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Quiz about Conquest The Battles of Alexander the Great
Quiz about Conquest The Battles of Alexander the Great

Conquest! The Battles of Alexander the Great Quiz


Alexander the Great is possibly one of the greatest military men ever to have lived. This is a quiz on his exploits against the Persian Empire. Good Luck!

A multiple-choice quiz by OdinsHrafn716. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
356,778
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
401
Last 3 plays: DeepHistory (10/10), Guest 87 (10/10), Guest 87 (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. In 334 BCE, at the age of twenty, Alexander was already king of Macedon. Where did he fight his first major battle against the Persian army under its satraps in Asia Minor? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Who was Alexander's most-trusted lieutenant, who often led contingents on his left flank? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. At the Battle of Issus (333 BCE), who had taken command of the Persian forces in Asia Minor? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Who were the Companions, or "hetairoi"? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. What was it about the Phoenician city of Tyre that made it so difficult for Alexander to conquer? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. What did Alexander do with the majority of the citizens of Tyre after the city had fallen? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. What is a "sarissa"? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. After the Battle at Issus (333 BCE), who did Alexander capture in the ensuing route of Persian forces? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. After the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander marched on the city of Ecbatana. Darius, having heard of his approach, fled. What did Alexander do once he had caught up with the fleeing Persian king? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. The Battle of Gaugamela (331 BCE) effectively spelled the end of Persian rule in Asia Minor. Darius chose this site for what [geographical] reason? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Feb 13 2024 : DeepHistory: 10/10
Feb 01 2024 : Guest 87: 10/10
Jan 31 2024 : Guest 87: 6/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. In 334 BCE, at the age of twenty, Alexander was already king of Macedon. Where did he fight his first major battle against the Persian army under its satraps in Asia Minor?

Answer: Granicus River

Alexander's forces consisted of the Macedonian army and the League of Corinth, totaling over 90,000 troops. The Persian army consisted of Persian troops and a great many Greek mercenaries, numbering slightly under 30,000. Instead of waiting as his second-in-command suggested, Alexander attacked immediately.

This threw the Persians off guard, overwhelming them. Although a victory for Alexander and the Macedonians, he was very nearly killed!
2. Who was Alexander's most-trusted lieutenant, who often led contingents on his left flank?

Answer: Parmenio

Parmenio (or Parmenion) was first a general and adviser to Philip of Macedon, Alexander's father. After the ascension of Alexander (336 BCE), he served him faithfully until an assassination plot by Philotas, his son, was uncovered some time in 330 BCE. Alexander immediately assumed Parmenio had some knowledge of the plot, the conspirator being his son, so he had him murdered... I mean executed.
3. At the Battle of Issus (333 BCE), who had taken command of the Persian forces in Asia Minor?

Answer: Darius III

Darius III, king of the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire, enraged by the defeat of his troops at the Granicus River, took control of the army himself. However, his presence didn't make much odifference. Alexander founded the city of Alexandria (Iskenderun) to commemorate his victory here.
4. Who were the Companions, or "hetairoi"?

Answer: Mounted shock troops

Alexander commanded the Companion cavalry personally, many of whom were themselves aristocrats and nobles. They were also Alexander's Royal Guard. A Companion wore heavy armor, carried a double-pointed spear ("xyston"), and used a curved sword ("kopis") for close combat. They often rode with Alexander from the right side of his formations.
5. What was it about the Phoenician city of Tyre that made it so difficult for Alexander to conquer?

Answer: It was situated on an island half a mile from shore.

Tyre was located on a small island a half-mile from the shore. Alexander, not having had much use for a navy before then, did not have a large enough fleet to besiege the city. Instead, meeting with his engineers, he decided to build a 200 ft. wide causeway, guarded by two large towers out to the city. Even this was not enough, however.

The city finally fell when Persian navy defectors and Cyprian reinforcements arrived in about 200 ships. Alexander finally had his navy!
6. What did Alexander do with the majority of the citizens of Tyre after the city had fallen?

Answer: Sold them into slavery

Utterly frustrated with Tyre for the whopping 400 men he lost and the length of time which they were able to resist, Alexander and his army killed nearly 8,000 citizens of Tyre upon gaining the city. The remaining 30,000 or so citizens were sold into slavery. The only ones to escape slaughter and slavery were the king and his family. What a nice guy!
7. What is a "sarissa"?

Answer: A long spear

A "sarissa" was an extremely long spear, or pike, ranging anywhere from 13 to 17 feet in length. It was used to great effect originally by Philip II and later by Alexander. It is practically useless when used individually, so was therefore used by infantry in phalanx formation. Marching in a straight line is relatively easy, but trying to turn around quickly with spears of that length is difficult.

Therefore it was essential that these units did not get flanked in battle. Good thing Alexander was such an effective tactician.
8. After the Battle at Issus (333 BCE), who did Alexander capture in the ensuing route of Persian forces?

Answer: Several members of the royal family

Darius' forces fled so far and so fast, that many of the accompanying caravans were left in their wake. The van carrying Darius' family, including his wife and daughters, was one of those left behind!
9. After the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander marched on the city of Ecbatana. Darius, having heard of his approach, fled. What did Alexander do once he had caught up with the fleeing Persian king?

Answer: Buried him with full honors

That's right! By the time Alexander had caught up with the fleeing Persian king, Darius had already been assassinated by one of his generals (and next in line to the throne), Bessus (later Artaxerxes). Alexander, having wanted to capture Darius alive, sent his body back to Persepolis to be buried with full Persian honors. Alexander punished Bessus when he later caught up with him in Bactria.

The murderer's nose and ears were cut off and he was then executed. Ancient sources vary in the way in which he was killed, varying from decapitation to crucifixion to being torn apart. Fun times...
10. The Battle of Gaugamela (331 BCE) effectively spelled the end of Persian rule in Asia Minor. Darius chose this site for what [geographical] reason?

Answer: It was situated on a large plain

The PLAIN of Gaugamela was chosen by Darius because it allowed him to arrange his forces effectively and make use of his far superior numbers, with a high estimate at about 90,000. Alexander commanded only about half as many. For the record, I don't think the Persians were too keen on the idea of forcing ANY opposing army into a bottleneck...Remember Thermopylae?
Source: Author OdinsHrafn716

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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