Tristan Hughes

And there is resistance all the way in Miletus.

There are like little garrisons and they try to hold out, but Alexander ultimately does beat them.

And you see little contingents going out here, there and everywhere, trying to get other cities to his side.

So much so that you get to a place like Halicarnassus, which is now the scene as this is one of the first big notable sieges that he faces.

You've got Memnon of Rhodes there on the opposition.

And Halicarnassus, which we mentioned in the last chat, is the home of that guy who was considering to defect to Philip.

I don't think he's there at the moment, Pixadaris.

But you get that siege, don't you?

Which is another kind of big step a few months after Granicus, after Alexander's done more conquest down the seaboard.

And it keeps on going.

So he takes that Western seaboard of Anatolia.

The Persian fleet is mega powerful and still there and thereabouts.

And Memnon of Rhodes is still there and thereabouts.

So actually they go into the Aegean for a bit and start causing chaos.

And Alexander realizes that his own fleet's not up to that.

So he decides, well, I'm going to focus on the land war.

and take away the ports of the Phoenicians and the Cypriots and so on, who are the best sailors for the Persian fleet.

So although he takes those cities, he has to leave that fleet and let it be a menace whilst he keeps going eastwards.

After this, let's say after Hadakarnassus, he starts heading eastwards.

And by this time, taking control of the old administrative centers of the Persians and either putting in Macedonians loyal to him, if the people in charge have switched over, I think he's already leaving it in charge of that local, kind of leaving the administration in place.