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The Citadel Unconquered By Persia, Alexander, and Rome
How one tribe escaped the most successful conquerors in history
In the early years of his campaign against the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great chose to travel through the Taurus Mountains to Phrygia. He captured some towns and villages along the way until he came face to face with a towering mountain fortress. To his surprise, the fortress was not manned by Persian troops. It was not manned by Greek mercenaries. It was under the control of a local mountain tribe that had managed to maintain their freedom from the massive Persian Empire that surrounded it.
It did not take long for Alexander to realize how these tenacious people had maintained their autonomy when few others could. Their fortress sat perched over 3000 feet in the air, surrounded by steep gorges, narrow passes, and unscalable cliffs.
The Macedonian army attempted to breach the fortress, but they could not even get close. The mountain warriors skirmishes in the passes, delayed the advances in the approaches, and killed scouts and advanced parties. After surveying the area, Alexander decided to bypass the fortress. He retreated down the mountain and chose a more favorable pass that did not go near the impregnable citadel.
