Re: Alexander's Route from Granicus to Sardis
Posted: Tue May 18, 2021 8:51 am
Two important things that have not being really discussed.
I will show why the coastal route doesn't have any sense.
FIRST PART
First, Alexander didn't created Alexandria Troas, it was Lysimachos later on. First mistake by Engels.
The only think Alexander did while in Troad was to do stuff while the army was crossing the Hellespont.
He grant privileges to Ilion, do some religious stuff. He never found any cities here.
Importantly, it is said that Alexander ordered to his army to spare all the lands of Memnon. Thus, until Granicus battle, Memnon "chora" is untouched by Macedonian.
You can read "Achaemenid Grants of Cities and Lands to Greeks: The Case of Mentor and Memnon of Rhodes" to see clearly that Memnon territory was in Troad, more specifically in center Troad, around Kebren and Skepsis and Gergis. Maybe also the coast of Tenedos ancient Peraia. In any cases, Alexander didn't went as far south while he disembarked in Troad.
What happened next ? After Granicus, Alexander went directly south to Lydia. Even if the terrain is harsh and not easy as a lot of view said, you need to remember that it would just be few days of bad terrain. The MAJORITY of the direct route would still be in Lydian plain, which is absolutely flat and full of cities like Thyateira.
There is nothing against taking such route. Most of it is perfectly fine.
Moreover, we can really assume that a royal achaemenid road was existing here. Daskyleion and Sardes were the 2 proeminent capitals of western Anatolia for persian empire. No doubt they built road system between the two without having to take the coastal route. Why ? Because coastal route is much longer, and is full of greek poleis that were nothing like friendly to persian.
It would be much more dangerous for persian to take coastal route, not even considering all times when this all coast was under athenian or spartan control.
During all the Delian league, the coastal route was under greek control. What were doing the persian to go from Daskyleion to Sardes ? They surely took this inland route.
SECOND PART
Secondly, Arrian specifically write that while at Ephesos, Alexander sent Parmenion to take Tralles and Magnesia AND ALSO sent Lysimachos with equal forces to take "aeolic and ionian cities" still under Persian. He also sent Calas, satrap of Phrygia Hellespontine, to take Memnon lands.
This implies that, as we said, Macedonian didn't had taken Memnon lands before Granicus.
But moreover, while at Sardes, they still didn't took it.
And finally, while at Ephesos, Ionian and Aeolian cities were still not macedonian.
But if the army had taken the coastal route, then they would have taken Memnon lands on the road while in Troad, they would have then taken Aeolian cities along the route and finally ionian cities.
You see that there is absolutely no sense to send Calas in Troad, Lysimachos in Aeolia and Ionia if the army had just passed through these regions.
CONCLUSION
The army took the inland route.
Once Sardes taken, and informed that Memnon was still a threat, Alexander ordered to Calas to go back to his new satrapy and put it in order by taking the lands of Memnon that could still be a threat and a base for him in the future. Calas therefore went back to Daskyleion and then in Troad to secure his satrapy.
Once at Ephesos, on the coast, Alexander very logically sent Parmenion to take the Meander valley (Ephesos is at the end of it) by taking Magnesia and Tralles (both greek cities). He had to do this now before continuing along the coast southward.
In the same time, he sent Lysimachos to take all the coast north of Ephesos, which is Ionia and Aeolia.
After these orders, Alexander would have secured both satrapies of Phrygia Hellespontica and Lydia completely.
He would now control all the coast from Hellespontos (Cyzikos) to Ephesos (so Controlling Hellespontine Coast, Troad, Aeolia and Ionia).
He could now safely continue south toward Milet (ending control over Ionia) and then taking Caria (Halikarnassos), Lycia, etc.
Pierre Palomar
I will show why the coastal route doesn't have any sense.
FIRST PART
First, Alexander didn't created Alexandria Troas, it was Lysimachos later on. First mistake by Engels.
The only think Alexander did while in Troad was to do stuff while the army was crossing the Hellespont.
He grant privileges to Ilion, do some religious stuff. He never found any cities here.
Importantly, it is said that Alexander ordered to his army to spare all the lands of Memnon. Thus, until Granicus battle, Memnon "chora" is untouched by Macedonian.
You can read "Achaemenid Grants of Cities and Lands to Greeks: The Case of Mentor and Memnon of Rhodes" to see clearly that Memnon territory was in Troad, more specifically in center Troad, around Kebren and Skepsis and Gergis. Maybe also the coast of Tenedos ancient Peraia. In any cases, Alexander didn't went as far south while he disembarked in Troad.
What happened next ? After Granicus, Alexander went directly south to Lydia. Even if the terrain is harsh and not easy as a lot of view said, you need to remember that it would just be few days of bad terrain. The MAJORITY of the direct route would still be in Lydian plain, which is absolutely flat and full of cities like Thyateira.
There is nothing against taking such route. Most of it is perfectly fine.
Moreover, we can really assume that a royal achaemenid road was existing here. Daskyleion and Sardes were the 2 proeminent capitals of western Anatolia for persian empire. No doubt they built road system between the two without having to take the coastal route. Why ? Because coastal route is much longer, and is full of greek poleis that were nothing like friendly to persian.
It would be much more dangerous for persian to take coastal route, not even considering all times when this all coast was under athenian or spartan control.
During all the Delian league, the coastal route was under greek control. What were doing the persian to go from Daskyleion to Sardes ? They surely took this inland route.
SECOND PART
Secondly, Arrian specifically write that while at Ephesos, Alexander sent Parmenion to take Tralles and Magnesia AND ALSO sent Lysimachos with equal forces to take "aeolic and ionian cities" still under Persian. He also sent Calas, satrap of Phrygia Hellespontine, to take Memnon lands.
This implies that, as we said, Macedonian didn't had taken Memnon lands before Granicus.
But moreover, while at Sardes, they still didn't took it.
And finally, while at Ephesos, Ionian and Aeolian cities were still not macedonian.
But if the army had taken the coastal route, then they would have taken Memnon lands on the road while in Troad, they would have then taken Aeolian cities along the route and finally ionian cities.
You see that there is absolutely no sense to send Calas in Troad, Lysimachos in Aeolia and Ionia if the army had just passed through these regions.
CONCLUSION
The army took the inland route.
Once Sardes taken, and informed that Memnon was still a threat, Alexander ordered to Calas to go back to his new satrapy and put it in order by taking the lands of Memnon that could still be a threat and a base for him in the future. Calas therefore went back to Daskyleion and then in Troad to secure his satrapy.
Once at Ephesos, on the coast, Alexander very logically sent Parmenion to take the Meander valley (Ephesos is at the end of it) by taking Magnesia and Tralles (both greek cities). He had to do this now before continuing along the coast southward.
In the same time, he sent Lysimachos to take all the coast north of Ephesos, which is Ionia and Aeolia.
After these orders, Alexander would have secured both satrapies of Phrygia Hellespontica and Lydia completely.
He would now control all the coast from Hellespontos (Cyzikos) to Ephesos (so Controlling Hellespontine Coast, Troad, Aeolia and Ionia).
He could now safely continue south toward Milet (ending control over Ionia) and then taking Caria (Halikarnassos), Lycia, etc.
Pierre Palomar