THE GAUGAMELA BATTLE ECLIPSE: AN ARCHAEOASTRONOMICAL ANALYSIS

Authors

  • V. F. Polcaro INAF, Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica-Roma,V. del Fosso del Covaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
  • Valsecchi Valsecchi INAF, Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica-Roma,V. del Fosso del Covaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
  • L. Verderame Università di Palermo, Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia, Palermo and University of Rome ‘Sapienza’, Italy

Keywords:

Alexander the Great, Archaeoastronomy, Astronomical Diaries, Moon eclipses

Abstract

A total lunar eclipse occurred during the night preceding the decisive Battle of Gaugamela (20th September 331 BCE), when the Macedonian army, led by Alexander the Great, finally defeated the Persian king Darius and his army. This astronomical event, well known to historians, had a relevant role on the battle outcome. The eclipse was described in detail by Babylonian astronomers, though, unfortunately, the text of their report has only partially been preserved. We have reconstructed the evolution of the phenomenon as it appeared to the observer in Babylonia, by using the positional astronomy code “Planetario V2.0”. On the base of this reconstruction we suggest a number of integrations to the lost part of the text, allowing a finer astrological interpretation of the eclipse and of its influence on the mood of the armies that set against each other on the following morning.

Downloads

Published

2023-07-25

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2008)

Section

Articles