It is not quite clear what part Darius took in the battle, or how far he was answerable for its untoward result.  According to Arrian, he was struck with a sudden panic on beholding the flight of his left wing, and gave orders to his charioteer instantly to quit the field.  But Curtius and Diodorus represent him as engaged in a long struggle against Alexander himself, and as only flying when he was in imminent danger of falling into the enemy’s hands.  Justin goes further, and states that he was actually wounded.  The character gained by Darius in his earlier years makes it improbable that he would under any circumstances have exhibited personal cowardice.  On the whole it would seem to be most probable that the flight of the Persian monarch occurred, not when the left wing fled, but when the Greek mercenaries among whom he had placed himself began to give way before the irresistible phalanx and the impetuous charges of Alexander.  Darius, not unwisely, accepted the defeat of his best troops as the loss of the battle, and hastily retired across Amanus by the pass which had brought him to Issus, whence he hurried on through Sochi to the Euphrates, anxious to place that obstacle between himself and his victorious enemy.  His multitudinous host, entangled in the defiles of the mountains, suffered by its own weight and size, the stronger fugitives treading down the weaker, while at the same time it was ruthlessly slaughtered by the pursuing enemy, so long as the waning light allowed.  As many as 100,000—­90,000 foot and 10,000 horse—­are said to have fallen.  The ravines were in places choked with the dead bodies, and Ptolemy the son of Lagus related that in one instance he and Alexander crossed a gully on a bridge of this kind.  Among the slain were Sabaces, satrap of Egypt, Bubaces, a noble of high rank, and Arsames, Rheomithres, and Atizyes, three of the commanders at the Granicus.  Forty thousand prisoners were made.  The whole of the Persian camp and camp-equipage fell into the enemy’s hands, who found in the royal pavilion the mother, wife, and sister of the king, an infant son, two daughters, and a number of female attendants, wives of noblemen.  The treasure captured amounted to 3000 silver talents.  Among the trophies of victory were the chariot, bow, shield, and robe of the king, which he had abandoned in his hurried flight.

The loss on the side of the Macedonians was trivial.  The highest estimate places it at 450 killed, the lowest at 182.  Besides these, 504 were wounded.  Thus Alexander had less than 1000 men placed hors de combat.  He himself received a slight wound in the thigh from a sword, which, used a little more resolutely, might have changed the fortunes of the world.