After a neck-breaking day and night march over difficult terrain, Alexander finally caught up with Darius at Hecatompylos, near modern Damghan (see: Alexander in hot pursuit of Darius). The exact location has been pinpointed at Shahr-e Qumis in north-central Iran
Once the body of Darius was sent to Queen Sisygambis for proper burial, Alexander allowed his men a well-deserved rest. Those troops that had not been able to keep up with his excessive speed also regrouped. The army was now two days away from the border of Hyrcania, approximately 200 kilometers from the Caspian Gates. In the wider area supplies were available in great number allowing the soldiers to catch their breath for the fertility of Hyrcania was legendary.
After the king’s death, the area became part of the Seleucid Empire and from 247 till 224 BC Hecatompylos turned to be the capital of the ruling Parthian Empire. It flourished until it was hit and destroyed by an earthquake in 856 AD and Hecatompylos (meaning one hundred gates) was never rebuilt.
In recent decennia, new archaeologist projects went underway with the main purpose to put Hecatompylos back on the map. It is a tall order since today the wide plains of Shahr-e Qumis are absolutely deserted. The picture published in the Archaeology News Network is not inviting at all and it is hard to imagine how such a great city like Hecatompylos could ever have flourished on the spot. It is a huge field covered with shards resembling an abandoned pottery workshop. This area alone measured seven by four kilometers, which by deduction suggest that the population of Hecatompylos would have counted some tens of thousands. The figure may, however refer to the city’s heyday when it was part of the Seleucid Empire or when it was the capital of the Arsacid dynasty by 200 BC.
Whatever the case, we may expect a great deal of surprises and hopefully a huge amount of monuments ranging from the days of Alexander all the way to the 9th century AD.
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