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Articles

• Polcaro, Vito Francesco
• Valsecchi, G.B.
• Verderame, L.

A total lunar eclipse occurred during the night preceding the decisive Battle ofGaugamela (20th September 331 BCE), when the Macedonian army, led byAlexander the Great, finally defeated the Persian king Darius and his army. Thisastronomical event, well known to historians, had a relevant role on the battleoutcome. The eclipse was described in detail by Babylonian astronomers, though,unfortunately, the text of their report has only partially been preserved. We havereconstructed the evolution of the phenomenon as it appeared to the observer inBabylonia, by using the positional astronomy code “Planetario V2.0”. On the base ofthis 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 themood of the armies that set against each other on the following morning.

• History and Archaeology

• Αρχαιολογία

Alexander the Great, Archaeoastronomy, Astronomical Diaries, Moon eclipses

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