TOP BATTLES IN ANTIQUITY. Greeks, Romans, French, Chinese.

1. TOP BATTLES
IN ANTIQUITY

2. BATTLE OF PLATAEA
479 BC

3. STATS
Battle Between: Persians and Greeks
Greek Leaders: General Pausanias and Aristides
Persian Leader: Mardonius
Date: August 479 BC
Victory: Greece
Location: Plataea, Greece
Greek Army: 40,000 men
Persian Army: 70,000–120,000 men

4. RESULT
A huge portion of the Persian army was trapped in the camp and
slaughtered.
This battle allegedly happened on the same day as the Battle of Mycale
and marked the end of the Persian invasion.

5. BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAE
480 BC

6. STATS
Battle Between: Persians and Greeks
Greek Leaders: King Leonidas I, Demophilus
Persian Leaders: King Xerxes I of Persia, Mardonius, Hydarnes
Date: 480 BC
Victory: Persian
Location: Thermopylae, Greece

7. RESULT
After the continuous two-day battle, Greek resident Ephiatles revealed
a secret pass through which the Persian army could enter.
Leonidas, with his 300 Spartans and several other Thespians and
Thebans died a glorious death at the pass.

8. BATTLE OF RED CLIFFS
208 BC

9. STATS
Battle Between: Southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan and Northern
warlord Cao Cao
Southern Leaders: Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, Liu Bei
Northern Leader: Cao Cao
Date: 208 AD
Victory: Sun Quan and Liu Bei
Location: Yangtze River, China
Southern Warlord Army: 50,000
Northern Warlord Army: 800,000

10. RESULT
Despite the low numbers of soldiers, Zhou Yu and Lu Su were able to
capitalize on the disadvantages of Cao’s army.
The biggest disadvantage Cao Cao faced was the lack of stable rear
supplies, and the fact that many of the soldiers were inexperienced in
naval warfare.

11. BATTLE OF HYDASPES
326 BC

12. STATS
Battle Between: Macedonians and Hindu Paurava kingdom (Punjab
near Bhera)
Greek Leaders: Alexander the Great, Craterus, Coenus, Hephaestion,
Ptolemy, Perdiccas, Seleucus, Lysimachus, Demonicus of Pella,
Peucestas
Hindu Paurava Leader: King Porus
Date: May 326 BC
Victory: Macedonian
Location: Punjab, ancient India, near the Hydaspes River

13. RESULT
One of the costliest battles for Alexander the Great, during this battle,
Alexander attempted to cross the river during a monsoon despite the
great Indian force waiting for him on the opposite side.
The battle was the result of Alexander’s mission to extend his empire
towards India.
The battle opened a gateway to develop Greek and Indian cultures that
lasted many centuries.

14. BATTLE OF CHANGPING
262-260 BC

15. STATS
Battle Between: State of Qin and State of Zhao
State of Zhao Leaders: Lian Po, Zhao Kuo
State of Qin Leaders: Wang He, Bai Qi
Date: April 262 BC–July 260 BC
Victory: State of Qin
Location: Northwest of Gaoping, Shanxi
State of Zhao Army: 450,000
State of Qin Army: 550,000

16. RESULT
Qin’s army ambushed the Zhao force in the mountains before they
could reach the camp.
After 46 days without supplies the Zhao finally surrendered and the
Qin won a decisive victory.

17. BATTLE OF CHALONS
451 AD

18. STATS
Battle Between: Roman Empire and Gallic Empire
Roman Leader: Aurelian
Gallic Leader: Tetricus I
Date: June 20, 451 AD
Victory: Roman
Location: Châlons-en-Champagne, France)

19. RESULT
This battle has been remembered for years because of the high death
toll.
It ended the Gallic Empire and reunified it with the Roman Empire after
13 years of separation.

20. BATTLE OF KADESH
1274 BC

21. STATS
Battle Between: New Kingdom of Egypt and the Hittite Empire
Egyptian Leader: Ramesses II
Hittite Empire Leader: Muwatalli II
Date: May 1274 BC
Victory: Egyptian
Location: Orontes River near Kadesh
Hittite Army: 20,000
Egyptian Army: 23,000–50,000

22. RESULT
The Battle of Kadesh is the oldest ever recorded military battle in
history in which the details of formations and tactics are known.
Casualties are unknown.

23. THE SIEGE OF SYRACUSE
214-212 BC

24. STATS
Battle Between: Roman Republic and Syracuse, Carthage
Roman Leaders: Marcus Claudius, Marcellus
Carthaginian Leader: Epicydes
Date: 214 BC–212 BC
Victory: Rome
Location: Syracuse
Roman Army: 18,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry
Carthaginian Army: 21,000

25. RESULT
The Siege of Syracuse is part of the Second Punic War that took place
between 214 and 212 BC. Sicily was fragmentally divided between two
rulers.
The Romans slaughtered all the inhabitants of the city and Marcellus
encircled Syracuse and commenced the military operation in 213 BC.

