Memnon of Rhodes

Memnon commanded the Persian defense of Halicarnassus against Alexander the Great. He used fortified positions and naval sorties to delay the Macedonian advance, forcing Alexander to besiege the city for months before it fell.

Memnon advised Darius III to adopt a scorched earth strategy, destroying crops and villages to deny supplies to Alexander's army. The Persian court rejected this plan, leading to the Battle of Granicus and subsequent losses.

Memnon launched a naval campaign to recapture Greek islands and threaten Alexander's supply lines. He captured Chios and most of Lesbos, but died during the siege of Mytilene, ending the Persian counteroffensive.