action, also while 700 seems too low, it is probably who only count the Inmortals and cavalry but do not count the leves who probably make the rest of the army, as Darius was trying to get as many soldiers as posible at Ecbatana, in any case is very probably who the Macedonian army was much larger than the Persian one in that instance, needless to say the Persian gate if you have see it, is *VERY* narrow, at most a single Dekas could had been formed and engaged against the Persians effectivly at the same time. About the fate of Ariobazanes, a noblewoman sacrifice herself to ensure the retreat of the Satrap, but nevertheless not far away in a second barricade he and his fellows were killed, as there was no room to escape, while some infantry indeed survived and find the gates closed, Ariobazanes probably died not far away from the "wall". About Darius III he was personaly brave and a skilled warrior being a kind of "champion" during Artaxerxes II reign, and saving the self depleted army to fight a war by killing the rebel nobles in single combat. He was also pretty charismatic, and Machiavelic, However the Empire under his imploded because he reverted from Artaxerxes II and Artaxerxes III position about the Satraps, too much power was left to the "elites", who were defranchised with the reality, and rampage corruption undermined the Empire

[@jotnarymir1393]

Has anyone tried taking the mountain paths decribed in the books? Mountain paths are nortoriously hard. Main road probably kept well enough for moving an army but all those side paths that alexander took to outflank seems too good to be true. Also to move a large group of armored men especially not noticed by locals that know about these paths seem iffy. But i guess thats the mythos of alexander and his army. Great video

[@Master13346]

This channel is amazing. Such good quality.

[@Zombie-fb5zf]

Another brilliant episode can’t wait for the next!

[@ntech1907]

Can't wait until the video for the battle of Hyspades against the Indians, my favorite battle of Alexander's conquests! Edit: hydaspes not hyspades

[@georgiopasca2720]

He lost that battle badly and never able to rich home.

[@ntech1907]

I'm pretty sure he didnt

[@Ken-df8cp]

@@ntech1907 you know you can edit the previous word instead, right?

[@alejandrosakai1744]

Alexander's Campaign in India is very interesting!

[@ntech1907]

@@Ken-df8cp yeah I just didn't think of that for some reason

[@yuribrito1504]

Great Video! I really like to study the Achaemenid history. Among all the ancient Iranian Empires, the Achaemenid Empire is by far my favorite one. In my historical analysis, the Achaemenid Empire was unique due to several reasons: • 1) The satrapies (provinces). The system of satrapies would be adopted by virtually all subsequent empires, including Alexander's Macedonian Empire and the Roman Empire itself. • 2) Its architectural legacy! The architectural masterpieces built by the Persians was a source of inspiration for virtually all the ancient civilizations; including Persepolis (Pārsa) and Pasagardae (Pasārgād). • 3) The Achaemenid Empire, which was founded by Cyrus the Great (Kuruš), was the first GLOBAL empire in human history. Cyrus simply laid the foundation for all subsequent empires and civilizations throughout Classical antiquity. • 4) Its religious tolerance. The religious tolerance within the Achaemenid Empire was something unprecedented until that historical time. Due to the influence of Zoroastrianism, slavery was simply abolished during Cyrus' reign. In Cyrus' view, slavery was an affront against Ahura-Mazda. In fact, Persian can be considered the birthplace of Human Rights. • 5) Cyrus transformed the Persians, which were a submissive and vassal people under Median sovereignty, into the ruling people of the Iranian Plateau. Cyrus' revolution against Media, in my historical analysis, can be considered one of the first major political revolutions in human history. • 6) The Persian taxation system was also relatively fair. The richest satrapies, of course, paid more. The richest satrapies, for example, were Babylon (Bābiruš) and Assyria (Αθurā). Babylon, for example, should contribute with 1,000 Babylonian talents of silver (9% in total). The province of Egypt (Mudrâya), which was conquered by Cambyses II in 515 BC, should pay 7,000 Babylonian talents of silver (6 % in total). The poorest provinces, on the other hand, paid much less! The province of Yehud Medinata (Judea/Israel), for example, only paid 3,000 Babylonian talents of silver (3% in total). • 7) The Achaemenid Empire was probably the most populous empire in human history.

[@huseyincobanoglu531]

Great documentary. Thank you Kings and Generals Team!

[@Man5on92]

I was eager to watch the next episode of these series! great video!

[@JonathanMartin884]

He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.

