The Battle Of Gaugemela, 1 October 331 BC

[Year five of Artašata who is called Darius, Month Six]

[The first part is missing.]

The thirteenth,  Moonset to sunrise: 8º. [There was a] lunar eclipse, in its totality covered. 10º night [lacuna] Jupiter set; Saturn [lacuna] during the totality the west wind blew, during clearing the east wind; [lacuna] during the eclipse, deaths and plague occurred in [lacuna].

[The fourteenth:] All day clouds were in the sky.

Night of the fifteenth: Sunset to moonrise: 16º. [There were] clouds [in the sky]. The moon was 3²/₃ cubits [below Alpha Arietis], the moon having passed to the east; a meteor which flashed, its light was seen on the ground; very overcast, lightning flashed.

Night of the seventeenth: [lacuna] rain; last part of the night, the moon was behind Alpha Tauri. Clouds were in the sky.

Night of the eighteenth: A "fall of fire" occurred in the district [lacuna] entered opposite of the Nabû temple and a dog was burned.

Night of the nineteenth: First part of the night, a "fall of fire" occurred [lacuna]; last part of the night, the moon was twenty fingers behind Gamma Geminorum. Venus was [lacuna] above Beta Virginis, Venus having passed [lacuna] fingers to the east.

Night of the twentieth: Last part of the night, the moon was [lacuna] cubits below Beta Geminorum, the moon being ²/₃ cubit back to the west.

The twenty-first: Equinox I did not watch.

Night of the twenty-second: Last part of the night, the moon was six cubits below Epsilon Leonis, the moon having passed ½ cubit to the east.

Night of the twenty-third: Last part of the night, the moon was 1 cubit behind Alpha Leonis.

Night of the twenty-fourth: Clouds were in the sky.

Night of the twenty-fifth: In the morning, clouds were in the sky.

Night of the twenty-sixth: Last part of the night, the moon was [lacuna] below Gamma Virginis, the moon being 2.3 cubit back to the west, it stood 1 cubit 8 fingers behind Venus to the east.

Night of the twenty-ninth: Solar eclipse which was omitted; it was expected for about 1º night after sunset.

Night of the thirtieth: Last part of the night [lacuna]

[That month, the equivalent for 1 shekel of silver was: barley] [lacuna] kur; mustard, 3 kur, at the end of the month [lacuna]; sesame, 1 pân, 5 minas.

At that time, Jupiter was in Scorpio; Venus was in Leo, at the end of the month in Virgo; Saturn was in Pisces; Mercury and Mars, which had set, were not visible.

That month, the river level [lacuna].

That month, the eleventh, panic occurred in the camp before the king  [(The Macedonians) encamped in front of the king.

The twenty-fourth, in the morning, the king of the world [erected his] standard [lacuna]. Opposite each other they fought and a heavy defeat of the troops [of the king he inflicted]. The king, his troops deserted him and to their cities [they went] They fled to the land of the Guti.

[Month seven, the first of which followed the thirtieth of the preceding month;] sunset to moonset 13º30' [lacuna].

Night of the second: The moon was above Jupiter [lacuna]

Night of the seventh: Beginning of the night:

[End of the tablet. On the reverse side, the astronomical observations of the month Tašrîtu are illegible. At the end of the tablet, the following can be read:]

[That month, the equivalent] for 1 shekel of silver was: [lacuna]

That month, from the first to the [lacuna], came to Babylon, saying: "Esagila [will be restored] and the Babylonians to the treasury of Esagila [their tithe will give."]

On the eleventh, in Sippar an order of Al[exander to the Babylonians was sent as follow]s: "Into your houses I shall not enter."

On the thirteenth, [the vanguard advanced to the Sikil]la gate, to the outer gate of Esagila and [the Babylonians prostrated themselves].

On the fourteenth, these Ionians a bull [lacuna] short, fatty tissue [lacuna]. Alexander, king of the world, came into Babylon [lacuna], horses and equipment of [lacuna] and the Babylonians and the people of [lacuna] a message to

[end of tablet]


     This contemporary account states that Darius' army broke and ran from him, every other text we have describes the Great King as running from Alexander.  The one dissenting voice in this is that of Diodorus of Sicily, who wrote-

The Persian king received the Macedonian attack and fighting from a chariot hurled javelins against his opponents, and many supported him. As the kings approached each other, Alexander flung a javelin at Darius and missed him, but struck the driver standing behind him and knocked him to the ground. A shout went up at this from the Persians around Darius, and those at a greater distance thought that the king had fallen. They were the first to take flight, and they were followed by those next to them, and steadily, little by little, the solid ranks of Darius' guard disintegrated. As both flanks became exposed, the king himself was alarmed and retreated. The flight thus became general.

Diodorus was writing some 200 years later but he is backed by the Babylonian Sky Diary.  Alexander's victory at Gaugemela secured him the Persian Empire but only whetted his appetite for more conquest.  The fall of fire referred to was probably a meteor shower which required the burning of a dog.  No, my mistake, apparently a 'fall of fire' is a lightning strike, and in this case it burned a dog.  Whatever.  Not good enough, priests, looked what happened.  If ever there was a time to sacrifice the first born sons and loveliest maidens in town it was then.  You guys are all a bunch of [lacuna] so report to the nearest bronze statue of Marduk.  Bring wood.

Photo and translation from Livius.Org.  Tablet collection of the British Museum.  There are 500 years of these skywatching reports.