דניאל, פרק ח׳, פסוק ו׳

The decisive battle between the empires shifts from a period of observation to a powerful, head-on collision. The initial encounter begins with Alexander the Great approaching Darius, the King of Persia. The Persian king's stationary posture symbolizes his deep complacency. Underestimating his opponent, Darius chooses to remain in his capital rather than going out to face Alexander directly. He merely sends his military commander with orders to capture the Greek leader and bring him back in chains [מלבי״ם].

A different perspective suggests that this initial approach is entirely covert. Instead of a direct advance, Alexander arrives at the Persian camp in secret, using a false identity. His goal is to spy on Darius, gathering crucial intelligence about the Persian forces and their strategies before making a move [יוסף אבן יחיא].

The conflict soon escalates into its second phase, erupting into an aggressive charge driven by intense anger and full might [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This powerful surge marks the transition into open warfare. Having successfully defeated the Persian military commander, Alexander rushes directly toward the king himself [מלבי״ם]. He returns to the battlefield backed by a massive army, fully prepared to decide the battle [יוסף אבן יחיא].