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Quiz about The Naval Strategy of Alexander

The "Naval" Strategy of Alexander Quiz

In 334 BC Alexander the Great had a much smaller navy than the Persian Empire. Test yourself on how Alexander overcame his relative lack of naval power. Read the information between the questions as it helps to understand the historical flow.

A multiple-choice quiz by Craterus. Estimated time: 7 mins.

Author
Craterus

Time
7 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
383,391

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
151

Last 3 plays: Guest 92 (5/10), Guest 50 (4/10), Guest 101 (6/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Alexander ferried his army across this body of water to Asia Minor in 334 BC. Name this body of water. Hint

Aegean Sea

Black Sea

The Hellespont

Propontis

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Question 2 of 10

2. At the outset of Alexander's invasion of Asia Minor, how many ships did he and Darius have each respectively? Hint

25:300

200:300

160:400

50:600

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Question 3 of 10

3. After the Battle of the River Granicus in 334 BC, Alexander pursued the remains of the defeated Persian army east into the interior parts of Asia Minor.

True

False

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Question 4 of 10

4. What were Alexander's main concerns about the Persian navy? Hint

Cutting off Darius from Phoenicia and Egypt and their Grain and commerce

A pitched battle and the quality of his fleet

His lines of communication to Macedonia and Greece

Cutting off Darius' trade with the West and the money this brought the Persian king

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Question 5 of 10

5. After Granicus, Alexander besieged this port city first on the Asia Minor coast. Hint

Ephesus

Byzantium

Abydos

Miletus

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Question 6 of 10

6. Alexander then moved further south into Caria and besieged Halicarnassus, which was defended by a Greek mercenary general. Name the general. Hint

Mentor

Neoptolemus

Clearchus

Memnon

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Question 7 of 10

7. In summer of 333 BC, Memnon began to execute his own naval strategy of attacking Alexander's supply chokepoint at the Hellespont. What was the outcome of his efforts? Hint

Memnon died

Alexander changed his strategy

Macedonian navy defeated the Persian navy

Darius changed strategies

8. After subduing the interior of Asia Minor and then its southern coast, and fighting and winning the Battle of Issus in November 333 BC, Alexander turned south, again ignoring the defeated Persian army, into Syria along the Phoenician coast. Byblos, Arwad and Sidon surrendered to him. But Tyre refused. Why? Hint

Darius promised the Tryian King Azemilk 1000 talents

Alexander asked to come into the city and worship the Tyrian god Melkart

The Tyrian king that his defenses were too strong for Alexander

Tyre had support of the Phoenician fleet

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Question 9 of 10

9. In July 332 BC, after a difficult seven month siege, the Macedonians finally conquered Tyre. What was the turning point? Hint

Much of the Persian navy went over to Alexander

The people of Tyre ran out of food and surrendered

An agent of Alexander opened the gates of Tyre and his forces sacked the city

Alexander promsed Tyre's king he could keep his throne and the king surrendered

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Question 10 of 10

10. A biographer quoted Alexander as follows on his novel naval strategy:
"Friends and allies, I see that an exhibition will not be safe for us, so long as the Persians retain sovereignty over the sea; nor is it a safe course, both for other reasons,and especially looking at matters in Greece, or us to pursue Darius, leaving in our rear the city of Tyre itself in doubtful allegiance, and Egypt and Cyprus in the occupation of the Persians. I am apprehensive lest we advance with our forces towards Babylon and in pursuit of Darius, the Persians should again forsooth conquer the maritime districts, and transfer the war into Greece with a larger army...But if the whole of Phoenicia would be in our possession, and the fleet of Phoenicia,which is the most numerous and the best in the Persian navy, would in all probability come over to us...then also Cyprus coming over to us...[then] Egypt will be an easy matter for us....[And there shall] be no anxiety about Greece and our on home...and we shall be able to undertake the expedition to Babylon with safety in regard to affairs at home."
Who was the biographer? Hint

Diodorus Siculus

Plutarch

Callisthenes

Arrian

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Alexander ferried his army across this body of water to Asia Minor in 334 BC. Name this body of water.

Answer: The Hellespont

This was an important, and dicey, moment for Alexander's invasion of the Persian Empire.Had Darius III's navy opposed his troop transports to Asia Minor, Alexander would have had a much harder time in his quest. His navy was far weaker than that of Darius, who had many more ships and better sailors.

2. At the outset of Alexander's invasion of Asia Minor, how many ships did he and Darius have each respectively?

Answer: 160:400

Alexander had little money in the Macedonian treasury when he invaded Asia and could not afford to build up a navy prior to his invasion and for some time thereafter.

3. After the Battle of the River Granicus in 334 BC, Alexander pursued the remains of the defeated Persian army east into the interior parts of Asia Minor.

