Siege of Halicarnassus

Orontobates and Memnon of Rhodes entrenched themselves in Halicarnassus. Alexander had sent spies to meet with dissidents inside the city, who had promised to open the gates and allow Alexander to enter. When his spies arrived, however, the dissidents were nowhere to be found. A small battle resulted, and Alexander's army managed to break through the city walls. Memnon, however, now deployed his catapults, and Alexander's army fell back. Memnon then deployed his infantry, and shortly before Alexander would have received his first defeat, his infantry managed to break through the city walls, surprising the Persian forces. Memnon, realising the city was lost, set fire to it and withdrew with his army. Strong winds caused the fire to destroy much of the city. Alexander, leading his army through the gates, ordered crews to extinguish the blazing structures and issued a decree that the citizens should not be harmed.

Aftermath

After the capture of Halicarnassus Alexander sent his newly married soldiers home to spend the winter with their families. Alexander committed the government of Caria to Ada, and she, in turn, formally adopted Alexander as her son, ensuring that the rule of Caria passed unconditionally to him upon her eventual death. During her husband's tenure as satrap, Ada had been loved by the people of Caria. By putting Ada, who felt very favourably towards Alexander, on the throne, he ensured that the government of Caria, as well as its people, remained loyal to him.