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151-805: The Seleucid–Mauryan War was a confrontation between the Seleucid and Mauryan empires that took place somewhere between 305 and 303 BCE, when Seleucus I Nicator of the Seleucid Empire sought to retake the Indian satrapies of the Macedonian Empire , which had been conquered by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya of the Maurya Empire . The confrontation resulted in the transfering of the Indus Valley region and part of Afghanistan to

302-551: A Greek (" Yavana ") princess, daughter of Seleucus ( Suluva in Indian sources). Pitched battle During the Prehistorical period , pitched battles were established as the primary method for organised conflict and placed an emphasis on the implementation of rudimentary hand and missile weapons in loose formations. This developed into the Classical period as weapons and armour became more sophisticated and increased

453-480: A coalition against Antigonus. The allies sent a proposition to Antigonus in which they demanded shares of his accumulated treasure and of his territory, with Phoenica and Syria going to Ptolemy, Cappadocia and Lycia to Cassander, Hellespontine Phrygia to Lysimachus, and Babylonia to Seleucus. Antigonus refused, and in the spring of 314 BC, he marched against Ptolemy in Syria. Seleucus acted as an admiral to Ptolemy during

604-409: A deep ravine near the enemy position, pre-positioned for their classic "buffalo horns" pitched attack, but in accordance with tradition, waiting until the omens were good for an assault. Discovered by a British cavalry patrol, the entire Impi sprang up as one man, and launched their attack from some 4 miles away. The advance was met by withering British rifle, rocket and artillery fire that made part of

755-593: A dream seen Alexander standing beside him. Eumenes had tried to use a similar propaganda trick. Antigonus, who had been in Asia Minor while Seleucus had been in the east with Alexander, could not use Alexander in his own propaganda. Seleucus, being Macedonian, had the ability to gain the trust of the Macedonians among his troops, which was not the case with Eumenes. After becoming once again satrap of Babylon, Seleucus became much more aggressive in his politics. In

906-522: A hostile continent before him," and consequently could not have advanced much farther than the Indus. According to Grainger, the details of the conflict are unclear, but the outcome clearly must have been "a decisive Indian victory," with Chandragupta driving back Seleucus' forces as far as the Hindu Kush and consequently gaining large territories in modern-day Afghanistan. Wheatley and Heckel suggest that

1057-512: A mass of projectiles at an enemy. Because these weapons were unreliable, these troops were supported by other groups of infantry, especially when confronted with enemy cavalry. In 16th century Italy, pike and shot infantry would have interweaving ranks of musket and pike armed soldiers to provide mobile cavalry protection. Furthermore, during this period artillery would evolve from basic stone throwers to barrelled cannons capable of mobility and more effective siege warfare. The battle of Nagashino

1208-455: A new and highly effective formation of spear infantry called a phalanx . By 550 BCE the Greeks had perfected the formation, which consisted of individual soldiers called hoplites forming rows of spears and shields. These units would engage in pitched battles against enemies in tight formations that would press against the enemy. Only if one side faltered was the formation able to break and

1359-478: A rationale. According to Thapar (1963), referring to Smith (1914), History of India , "Certain areas in the north-west were acquired through the treaty with Seleucus. There is no absolute certainty as to which these areas were and it has been suggested that the territory ceded consisted of Gedrosia , Arachosia , Aria [modern-day Herat], and the Paropamisadae ." According to Grant, Seleucus Nicator ceded

1510-413: A short time he conquered Media and Susiana. Diodorus Siculus reports that Seleucus also conquered other nearby areas, which might refer to Persis , Aria or Parthia . Seleucus did not reach Bactria and Sogdiana . The satrap of the former was Stasanor , who had remained neutral during the conflicts. After the defeat of Nikanor's army, there was no force in the east that could have opposed Seleucus. It

1661-412: A steep slope. The English formation held heavy infantry, referred to as housecarls , at the centre and light infantry on the flanks. Across the front of Godwinson's battle line was a shield wall made from soldiers interlocking their shields holding spears and missile troops behind. The Normans under William deployed in three groups which consisted of their origins, Bretons on the left flank, Normans in

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1812-402: A time limit, after which he had to return to Syria. Antigonus believed Seleucus was still ruling only Babylon. Perhaps Nicanor had not told him that Seleucus now had at least 20,000 soldiers. It seems that the scale of Nicanor's defeat was not clear to all parties. Antigonus did not know Seleucus had conquered the majority of the eastern provinces and perhaps cared little about the eastern parts of