26. BATTLE OF THE METAURUS
207 BC

27. STATS
Battle Between: Carthage and Roman Republic
Carthage’s Leader: Hasdrubal Barca
Roman Republic’s Leaders: Marcus Livius Salinator, Gaius Claudius Nero,
Porcius Licinus
Date: 207 BC
Victory: Rome
Location: Metaurus River, Marche, present-day Italy
Roman Army: 7,000 soldiers (8 Roman legions plus Nero’s
reinforcements of 7,000)
Carthage Army: 30,000 soldiers (25,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and 15
war elephants)

28. RESULT
The Battle of Metaurus was one of the most important battles of the
Second Punic War.

29. THIRD SERVILE WAR
73-71 BC

30. STATS
Battle Between: Roman Republic and an army of escaped slaves
Slave Leaders: Spartacus, Crixus, Oenomaus, Castus, Gannicus
Roman Leaders: Gaius Claudius Glaber, Publius Varinius, Lucius Furius,
Lucius Cossinius, Gnaeus Cornelius, Lentulus Clodianus, Lucius, Gellius
Publicola, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Gnaeus Manlius, Marcus Licinius
Crassus
Date: 73–71 BC
Victory: Rome
Location: Roman Republic (Modern day Italy)
Slave Army: 120,000 escaped slaves and gladiators, total number
unknown
Roman Army: 8 Roman legions of 4,000–6,000 infantrymen plus
auxiliaries, 32,000–48,000 infantry plus auxiliaries, 12,000 garrison troops

31. RESULT
The Third Servile War was the last in a series of slave rebellions against
the Roman Republic led by the rebellious Roman slave Spartacus.
The small group of 78 slaves and escaped gladiators grew into a
massive army made up of 120,000 men, women, and children.
The war ended in 71 BC with a decisive Roman victory.

32. BATTLE OF GAUGAMELA
331 BC

33. STATS
Battle Between: Hellenic League and Achaemenid Empire
Hellenic Leaders: Alexander the Great, Hephaestion, Craterus,
Parmenion, Ptolemy, Perdiccas, Antigonus, Cleitus, Nearchus, Seleucus,
Ariston, Simmias of Macedon
Achaemenid Leaders: Darius III, Bessus, Mazaeus, Orontes II, Atropates
Date: October 1, 331 BC
Victory: Greek
Location: Tel Gomel near Mosul
Hellenic Army: 47,000
Achaemenid Army: 34,000–100,000

34. RESULT
The decisive battle between Alexander the Great and the Persian
Achaemenid Empire took place on October 1, 331 BC.
Alexander’s ingenious tactics worked so effectively that the battle led
to the fall of the Achaemenid Empire.

35. BATTLE OF SALAMIS
480 BC

36. STATS
Battle Between: Roman Republic and Parthian Empire
Roman Leader: Greek city-states
Parthian Leader: Persian Empire
Date: September, 480 BC
Victory: Greek
Location: Straits of Salamis

37. RESULT
King Xerxes, realizing his forthcoming defeat, moved with his depleted
army back to Persia and the Persian general, Mardonius, took charge of
the battle.
Often seen as the first ever-recorded naval battle, the Battle of Salamis
ended up with a Greek victory.
The Persians faced heavy losses, losing 300 ships as opposed to the
Greeks’ loss of 40 ships.

38. BATTLE OF CARRHAE
53 BC

39. STATS
Battle Between: Roman Republic and Parthian Empire
Roman Leaders: Marcus Licinius Crassus, Publius Licinius Crassus, Gaius
Cassius Longinus
Parthian Leader: Surena
Date: May 6, 53 BC
Victory: Parthian
Location: Near Carrhae (Harran)
Roman Army: 34,000–44,000 legionaries (7 legions), 4,000 cavalry, 4,000
light infantry
Parthian Army: 9,000 horse archers, 1,000 cataphracts, 1,000 supply camels

40. RESULT
Crassus, one of the wealthiest men in Rome, assembled his forces and
decided to invade Parthia without the official consent of the Roman
Senate.
Crassus was killed in the battle, which led to the end of the Roman
Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.

41. BATTLE OF GAIXIA
202 BC

42. STATS
Battle Between: Han and Western Chu
Han Leader: Liu Bang
Western Chu leader: Xiang Yu
Date: 202 BC
Victory: Han
Location: Gaixia (present-day Suzhou, Anhui)
Han Army: 600,000–700,000
Western Chu Army: 100,000

43. RESULT
The decisive battle of between the Chu and the Han, fought in 202 BC
between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, ended with a victory for Liu Bang. Liu
Bang later proclaimed himself Emperor of China and founded the Han
dynasty, whereas Xiang Yu committed suicide after the battle.
Liu Bang snared Xiang Yu’s 100,000 armies with his prodigious 300,000
force at night as the battle raged. When Xiang Yu saw his army
crumbling, he had no choice but to fall on his sword.