battle of ipsus 7l

8/3/2019 Battle of Ipsus 7l

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Ipsus[?], 301 BC

Strategic Context As Alexander the Great lays dying in 323 BC, he is asked who should inherit his vast empire to which

he reportedly answers: ³the strongest.´ Since then, five dominant figures emerge to struggle for the

remains of his great empire: Ptolemy in Egypt, Cassander in Macedon, Lysimachus in Thrace,

Seleucus in eastern Asia and Antigonus in western Asia. Alliances unsurprisingly shift constantly.

Antigonus, occupying the central position, wants a united empire under one leader whereas the

others are content to rule and expand their own realms. In 302 BC, the other leaders begin to

cooperate effectively against Antigonus and seek to merge forces, mainly supplied by Seleucus and

Lysimachus. Antigonus fails to defeat these in detail and now faces their combined might.

Stakes

+ An Allied victory would end Antigonus¶

ambitions of a united empire and cripple

his own realm.

+ An Antigonid victory would fracture the

coalition, allowing Antigonus to strike and

defeat any one enemy.

By Jonathan Webb, 2010 ©



Ipsus, 301 BCStrength

Allies

Well

Antigonids

Well

Seleucus I

Antigonus I


70,000 infantry64,000 infantry

10,000 heavy cavalry

75 war elephants

15,000 light cavalry

400 war elephants

Demetrius ILysimachus

120 chariots



Antigonids( Antigonus/Demetrius)

Allies

(Seleucus/Lysimachus)

Andronicus Antigonus Demetrius

Seleucus/Lysimachus

Antiochus

Seleucus deploys his infantry in the center with cavalry on the wings, the stronger left wing commanded by his son, Antiochus. The Allied chariots remain to the rear while most of

the Allied line is fronted by war elephants and light infantry commanded by Lysimachus with horse-archers hidden just behind the elephant screen. Seleucus plans to lure away the

Antigonid heavy cavalry and outflank the infantry phalanx. Antigonus deploys his infantry in the center with his heavy cavalry on the wings, the stronger right wing commanded by

his son, Demetrius, and the weaker left wing covered by the meager force of war elephants commanded by Adronicus. Man-made obstacles in front of the Antigonid infantry

protect them from the vast Allied war elephant force. Antigonus plans to rout the Allied left wing with heavy cavalry and strike the infantry phalanx from behind.

Antiochus harasses the Antigonid right wing by firing arrows and then retreating when Demetrius charges with his heavier

cavalry, a pattern which carries the opposing cavalry forces away from the battlefield. Meanwhile, the Allied war elephants

accompanied by light infantry, advance to skirmish with their Antigonid counterparts.

Antigonus awaits the return of Demetrius as the Allied war elephants force his light infantry to retreat. The hidden Allied horse-archers

exploit the exposed Antigonid right flank by firing arrows into the flanks of the infantry phalanx while war elephants and light infantry

disrupt it by showering its front with missiles. On the Antigonid left wing, a fierce battle between war elephants develops.

Seleucus/Lysimachus continue to rake the Antigonid infantry phalanx with missiles, causing casualties and desertions.

With Demetrius still out of sight, Antigonus seeks to preserve his force until his return by redeploying infantry to protect his

right flank. The elephant battle on the Antigonid left continues inconclusively but is pinning Antigonid forces there.

After patiently wearing down the Antigonid infantry phalanx, Seleucus launches the decisive attack with his

infantry. Antigonus is killed early on in the engagement and his force quickly disintegrates, pursued by Allied

forces.

N N

Allies

(Seleucus I/Lysimachus)

64,000 infantry

15,000 light cavalry

400 war elephants

120 chariots

Antigonids

( Antigonus I/Demetrius I)

70,000 infantry

10,000 heavy cavalry

75 war elephants



Ipsus, 301 BCCasualties & Af termath

Allies: Antigonids:

§3,000

or

4%

§48,000

or

60%


Demetrius escaped from this disaster but did not continue his father¶s aspirations for

a united Alexandrian empire. Antigonus¶ defeat at Ipsus firmly established that there

would be no such empire. The victors carved up the Antigonid realm immediately

after the battle, eliminating any buffer between them and eventually leading to

further maneuvering against one another for more land. These maneuvers

culminated in the six Syrian Wars.

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