17 events the sources record for this year, grouped by region.
What happened
West Asia (12)
To learn his lineage he went to the oracle of Ammon at the Siwa oasis. He went along the coast about 1,600 stadia to Paraitonion, then turned inland. Lost in sandstorms, he was said to have been guided by a snake (Ptolemy) or by crows (Aristobulus). (Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 3.3.1–3.3.6)tradition
In early spring he went from Memphis to Phoenicia and sacrificed again to Heracles at Tyre. He granted the Athenian embassy's request from the ship Paralus and released the prisoners from the Granicus. He entrusted the treasure to Harpalus and set out for Thapsacus. (Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 3.6.1–3.6.8)
In the month of Hekatombaion he crossed the double bridge over the Euphrates at Thapsacus; the defending Mazaeus fled. He passed through Mesopotamia by the northern road, crossed the Tigris, and during a lunar eclipse made sacrifices to the moon, sun, and earth. (Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 3.6.1–3.6.4)
Learning from captured Persian scouts that Darius had gathered a great army at Gaugamela, he rested four days and then marched at midnight. Thirty stadia from the enemy he formed the battle line, scouted the terrain, and told his officers in a speech that this battle would decide who held all of Asia. (Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 3.8.1–3.8.7)
Alexander drifted to the right, and the Persians followed, so scythed chariots and cavalry clashed. The chariots were stopped by Agrianian javelin men and others, who opened their ranks to let them pass. (Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 3.13.1–3.13.2)
At Parmenion's request for help, Alexander broke off the pursuit and turned back to fight the largest cavalry battle against the Persian right wing; Parmenion took the enemy camp. He pursued Darius until sunset. Pyanepsion, archon Aristophanes. (Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 3.15.1–3.15.7)
Alexander rested at the Lykos river and then made a night march, reaching Arbela the next day. Darius had fled and was not there; the wealth, chariots, spears, and bows were taken. He pursued him 600 stadia from the battlefield. (Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 3.15.1–3.15.5)
Babylon opened its gates to welcome him. He ordered the temples that Xerxes had destroyed, especially the temple of Bel, to be rebuilt, and made Mazaeus satrap. He sacrificed to Bel as the Chaldaeans directed. (Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 3.16.1–3.16.2)
He reached Susa in twenty days from Babylon and took over 50,000 talents and the royal treasure. He sent back to Athens the statues of Harmodius and Aristogeiton, which Xerxes had carried off. (Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 3.16.1–3.16.2)
He sailed down the river past Canopus and, beside Lake Mareia, laid out the site of Alexandria, marking the agora, temples, and walls himself. (Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 3.1.1–3.1.5)
The island off the Egyptian coast is called Pharos by the people (the passage on the founding of Alexandria) (Plutarch's Parallel Lives Plut. Alexander 26)
On the road to the temple of Ammon he receives an oracle (Plutarch's Parallel Lives Plut. Alexander 27)
Southern Europe (2)
Having pacified everything west of the Euphrates, he marches toward Darius (Plutarch's Parallel Lives Plut. Alexander 31)
It is stated that the great battle with Darius took place not at Arbela but at Gaugamela (Plutarch's Parallel Lives Plut. Alexander 31)
Changes of power ◆
Places where the world territory data shows a change of borders in this year.