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 303 BCE, there were five major contenders: Cassander in Greece, Lysimachus in Thrace, Antigonus in Anatolia and Syria, Seleucus in Mesopotamia and Persia, and Ptolemy in Egypt and Palestine. Of these five figures, Antigonus had the resources and position to defeat the other Diadochi and become the sole ruler over Alexander’s former empire. Following the unsuccessful Siege of Rhodes in 305-304 BCE, Antigonus ordered his son, Demetrius, to re-establish Antigonid power in southern Greece. In 302 BCE, Cassander and Lysimachus formed a coalition with Seleucus and Ptolemy to defeat Antigonus once and for all. While Lysimachus invaded Anatolia and Ptolemy invaded Syria, Seleucus arrived from the east to reinforce Lysimachus’ army and fight the decisive battle of the Wars of the Diadochi.
Who was involved?
The Antigonid army at Ipsus numbered 70,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalry and 75 war elephants. The Antigonid phalanx was positioned in the centre, flanked by 5,000 cavalry on each wing under Pyrrhus of Epirus and Demetrius, with 75 war elephants and 3,750 peltasts in front of the phalanx. The Antigonid plan at Ipsus was to defeat the Seleucid left wing before outflanking and attacking the Seleucid phalanx in the rear. The Seleucid army at Ipsus numbered 64,000 infantry, 10,500 cavalry, 400 war elephants and 120 scythed chariots. Like the Antigonids, the Seleucid phalanx was positioned in the centre with 100 war elephants and 5,000 peltasts in front with 5,250 cavalry positioned on both flanks under Lysimachus and Seleucus’ son, Antiochus. In addition to these forces, the remaining 300 war elephants and 15,000 peltasts were positioned in the rear while the scythed chariots played no part in the battle. The Seleucid plan was to neutralize Demetrius’ cavalry by blocking his return to the battlefield with a chain of elephants before attacking the exposed flank of the Antigonid phalanx with peltasts and light cavalry.
What happened?
The Antigonids and Seleucids began the battle by moving their war elephants and peltasts forward to engage each other in combat in front of their respective phalanxes. After this, Demetrius charged the Seleucid left wing and routed it, chasing it off the battlefield. However, when Demetrius returned to attack the Seleucid phalanx in the rear, he found his way blocked by 300 war elephants which Seleucus I had lined up to block this manoeuvre. The Antigonid and Seleucid phalanxes then engaged each other. The Seleucid light cavalry and peltasts then outflanked the Antigonids and threw javelins into the exposed Antigonid right flank, which caused the Antigonid infantry to either desert over to the Seleucids or flee the battle. As Antigonus attempted to rally his men, he was killed by a javelin which caused his army to collapse, although Demetrius and Pyrrhus managed to escape with 5,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Ipsus was a decisive Seleucid victory. In the aftermath of the battle, the victorious Diadochi carved up Antigonus’ realm between them. While Lysimachus received most of Anatolia, Seleucus gained control of Syria. Meanwhile, Demetrius kept control of southern Greece and western Anatolia. When Cassander died in 297 BCE, Demetrius briefly gained control of Macedonia before being ousted by Pyrrhus of Epirus. Although Demetrius was captured by Seleucus I in 288 BCE and died in captivity five years later, his son Antigonus II survived and eventually regained control of Macedon, ruling over it until 239 BCE. The Battle of Ipsus marked the last attempt by the Diadochi to reunite Alexander’s empire and ensured that his former realm would remain divided into several successor kingdoms. After the death of Lysimachus at the Battle of Corupedium in 281 BCE, three major kingdoms were established: the Antigonids in Greece, the Seleucids in the Middle East, and the Ptolemies in Egypt. The Romans conquered all three of these kingdoms in the second and first centuries BCE.
Bibliography
Bennett, Bob. & Roberts, Mike. The Wars of Alexander’s Successors 323-281 BC, Volume II: Battles and Tactics. Barnsley, Pen & Sword Military, 2009.
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Javierfv1212. “Battle of ipsus.” Wikimedia Commons. Last revised June 9, 2009. www.commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_ipsus.png
Plutarch. Life of Demetrius. Translated by Bernadotte Perrin. Cambridge, Loeb Classical Library, 1920.