[@danielodeliro2412]

Ariobarzan is famous in Iran.you talk about Lure tribe.one of brave people in Zagros mountain.

[@doubleg3762]

Finally more Alexander, thank you!!

[@elusivelight3766]

You guys make such incredible Documentaries! 👏

[@persianimmortal6906]

Spartans Held Persians In Thermopylae with 300 and Persians held Macedonians with 700 both in a narrow mountain history really repeat itself

[@ramtin5152]

* 300 Spartans and another force mustered by 6700 Greeks of other cities

[@vasi853]

2:49 so the Macedonians and Alexander the Great were not Greeks? I believe that the documentary makes an inaccuracy here... I'd love to hear the Kings and Generals opinion about this topic.

[@petervoller3404]

No, Macedonians were culturally Greek, no one would deny that. But Macedonians were a separate polity, even though ethnically and culturally Greek, which is why they are referred to as separate from the other Greeks. The national divide between Macedonians and Greeks was important, Macedonians were given significant command in Alexander's armies, for example, whereas Greeks (as in from the city-states) usually weren't. Greeks were given governance positions though. So in a nutshell, was Alexander the Great Greek? In terms of culture and ethnically, yup. In terms of *polity*, no he was Macedonian. Macedonia was a different political entity, even though it was ethnically, linguistically, etc. Greek and all.

[@petervoller3404]

@@jonnybonez1202 Almost the only Greek city state with a king at the time of Alexander was Sparta (two kings technically) but no other city-state had a ruling king. Alexander also wasn't king of Greece, he was hegemon of the League of Corinth, a big difference. You're conflating "Greek" as a cultural label, and a national label. Perhaps it would be better to use Hellenic instead of Greek for the cultural side. No one would deny that Alexander was culturally Greek, or Hellenic, and I have stressed that many, many times in the comments here. However, he was also Macedonian in terms of nationality, which was effectively a subcategory of Greek/Hellenic. No different from "Cretan archers" or "Thessalian cavalry" all Greek, but those geographical distinctions are sometimes important. Leonidas was Spartan, Pericles, Athenian, Alexander, Macedonian. In the episode, the context of "Greeks and Macedonians" is an important distinction, because Alexander was going out of his was to appoint "Greek" as in people from the city-states, to governor positions. Alexander was both Greek and Macedonian. A Scotsman is similarly both Scottish and British. British is the umbrella term, Scottish the specific *type* of British they are, which is sometimes important.

[@user-yk9gs2gd8o]

@@petervoller3404 you are completely right about all you have said but there is a small detail you missed,when the Hellenic tribes arrived to Greece one of them was the dories,the last who arrived and split in two parts,one that traveled to the Peloponnes and one that staid in Macedonia making them the same as Spartans and the rest of Peloponnesians,all in all your word is true but thats a minor tho important detail

[@enyalios316]

They said many times now that they consider the Macedonians to be Greeks. The distinction is made because of sociopolitical reasons. Most historians do that. So calm down.

[@danielg3924]

I had seen these videos of Kings and Generals on Alexander and thought "Why bother?" since I have seen sooo many videos on Alexander's campaigns but holy shit did I learn so much! The extra details on units in the battles, discussion on historical sources and their reliability and finally this re-consideration of Darius is excellent and has changed my view on this epic part of history! Thanks for this excellent content!

[@mazenaljayousi49]

Such a great channel .. thank you kings and generals

[@OrmelMr]

10:25 Wow this is almost the same case with Ephialtes who led the Persians behind the Spartans through a secret path in the battle of Thermopylae. History plays strange and interesting "karma" games.

[@nickpaschentis5284]

Be the King of Persia. Show everyone that you are brave, cunning and have great logistical control. Fight the greatest army on earth,twice. Lose against the Greatest General to have Exist,also being Called a Demigod! While actually almost winning one of the battles, only to lose because the Demigod literally rushed towards you! Have a counsel with your Generals about your life and refuse to be protected as to not be seem weak and to protect the dignity of your people,then get killed by your second in command. Have your Rival offer you the Funeral of an Emperor and marry your daughter and adopting your mother! For 2.300 years Historians call you a coward ! Sad Darius face 🥲

[@saeedvazirian1620]

The Persians won all 3 battles, they didn't lose. The rest of what you wrote are lies too. The Iranians won the war, just as Darius III, Artashata won. The Persians always win. Iran won.

[@AegonTheUnlikely]

That seamless transition to the manscaped ad 👌