1963-504: A treaty sealed in 303 BC, Seleucus abandoned the territories he could never securely hold in exchange for stabilizing the East and obtaining elephants, with which he could turn his attention against his great western rival, Antigonus Monophthalmus. The 500 war elephants Seleucus obtained from Chandragupta were to play a key role in the forthcoming battles, particularly at Ipsus against Antigonus and Demetrius. The Maurya king might have married

2114-641: A young man of about twenty-three, Seleucus accompanied Alexander into Asia. By the time of the Indian campaigns beginning in late in 327 BC, he had risen to the command of the elite infantry corps in the Macedonian army, the "Shield-bearers" ( Hypaspistai , later known as the " Silvershields "). It is said by Arrian that when Alexander crossed the Hydaspes river on a boat, he was accompanied by Perdiccas , Ptolemy I Soter , Lysimachus and also Seleucus. During

2265-488: Is available about the conflict between Antigonus and Seleucus; only a very rudimentary Babylonian chronicle detailing the events of the war remains. The description of the year 310 BC has completely disappeared. It seems that Antigonus conquered Babylon. His plans were disturbed, however, by Ptolemy, who made a surprise attack in Cilicia. We do know that Seleucus defeated Antigonus in at least one decisive battle. This battle

2416-543: Is humanly possible to assist you in any plan that promises to get us the elbow room we need. The air and everything else will be available. Montgomery's overall pitched conception of the battle eventually bore fruit, but it took two months of bitter fighting in and around the city of Caen to come to fruition. During the Post war period, pitched battles became outdated because of increasing emphasis on camouflage , guerrilla warfare and strategic bombing , all of which prevented

2567-518: Is not scpecified which these were." Kosmin summarizes those sources as follows, cautiously interpreting which territories may have been transferred: The ancient historians Justin, Appian, and Strabo preserve the three main terms of what I will call the Treaty of the Indus: (i) Seleucus transferred to Chandragupta's kingdom the easternmost satrapies of his empire, certainly Gandhara , Parapamisadae , and

2718-544: Is only mentioned in Stratagems in War by Polyaenus . Polyaenus reports that the troops of Seleucus and Antigonus fought for a whole day, but when night came the battle was still undecided. The two forces agreed to rest for the night and continue in the morning. Antigonus' troops slept without their equipment. Seleucus ordered his forces to sleep and eat breakfast in battle formation. Shortly before dawn, Seleucus' troops attacked

2869-487: Is uncertain how Seleucus arranged the administration of the provinces he had conquered. Most satraps had died. In theory, Polyperchon was still the lawful successor of Antipater and the official regent of the Macedonian kingdom. It was his duty to select the satraps. However, Polyperchon was still allied with Antigonus and thus an enemy of Seleucus. Antigonus sent his son Demetrius along with 15,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry to reconquer Babylon. Apparently, he gave Demetrius

3020-546: The Carthaginians under Hannibal . The pitched battle occurred on 2 August in 216 BCE near the village of Cannae in Italy. The Romans had some 80,000 infantry and 6000 cavalry, whilst Hannibal controlled around 40,000 infantry and auxiliaries and 10,000 cavalry. The battle site was mutually decided as the flat river plain running along the river Aufidus and near the ancient village of Cannae. The Carthaginians favoured

3171-569: The Deccan . While Seleucus surrendered territory west of the Indus and in Afghanistan, he was accepted by satraps of the eastern provinces in present-day Iran. His Iranian wife, Apama, may have helped him implement his rule in Bactria and Sogdiana . Seleucus I Nicator Seleucus I Nicator ( / s ɪ ˈ l uː k ə s / ; Greek : Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, Séleukos Nikátōr , "Seleucus

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3322-513: The Mauryan empire , had conquered the Indus valley and several other parts of the easternmost regions of Alexander's empire. Seleucus began a campaign against Chandragupta and crossed the Indus . Most western historians note that it appears to have fared poorly as he did not achieve his goals , even though what exactly happened is unknown. The two leaders ultimately reached an agreement, and through

