Alexander the Great & The Persian Thermopylae (Part One)
The Ancients
History Hit
4.7 • 4.5K Ratings
🗓️ 20 January 2022
⏱️ 39 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In January 330 BC, Alexander the Great faced one of his most difficult challenges to date. A small Persian force, entrenched in a formidable defensive position that blockaded Alexander’s route to the Persian heartlands. A narrow pass through the Zagros Mountains that has gone down in history as the Persian, or Susian, Gates. Although nowhere near the size or scale of Alexander’s previous pitched battles against the Persians at the Granicus, Issus and Gaugamela, this clash in the mountains deserves its moment in the spotlight. A clash where the tables were turned and the Persians were outnumbered by their Macedonian counterparts. A battle that has been dubbed the Persian Thermopylae. From the immediate aftermath of Alexander’s victory at Gaugamela to his army’s antics at Babylon. From a merciless, punitive campaign in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains to a detailed run down of the Persian stand the Gates, enjoy as Tristan talks you through the events of late 331 / early 330 BC.
In this first part, Tristan covers the events that followed Alexander the Great’s victory at Gaugamela and how these culminated with Alexander’s army approaching the Persian heartlands deep in the winter of 331/0 BC.
Order Tristan’s book today: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perdiccas-Years-323-Alexanders-Successors/dp/1526775115/ref=zg_bsnr_271237_68/260-7675295-7826601?pd_rd_i=1526775115&psc=1
Jona Lendering article: https://www.livius.org/articles/battle/persian-gate-330-bce/
If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit.
To download, go to Android or Apple store.
If you’re enjoying this podcast and looking for more fascinating The Ancients content then subscribe to our Ancients newsletter. Follow this link.
Music provided by All3Media and EpidemicSound.
Quick notes:
We do hear a small detail about what happened to Bagophanes. Alexander assigned him to become one of Mazaeus' adjutants in the new Babylonian administration.
Medates is pardoned by Alexander. Whether he retains his position as governor of the lowland Uxians however, is not stated.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | It's the Entrance on History Hit. |
| 0:11.9 | I'm Tristan Hughes, your host and in today's podcast where it looks like you enjoyed our |
| 0:16.6 | last explainer episode all about Alexander the Great's victory at the Battle of Galgamele. |
| 0:23.0 | And today I'm delighted to say we're back with another explainer episode. |
| 0:27.1 | This time we're talking about the battle that followed the Clash at Galgamele roughly |
| 0:31.4 | three months later in January 330 BC. |
| 0:35.6 | Now this clash occurred in the Zagros Mountains just west of the Persian ceremonial centre |
| 0:41.8 | that was Persepolis. |
| 0:44.1 | This was the battle of the Persian gates or the Persian gate and it's sometimes being |
| 0:49.1 | labelled as the Persian Thermopylae. |
| 0:52.3 | Why is that? |
| 0:53.3 | Well you're going to hear why in this episode today. |
| 0:57.1 | Now sit back, enjoy. |
| 0:58.9 | We're going to take you from the immediate aftermath of Alexander the Great's victory |
| 1:02.9 | at Galgamele in October 330 BC. |
| 1:06.2 | We're going to trace Alexander's movement south to Babylon, his stay at Babylon, then |
| 1:10.6 | his movements to Susa, how he there deals with some issues which he's heard of further |
| 1:15.2 | west in mainland Greece and in modern day Bulgaria. |
| 1:19.1 | We then going to head east as Alexander advanced towards the Zagros Mountains proper. |
| 1:23.9 | And then of course in part two we're going to be finishing with a detailed rundown of |
| 1:29.5 | the Battle of the Persian Gate itself. |
| 1:32.5 | So that further we do, here's me to talk all about the Battle of the Persian Gate. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from History Hit, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of History Hit and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.