Dr Adrian Goldsworthy

And lots of cavalry.

This isn't particularly great cavalry country.

So he tends to focus them, most of the Persian ones are on the right, near the sea.

Because again, he's to the north of Alexander.

Alexander, fairly standard, sort of you've got the Thessalians are over on the left with Parmenio facing the Persian cavalry, keep them busy, basically.

Macedonian infantry the heart of it in the centre they go through and again we only know about this because it's described in a later source arguing about the details in somebody else Polybius talks about how the Macedonians manoeuvre they advance over this long plain changing formation as the plain widens so that the phalanx begins I think it's 32 ranks deep goes to 16 goes to 8 which gives you again an idea of just how there is space between these units they aren't just the solid walls of men you tend to get

And then the Macedonians attack.

Alexander leads a charge.

There is a nice theory that he probably leads this charge on foot with the Paspids first to break open and then goes back, mounts up and leads the companion cavalry through.

Yes, they're close.

They're always between the main phalanx and the cavalry and they're more prestigious.

They're the ones that...

There's all sorts of arguments about their particular equipment, which we don't need to worry about.

Breaks through.

There are some problems.

There are some bits where the Persians do quite well, where the Macedonian formation breaks up.

But basically, they're better at this close-in fighting.

Alexander's leading them again.

There's more fighting.

And eventually, the Persian army collapses and routs.