3473-601: The Nanda Dynasty , rulers at the time of the Gangetic Plain . He fought the empire for eleven years with successful guerrilla campaigns, and captured the Nanda capital of Pataliputra . This led to the fall of the empire and the eventual creation of the Maurya Empire with Chandragupta Maurya as its emperor. The Persian provinces in what is now modern Afghanistan, together with the wealthy kingdom of Gandhara and

3624-551: The Partition of Triparadisus in 321 BC, Seleucus was appointed Satrap of Babylon under the new regent Antipater . But almost immediately, the wars between the Diadochi resumed and one of the most powerful of the Diadochi, Antigonus , forced Seleucus to flee Babylon . Seleucus was only able to return to Babylon in 312 BC with the support of Ptolemy. From 312 BC, Seleucus ruthlessly expanded his dominions and eventually conquered

3775-596: The Persian and Median lands. Seleucus ruled not only Babylonia , but the entire eastern part of Alexander's empire . Seleucus further made claim to the former satrapies in Gandhara and in northwest India. However these ambitions were contested by Chandragupta Maurya , resulting in the Seleucid–Mauryan War (305–303 BC). The conflict was ultimately resolved by a treaty resulting in the Maurya Empire annexing

3926-472: The Wars of the Diadochi in the west. Seleucus and Chandragupta also agreed to a marriage alliance, probably the marriage of Seleucus' daughter to Chandragupta. The terms of the peace treaty are given by Greco-Roman authors Justin, Appian ' Syr. 55, Strabo XV 2,9. and Plutarch. According to Jansari, Plutarch and Strabos may have drawn information from the same source, possibly Megasthenes. No Indian sources record

4077-419: The satraps to obey him. War soon broke out between Perdiccas and the other Diadochi . To cement his position, Perdiccas tried to marry Alexander's sister Cleopatra . The First War of the Diadochi began when Perdiccas sent Alexander's corpse to Macedonia for burial. Ptolemy however captured the body and took it to Alexandria . Perdiccas and his troops followed him to Egypt, whereupon Ptolemy conspired with

4228-537: The 20th century, pitched battles decreased in frequency because of the increasing size of armies and developments in weapons technology. Larger armies meant that combat could not be resolved in single events and the introduction of the machine gun , advanced artillery, and barbed wire by the First World War meant that deploying infantry in large moveable blocks was ineffective as they could be easily made immobile and destroyed. Barbed wire alone brought an end to

4379-631: The 4th and 3rd centuries BCE. The effective nature of these heavy infantry formations would be further developed by the Romans who established a large professional army consisting of heavily armoured infantry units and units of auxiliaries . An example of a pitched battle that occurred during the Classical period was the battle of Cannae fought between the Roman Republic under the consuls Lucius Aemllius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro and

4530-527: The Aegean Sea and his army to Asia Minor. Ptolemy now had an opportunity to invade Syria, where he defeated Demetrius , the son of Antigonus, in the battle of Gaza in 312 BC. It is probable that Seleucus took part in the battle. Peithon, son of Agenor , whom Antigonus had nominated as the new satrap of Babylon, fell in the battle. The death of Peithon gave Seleucus an opportunity to return to Babylon. Seleucus had prepared his return to Babylon well. After

4681-516: The Argyraspides, was allied with Eumenes. Antigenes was in Cilicia when the war between him and Peithon began. Peithon arrived at Babylon in the autumn or winter of 317 BC. Peithon had lost a large number of troops, but Seleucus had even fewer soldiers. Eumenes decided to march to Susa in the spring of 316 BC. The satraps in Susa had apparently accepted Eumenes' claims of his fighting on behalf of

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4832-635: The British front to the deep shelter of the Ngwebeni valley. This was truly a masterful manoeuvre. The amabutho moved rapidly in small units, mainly concealed from the Isandlwana camp nine miles away by the Nyoni Heights. The British mounted patrols that sighted some of the apparently isolated Zulu units had no inkling an entire army was on the move. The total Zulu host was then concentrated in

4983-552: The Carthaginian centre whilst their 6000 cavalry had been deployed on each flank positioned to defend against the superior Carthaginian cavalry. Hannibal had deployed his troops with a weak centre and reinforced flanks with the intention of letting the centre break. Behind his main line he positioned 8000 auxiliary infantry with the purpose of surprising the Roman infantry as they pursued the faltering Carthaginian centre. Hannibal

