Alexander marched his army against Phoenicia, where he accepted the surrender of Byblus and Sidon, after defeating Darius III at the Battle of Issus in November 333 BCE. While Alexander was on the march, Tyrian envoys spoke to him and declared their intention of carrying out his wishes.
Alexander had understood that he needed to secure his supply network before going up against his enemies. The keys were the coastal areas of Palestine, Egypt and Phoenicia. Tyre, Phoenicia’s largest city-state, rejected Alexander’s peace proposals and claimed neutrality in the conflict. Alexander, on the other hand, was steadfast in his refusal to give way, and in January 332 B.C. he began a nearly eight-month long siege of Tyre. Until the fort’s destruction, an uncompromising Alexander built bridges to the island city, used siege engines, and fought the Tyrian navy and army.
Alexander marched south through Jerusalem after the destruction of Tired of besieging Gaza, which was a fortified hill. Batis, the commander of Gaza, had refused to submit to Alexander. Gaza was finally seized after three failed assaults. After the fall of Gaza, Alexander moved to Egypt, where he was hailed as a liberator. Year 331 BC Alexander established the city of Alexandria, which would later become the epicenter of Hellenistic culture and trade.