Answer: False

Alexander moved decisively south down the Asia Minor coast to capture sea ports belonging to the Persian navy. The remains of the Persian Army could wait. Alexander had to sweep the Persian navy from Aegean and, because of his weaker navy, he had to do this with his army by denying them ports of call.

4. What were Alexander's main concerns about the Persian navy?

Answer: His lines of communication to Macedonia and Greece

Alexander had to keep his lines open to the West for manpower and supplies as he proceeded in his conquests to the east. Moreover, Persian money and meddling in Greece had been the difference in Sparta's victory in the Peloponnesian War. As events would show, the Greeks were not happy under the terms of the League of Corinth and receptive to the Persian call for an uprising against Macedonian domination.

5. After Granicus, Alexander besieged this port city first on the Asia Minor coast.

Answer: Miletus

After taking control of Sardis and Ephesus, Alexander proceeded south to Miletus in Caria. The Satrap was prepared to surrender the city but at the last moment heard that Darius' navy was on the way and decided to hold out. Alexander put Parminio's son, Nicanor, in charge and the small Macedonian fleet blocked the harbor mouth, keeping the larger Persian fleet at bay. Melitus fell to Alexander and the noose grew a little tighter around the Persian fleet.

6. Alexander then moved further south into Caria and besieged Halicarnassus, which was defended by a Greek mercenary general. Name the general.

Answer: Memnon

Memnon had initially proposed using the Persian navy for interdiction of Alexander's lines of communication and then implementing a scorched earth policy to deny the Macedonians the ability to live off the land. The Persian satraps rejected this advice because their provinces would have been destroyed.

While Alexander captured the city of Halicarnassus, the forts guarding the harbor held out for months afterwards under Memnon until he fled. He would later cause more trouble for the Macedonians.

7. In summer of 333 BC, Memnon began to execute his own naval strategy of attacking Alexander's supply chokepoint at the Hellespont. What was the outcome of his efforts?

Answer: Darius changed strategies

Memnon captured the islands of Chios and Lesbos (except Mytilene). Alexander became so concerned that he ordered Hegelochus to reform the fleet. Memnon died but his nephew Pharnabazus took over and had further success. Antipater checked a small Persian fleet just 30 miles from the Hellespont at Siphnos and Darius ordered the recall of the fleet, stopping what could have been the one thing to halt Alexander in his tracks.

Answer: Alexander asked to come into the city and worship the Tyrian god Melkart

Melkart was associated with Heracles, whom Alexander considered a relative on his father Philip's side. But by asking to worship Melkart, Alexander was asking to be king of Tyre, according to Tyrian custom. The King and the people of Tyre rejected Alexander, angering the Macedonian king.
But in terms of strategy, Alexander could not proceed south to Egypt with a hostile Tyre behind his army. He began its siege in January 332 BC.

9. In July 332 BC, after a difficult seven month siege, the Macedonians finally conquered Tyre. What was the turning point?

Answer: Much of the Persian navy went over to Alexander

Some 220 Cypriot and Phoenician ships from the Persian navy, without a port of call, went over to Alexander and helped him blockade and besiege Tyre. His strategy of using his magnificent army to capture coastline and strategic ports to deny them the ability make land and cut them off from the interior of the Persian Empire left the Persian navy little choice but to surrender to Alexander.

He now had a large navy and went on to subdue the coast from Tyre through Gaza to Egypt.

10. A biographer quoted Alexander as follows on his novel naval strategy: "Friends and allies, I see that an exhibition will not be safe for us, so long as the Persians retain sovereignty over the sea; nor is it a safe course, both for other reasons,and especially looking at matters in Greece, or us to pursue Darius, leaving in our rear the city of Tyre itself in doubtful allegiance, and Egypt and Cyprus in the occupation of the Persians. I am apprehensive lest we advance with our forces towards Babylon and in pursuit of Darius, the Persians should again forsooth conquer the maritime districts, and transfer the war into Greece with a larger army...But if the whole of Phoenicia would be in our possession, and the fleet of Phoenicia,which is the most numerous and the best in the Persian navy, would in all probability come over to us...then also Cyprus coming over to us...[then] Egypt will be an easy matter for us....[And there shall] be no anxiety about Greece and our on home...and we shall be able to undertake the expedition to Babylon with safety in regard to affairs at home." Who was the biographer?

Answer: Arrian

Alexander understood that if he could not secure his rear by neutralizing the Persian fleet, his conquest of Asia would fail. Therefore he took care to methodically bring the entire coastline from the Hellespont to Egypt under his control. Once he secured Egypt, he turned north again to confront Darius' army, which he defeated in 331 BC at Guagamela near Babylon.

History may have been different had Alexander not used his army to defeat the Persian navy.

Source: Author Craterus

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