Battle of Raphia 217 BC (new)

Quality: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7ubvRr2BG0&fmt=22

--------------The Battle of Raphia 217 BC----------
fought by Seleucid king Antiochus III against Ptolemy IV of Egypt for control of the province of Coele Syria (essentially modern Lebanon, Palestine/Israel, Jordan and southern Syria). They met in battle on 22 June near the town of Raphia on the eastern edge of the Sinai Peninsula, on a desert plain some 40km (25 miles) southwest of Gaza. Antiochus had 62,000 infantry, 6000 cavalry and 102 Indian elephants; Ptolemy 70,000 infantry, 5000 cavalry and 73 African Forest elephants. The centres of both armies were formed of heavy infantry phalanxes armed with the Macedonian sarissa, with lighter infantry on both flanks and cavalry on the wings. In front of the cavalry and some of the infantry on each wing, the kings deployed their elephants. No accompanying guard of light troops is mentioned; it was animal against animal, rider against rider, as Polybius reports:

A few only of Ptolemys elephants ventured to close with those of the enemy, and now the men in the towers on the back of these beasts made a gallant fight of it, striking with their sarissas at close quarters and wounding each other, while the elephants themselves fought still better, putting forth their whole strength and meeting forehead to forehead. The way in which these animals fight is as follows. With their tusks firmly interlocked they shove with all their might, each trying to force the other to give ground, until the one who proves the strongest pushes aside the others trunk; and then, when he has once made him turn and has him in the flank, he gores him with his tusks as a bull does with his horns. Most of Ptolemys elephants, however, declined the combat, as is the habit of the Libyan [Le. African] elephants; for unable to stand the smell and trumpeting of the Indian elephants, and terrified, I suppose, also by their great size and strength, they at once turn tail and take to flight before they get near them. This is what happened on the present occasion. When Ptolemys elephants were thus thrown into confusion and driven back on their own lines, Ptolemys Guard [infantry] gave way under pressure of the animals.

With this assistance, Antiochus right wing triumphed over its Ptolemaic opponents. But, despite similar success by the elephants on Antiochus left, clever manoeuvring by Ptolemys general there ended in the defeat of Antiochus, left flank. Then Ptolemy himself joined his phalanx in the centre and routed Antiochus centre, which was heavily outnumbered. Defeated, Antiochus retreated, but the sources differ on who captured whose elephants. Antiochus sought peace and the war was ended. Peace held until Ptolemy IV died in 204; by 200 Coele Syria was in Antiochus hands.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Battle
• Raphia
• Antiochos
• Ptolemaios
• Alexander
• cesar
• antic
• infantry
• cavalry
• phalanx
• macedonian
• hellenic
• Rome

[InfantryUA]

europa barbarorum

[oncapardus]

@Migzril Do you happen to know the name of the song?

[Migzril]

@Auge2011 ur right.

[Auge2011]

I have heard this music somewhere else. Probably in Transformers 2 movie.

[Silkrat]

They are both good. Europa Barbarorum is more historical and more complex. There is a lot more obscure units in EB than in RTR and in EB you will find yourself relying in a great amount on local levies and mercenaries.

RTR is less complicated with less units, but more distinctive ones. RTR has a building system like Rome:TW has, EB has a different system with multiple goverment types.

[roadwarrior5861]

What song is this?

[TheMissing8]

just got it working awsome mod so in depth like a totally new game

[Albukhshi]

depends on your taste..

[TheMissing8]

is it better then total realism?