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How large was Alexander the Greatās army when it crossed the Dardanelles?
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Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great, detail from Alexander and Porus, painting by Charles Le Brun, 17th century; in the Louvre, Paris, France.
When Alexander the Great crossed the Dardanelles in the spring of 334 BCE to begin his invasion of the Persian Empire, he commanded an army of approximately 35,000 soldiers.12
This force consisted of about 30,000 infantry and more than 5,000 cavalry. Within these ranks, nearly 14,000 were Macedonians, while about 7,000 were allies provided by the Greek League. Alexander left his deputy, Antipater, in Europe with a separate force of more than 13,000 troops to maintain control in his absence.12
While some historical accounts, such as those cited regarding the Battle of the Granicus, may suggest a total figure of 40,000, the core composition of the invading army is consistently described as the aforementioned balance of infantry and cavalry.123