questions

[george]

Hi all,
I probably have asked these questions before maybe, so i'll ask them anyway.Alexander's war was 24 centuries ago, and was not the world's geography very foggy and mostly unknown at that time?So just how did he know where he was going and how did he know how to get there, it could not have been just guessing?In addition he moved to battles as they happened one after the other, a supplier's nightmare! This leads me to believe that these routes were very well known, and detailed maps were available, and so the world was much more well know than we think?!Last question communication and logistics, as the distances began to grow and grow from Pella, and the battles went in so many different directions how was this all coordinated, from a supply standpoint?Thanks,
George

[marcus]

Hi George,I can't answer all the questions (possibly nobody can entirely) but for the logistical issues you should look at Don Engels "Al the Great and the Logistics of the MAcedonian Army". I don't think he deals with the issue of "for goodness sake where is he *now*?" but it's probably the best resource for logistics.If you think about it, though, pretty much all of the territory that Alexander conquered was well known. OK, their maps might have been a bit out, but there were plenty of people who knew exactly where various places in the Persian empire were, and we know for a fact that Alexander not only had his own exploration team who measured distances and took detailed notes, but he also used local guides extensively. Also, the system of roads in the Empire meant that there was a clear route to, say, Babylon, or Persepolis. I would say that Alexander knew *exactly* where he was going and, while he might have needed local people to point him in exactly the right direction, he only had to talk to Mazaeus, Artabazus or any of the other Persian nobles to know how to get to Susa, Persepolis, Ecbatana, Hecatompylos etc. It was only when the army got to India, beyond the Indus, that things weren't as clear; and then he had Porus, Taxiles etc. to point the way - remember how they told him about what he had to face, informing him that the Ganges was a lot further away than any of the Greeks had originally thought.All the bestMarcus

[yiannis]

Hi George,
Well Marcus got ahead of me but apart for his comments I'll write a few lines myself as well.ATG always picked the route that was most favorable for the logistic needs of his army. He would follow rivers for water provisions, send messengers to bribe or threat the rulers of a district into providing the necessary for his army before entering their territory etc. He was in a very difficult position at Issus because Darius came behind him and disrupted his supply lines. In any case the provision of an army in antiquity (especially far away from the sea or rivers) was a huge problem that would by itself limit the size of the army. ATG was not importing his suplies from Pella. Only fresh troops and equipment. The rest would be provided from the local markets.
Engels has huge information on the subject (but he can be pretty boring sometimes in all his detail!)regards,
Yiannis

[marcus]

He he he!