Alexander the Great and Persian Satrap Spithridates

Alexander the Great Battle of Granicus in 334 BC​

Spithridates [ΣΠΙΘΡΙΔΑΤΗΣ] acted as a satrap of Lydia and Ionia under the rein of King Darios II. He participated as a commander for the Persian forces at the Battle of Granicus in 334 BC, the first significant battle between Alexander the Great and the Persian Empire. During this battle, Spithridates [ΣΠΙΘΡΙΔΑΤΗΣ] spotted an opportunity to strike Alexander.

Greek historian Arrian [ΑΡΡΙΑΝΟΣ-I. 15] narrates as follows: Alexander’s spear being shattered in the conflict, he asked Aretis, one of the royal guards, whose duty it was to assist the king to mount his horse, for another spear. But this man’s spear had also been broken whilst he was in the thickest of the struggle, and he was conspicuous fighting with the half of his broken spear. Showing this to Alexander, he bade him ask some one else for one.

Then Demaratos, a man of Corinth, one of his personal Companions, gave him his own spear; which he had no sooner taken than seeing Mithridates, the son-in-law of Darios, riding far in front of the others, and leading with him a body of cavalry arranged like a wedge, he rode on in front of the others, and hitting at the face of Mithridates with his spear, struck him to the ground. But hereupon, Rhoesaces [brother of Spithridates] rode up to Alexander and struck at his head with his sword, but though it shore off a piece of his helmet, the helmet broke the force of the blow. This man too Alexander struck to the ground, striking him in the chest through the breastplate with his lance. And now Spithridates from behind had already raised aloft his sword against the king, when Kleitos [ΚΛΕΙΤΟΣ], son of Dropidas, anticipated his blow, and hitting him on the arm, cut it off, sword and all.

If not for the intervention of Kleitos [ΚΛΕΙΤΟΣ] that day, history would have taken a very different course. Alexander’s invasion of Persia would have been a dismal failure, cut short just days after crossing the Hellespont. Tens of thousands of Greek and Macedonian soldiers would have been left leaderless in Asia Minor, and the Hellenisation of the East would almost certainly never have come to pass.

During the battle, many Persian commanders were killed: the Lydian satrap Niphates, Petenes and Spithridates, the ruler of the Cappadocians Mithrobuzanes and Darius' son-in-law Mithridates, as well as the son of Artaxerxes, the son of Darius Arbupales and the brother of Darius' wife Pharnakes and the commander of the mercenaries Omare.

The result of the battle was that the road to the south was open to Alexander; Sardis [ΣΑΡΔΕΙΣ] and Ephesos [ΕΦΕΣΟΣ] were taken without a fight. Alexander the Great would not encounter resistance until the Persian fleet appeared at Miletos [ΜΙΛΗΤΟΣ].