Directly or bypassing: offensive tactics of Alexander the Great in the conditions of the mountain war

Kleymeonov Alexander Anatolevich

The Alexander the Great’s tactic against the enemies had occupied the naturally-forted positions is under consideration in the article. Its determinates that Alexander conquered mountain pass and key heights which were under his enemy’s control using the strike attack of special made mixed divisions. More less he used the combination of frontal attack and part foresees attack around enemy’s positions. Such attacks were typical for the winter campaign 331 – 330 ВС in the mountains of Zagros. Successes of this actions were connected with using of Macedonian army’s units which were adopted to mountain war and using mixed troops considering intelligence data and the element of surprise.

Keywords:Alexander the Great, tactics, mountain war, Philip II, Uxians, Persian Gates, light infantry, hypaspists.