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Alexander, on the face of it, had as good as lost the battle: hemmed in on all sides, he could do nothing but fight a desperate last-ditch action. He was saved, finally, by his reserve battalion of veterans, men who had campaigned with Philip [Alexander’s father] but were now exempt from combat duty. Roused by the chaotic struggle they had been forced to witness, they decided to show these unlicked youngsters how a battle should really be fought. Shields locked, spear-line bristling, they now moved into the fray, a solid, unbreakable line.

The psychological effect on Ephialtes and his men was considerable. Just as they thought victory within their grasp, they found themselves faced with the prospect of fighting a second action. They wavered; the Macedonians pressed home their advantage; and by a great stroke of luck Ephialtes himself was killed.

In a matter of minutes the whole Persian assault-group crumbled, and began a stampede back to the city.


Source:

Green, Peter. “The Road to Issus.” Alexander of Macedon: 356-323 B.C.: A Historical Biography. Univ. of California Press, 2005. 198. Print.


Further Reading:

Alexander III of Macedon / Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μέγας (Alexander the Great)

Φίλιππος Β΄ ὁ Μακεδών (Philip II of Macedon)


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>[Alexander](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Alexander_the_Great_mosaic.jpg), on the face of it, had as good as lost the battle: hemmed in on all sides, he could do nothing but fight a desperate last-ditch action. He was saved, finally, by his reserve battalion of veterans, men who had campaigned with [Philip](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Filip_II_Macedonia.jpg) [**Alexander’s father**] but were now exempt from combat duty. Roused by the chaotic struggle they had been forced to witness, they decided to show these unlicked youngsters how a battle should really be fought. Shields locked, spear-line bristling, they now moved into the fray, a solid, unbreakable line. >The psychological effect on Ephialtes and his men was considerable. Just as they thought victory within their grasp, they found themselves faced with the prospect of fighting a second action. They wavered; the Macedonians pressed home their advantage; and by a great stroke of luck Ephialtes himself was killed. >In a matter of minutes the whole Persian assault-group crumbled, and began a stampede back to the city. _____________________________ **Source:** Green, Peter. “The Road to Issus.” Alexander of Macedon: 356-323 B.C.: A Historical Biography. Univ. of California Press, 2005. 198. Print. ______________________________ **Further Reading:** [Alexander III of Macedon / Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μέγας (Alexander the Great)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great) [Φίλιππος Β΄ ὁ Μακεδών (Philip II of Macedon)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_II_of_Macedon) ___________________________ **If you enjoy this type of content, please consider donating to my [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/HistoryLockeBox)!**

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