5134-746: The Germans, the Americans were to push in the west on the right of the Allied line, breaking through the German defences. The British role in the strategy would thus not be a glamorous one, but a brutal battle in a punishing cauldron of attrition, in and around the key city of Caen . Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower affirmed Montgomery's overall strategy in a message of 10 July, urging stronger efforts: I am familiar with your plan for generally holding firmly with your left, attracting thereto all of

5285-539: The Great died without a successor in Babylon on June 10, 323 BC. His general Perdiccas became the regent of all of Alexander's empire, while Alexander's physically and mentally disabled half-brother Arrhidaeus was chosen as the next king under the name Philip III of Macedon . Alexander's unborn child ( Alexander IV ) was also named his father's successor. In the " Partition of Babylon " however, Perdiccas effectively divided

5436-494: The Great, were told of Seleucus. It was said Antiochus told his son before he left to battle the Persians with Alexander that his real father was actually the god Apollo . The god had left a ring with a picture of an anchor as a gift to Laodice. Seleucus had a birthmark shaped like an anchor. It was told that Seleucus' sons and grandsons also had similar birthmarks. The story is similar to the one told about Alexander. Most likely

5587-544: The Hindu Kush, Punjab and parts of Afghanistan to Chandragupta Maurya. According to Kosmin, "Seleucus transferred to Chandragupta's kingdom the easternmost satrapies of his empire, certainly Gandhara , Parapamisadae , and the eastern parts of Gedrosia , and possibly also Arachosia and Aria as far as Herat." The acquisition of Aria (modern Herat) is disputed. Smith included a large part of Aria. According to Tarn, explicitly criticising Smith for his interpretation of

5738-593: The Indus Valley campaign, in the battles fought against the Malli and in the crossing of the Gedrosian desert. At the great marriage ceremony at Susa in the spring of 324 BC, Seleucus married Apama , daughter of Spitamenes . They had his eldest son and successor Antiochus I Soter , at least two legitimate daughters (Laodice and Apama) and possibly another son ( Achaeus ). At the same event, Alexander married

5889-520: The Indus and made of them separate [...] governments or province; it was these which Seleucus ceded, being districts predominantly Indian in blood. In Gedrosia the boundary is known: the country ceded was that between the Median Hydaspes (probably the Purali) and the Indus." With regard to Gedrosia, more recent authors mention either "Gedrosia" or '[the eastern] part of Gedrosia', without giving

6040-459: The Indus and waged war with Sandrocottus [Maurya], king of the Indians, who dwelt on the banks of that stream, until they came to an understanding with each other and contracted a marriage relationship. Some of these exploits were performed before the death of Antigonus and some afterward. It is unknown if there was in fact a pitched battle . Jansani warns that "there are very little details about

6191-478: The Indus are held by Indians, although they formerly belonged to the Persians. Alexander [III 'the Great' of Macedon] took these away from the Arians and established settlements of his own, but Seleucus Nicator gave them to Sandrocottus [Chandragupta], upon terms of intermarriage and of receiving in exchange five hundred elephants. Jansari notes that "them" refers to "territories previously held by Alexander, but it

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6342-403: The Indus are held by Indians, although they formerly belonged to the Persians. Alexander [III 'the Great' of Macedon] took these away from the Arians and established settlements of his own, but Seleucus Nicator gave them to Sandrocottus [Chandragupta], upon terms of intermarriage and of receiving in exchange five hundred elephants. — Strabo 15.2.9 From this, it seems that Seleucus surrendered

6493-462: The Indus. Chandragupta's victories convinced Seleucus that he needed to secure his eastern flank . Seeking to hold the Macedonian territories there, Seleucus thus came into conflict with the emerging and expanding Mauryan Empire over the Indus Valley. The Roman historian Justin described how Sandrocottus ( Greek version of Chandragupta's name) conquered the northwest: "India, after the death of Alexander, had assassinated his prefects, as if shaking

6644-440: The Macedonian army but lost some of this when she had Philip III and his wife Eurydice killed as well as many nobles whom she took revenge upon for supporting Antipater during his long reign. Cassander reclaimed Macedon the following year at Pydna and then had her killed. Alexander IV , still a young child, and his mother Roxane were held guarded at Amphipolis and died under mysterious circumstances in 310 BC, probably murdered at

