Brad's Battle Maps

Nile (47 BCE) On 27 March 47 BCE, the Battle of the Nile was fought between the Romans under Julius Caesar and the Ptolemies under Ptolemy XIII during the Alexandrian War. Why did it happen?   In 51 BCE, the pharaoh of Egypt, Ptolemy XII, died, leaving the kingdom to his son, Ptolemy XIII, and his daughter, Cleopatra VII. In 48 BCE, civil war broke out between Ptolemy and Cleopatra, with the latter exiled from Egypt on the orders of Ptolemy’s eunuch, Pothinus. However, when t

Rhodes (305-04 BCE) In 305-304 BCE, the Siege of Rhodes was fought between the Antigonids under Demetrius I against the Rhodians under Damoteles and Amyntas during the Wars of the Diadochi. Why did it happen? First settled by Greek traders in the eighth century BCE, the island state of Rhodes became a prominent naval and trading power during the fourth century BCE, establishing links with Rome and Egypt. Because of its strategic position in the eastern Mediterranean, “The ci

Alesia (52 BCE) On 30 September-3 October 52 BCE, the Battle of Alesia was fought between the Romans under Julius Caesar and the Gauls under Vercingetorix during the Gallic Wars. Why did it happen? In 58 BCE, the Romans, under Gaius Julius Caesar, began the conquest of Gaul (modern-day France). By 53 BCE, Caesar had subdued most of Gaul from southern France to the North Sea Coast and had even invaded Britain twice in 55-54 BCE. However, in 52 BCE, a Gallic leader named Verci

Gaugamela (331 BCE) On 1 October 331 BCE, the Battle of Gaugamela was fought between the Macedonians under Alexander the Great and the Persians under Darius III during the Wars of Alexander the Great. Why did it happen?   In 359 BCE, Philip II became king of Macedon in northern Greece. A highly ambitious monarch, Philip sought to unite Greece in a crusade against the Persian Empire. Philip defeated the Greek city-states at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BCE, but upon Philip's

Changping (260 BCE) In 260 BCE, the Battle of Changping was fought between Qin under Bai Qi against Zhao under Zhao Kuo during the Warring States Period. Why did it happen?   The Warring States Period (476-221 BCE) was an era of continual warfare between feudal Chinese kingdoms. By the third century BCE, seven kingdoms vied for power: Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin. Following the decline of Wei after the Battle of Maling in 341 BCE, Qin gradually asserted its dominance

Actium (31 BCE) On 2 September 31 BCE, the Battle of Actium was fought off the coast of Greece between Mark Antony and Octavian during the Roman Civil Wars. Why did it happen? After the deaths of Brutus and Cassius, the murderers of Julius Caesar, at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BCE, Octavian and Mark Antony divided the Roman world between them: Octavian controlled the western half, while Antony received the eastern half. In 41 BCE, Antony met and fell in love with Queen Cle

Ipsus (301 BCE) In 301 BCE, the Battle of Ipsus was fought in Anatolia between the Antigonids under Antigonus I against the Seleucids under Seleucus I during the Wars of the Diadochi. Why did it happen? When Alexander the Great died on 10 June 323 BCE, he left no male heir to succeed him. Over the next 20 years, Alexander’s generals, the Diadochi , fought each other over control of the Macedonian Empire. By 305 BCE, there were five major contenders: Cassander in Greece, Lysi

Teutoburg Forest (9 CE) On 9-11 September 9 CE, the Battle of Teutoburg Forest was fought between the Romans under Publius Quinctilius Varus against the Germans under Arminius during the Roman-Germanic Wars. Why did it happen? During the reign of Emperor Augustus, the Roman Empire attempted to establish its rule over the Germanic tribes living across the Rhine River after a German invasion of Gaul in 17 BCE. The conquest of Germany began in 12 BCE when armies under Augustus’

Salamis (480 BCE) On 23 September 480 BCE, the Battle of Salamis was fought between the Greeks under Themistocles and Eurybiades and the Persians under Xerxes I and Ariabignes during the Greco-Persian Wars. Why did it happen? Following the death of Darius I in 486 BCE, his son and successor Xerxes I sought to avenge the Persian defeat at the Battle of Marathon by conquering Greece. By 480 BCE, his preparations were complete, and he invaded Greece with a massive army of 200,0