Alexander the Great of Macedonia Overthrows Persian King Darius III at the Battle of Issus

From a young age, Alexander displayed great military capability. When his father died, possibly by the hands of his son, Alexander took on Greek's arch enemy, the Persian Empire. The Greeks invented two military strategies that proved invincible to the enemy. The "pitched battle" consisted of thousands of soldiers storming the enemy, unwavering going for the strongest point within the enemy ranks. The second strategy called the phalanx was an ordered and disciplined battle line with interlocked shields and extremely long spears pointing straight ahead.

During the battle of Issus (modern-day southern Anatolia, Turkey) in the year 333BCE, the Persian forces were succumbing to the powerful disciplined Greek offensive causing Darius III to flee the battle scene, collapsing the Persian army.Pictured here is a mosaic depicting Alexander defeating the Persian king Darius III in the Battle of Issus. This mosaic was found in Pompeii in the House of the Faun.