His armyattempted to get in through the wall but this soon failed. Alexander then used his siegetechnology to wage war and gain entrance. Memnon launched a massive raid at dawn toovertake Alexanders army. This was almost a stalemate until Alexanders reserve armycame in and inflicted heavy losses, and Ephialtes was killed. Memnon realizing his defeatretreated and evacuated his forces by sea, setting fire to everything they could not takewith them on the ships. Alexander emerges victorious again. Although Alexanders troops had suffered severe losses they still pursued on.They marched on to Lycia and took over thirty cities here. They then moved along theAnatolian plateau for about a three weeks march until they reached the ancient city ofGordion. Alexander came here for strategic reasons. Gordion was not only the mainjunction to central Anatolia but also the place known for a weird legend. As legend has itGordion was originally the city of Midas whose father Gordius was believed to havemigrated from Macedonia to here in a wooden cart. His arrival fulfilled a local prophecy,and Gordius became the king of this place. As a thanks offering Gordius left the cart inthe temple of Zeus with a leather knot on the end of it made of cornel bark with invisibleends on it. The legend of the Gordion Knot7 states that whoever undid the knot wouldbecome ruler of Asia. This of course was irresistible to Alexander who had based somany of his victories on the strengths of the Gods.Alexander went up to the acropolis and stood silent trying to figure out how toundo the knot. As history tells us Alexander said It doesnt matter how the knot isloosened8 and at the same instance he drew his sword and hacked up the knot revealingthe ends inside. Alexander left believing that the legend had been fulfilled and that hewould soon be the ruler of Asia. Throughout all of Alexanders conquests the fear remained that Memnon mightattack Greece while Alexander was no where ...