6795-637: The Macedonian territories there, Seleucus thus came into conflict with the emerging and expanding Mauryan Empire over the Indus Valley. In the year 306 BC, Seleucus I Nicator went to India and apparently occupied territory as far as the Indus, and eventually waged war with the Maurya Emperor Chandragupta Maurya . Only a few sources mention his activities in India. Chandragupta (known in Greek sources as Sandrokottos ), founder of

6946-535: The Malan plain across the Malan range into the plain of Ormara proved to be very steep," concluding that it was unlikely that Alexander had passed over the Malan range. Lewis Vance Cummings also gives a description of the struggles of Alexander's army at hteir retreat from India: They turned west, reaching the mouth of the Tomerus (Hingol) River [...] Alexander, true to his tactical principles, prepared to advance along

7097-506: The Maurya Empire, with Chandragupta securing control over the areas that he had sought, and a marriage alliance between the two powers and the gift of war elephants to Seleucus. After the war, Seleucus turned its attention toward defeating its rivals in the west , while the Maurya Empire emerged as the dominant power of the Indian subcontinent . Chandragupta Maurya established himself as Emperor of Magadha around 321 BC, defeating

7248-602: The Mauryan Empire. The alliance between Chandragupta and Seleucus was affirmed with a marriage ( Epigamia ). Chandragupta or his son may have married a daughter of Seleucus, or perhaps there was diplomatic recognition of intermarriage between Indians and Greeks. As well, an Indian Puranic source, the Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purana , also described the marriage of Chandragupta with

7399-515: The Middle Ages. Consequently, infantry tactics during pitched battles would evolve towards the late Middle Ages to emphasise the use of polearms such as pikes and halberds . Furthermore, pitched battles during this period saw the widespread introduction of the crossbow , as evidenced at the battle of Hastings, provided a powerful alternative to bows and were effective against most forms of armour. An important pitched battle that demonstrated

7550-589: The Persians": The geographical position of the tribes is as follows: along the Indus are the Paropamisadae , above whom lies the Paropamisus Mountains : then, towards the south, the Arachoti : then next, towards the south, the Gedroseni , with the other tribes that occupy the seaboard; and the Indus lies, latitudinally, alongside all these places; and of these places, in part, some that lie along

7701-405: The Roman historian Appian , History of Rome , Seleucus was Always lying in wait for the neighboring nations, strong in arms and persuasive in council, he acquired Mesopotamia , Armenia , 'Seleucid' Cappadocia , Persis , Parthia , Bactria , Arabia , Tapouria, Sogdia , Arachosia , Hyrcania , and other adjacent peoples that had been subdued by Alexander, as far as the river Indus , so that

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7852-486: The Seleucid dynasty virtually unopposed amongst the Diadochi. However, Seleucus also hoped to take control of Lysimachus' European territories, primarily Thrace and Macedon itself. But upon arriving in Thrace in 281 BC, Seleucus was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus , who had taken refuge at the Seleucid court with his sister Lysandra . The assassination of Seleucus destroyed Seleucid prospects in Thrace and Macedon, and paved

8003-607: The Thessalian with Alexander. The story of the dinner party of Medeios may be true, but the plot to poison the King is unlikely. In the final story, Seleucus reportedly slept in the temple of the god Serapis shortly before Alexander's death in the hope that his health might improve. The validity of this story is also questionable, as the Graeco-Egyptian Serapis had not yet been invented at the time. Alexander

8154-581: The Victorious"; c.  358 BC – 281 BC ) was a Macedonian Greek general, officer and successor of Alexander the Great who went on to found the eponymous Seleucid Empire , led by the Seleucid dynasty . Initially a secondary player in the power struggles following Alexander's death, Seleucus rose to become the total ruler of Asia Minor , Syria , Mesopotamia , and the Iranian plateau , assuming

8305-473: The Western equivalent of divisional strength. Coordination of tactical movements was supplied by the indunas who used hand signals and messengers. Generally before deploying for combat, the regiments were made to squat in a semicircle. This semi-circular squat served to align all echelons towards the coming pitched battle, while the commanders made final assignments and adjustments. While formidable in action,

8456-466: The Zulu arrangements for a pitched struggle could be predictable, as they usually used the same 3-part layout in their operations. At Isandlwana, Zulu forces first lured the British into splitting their strength by diversionary actions around Magogo Hills and Mangeni Falls, and then moved to take advantage of this British error in a careful approach march, using dispersed units that hid the full strength of

8607-417: The advance falter. The British however had divided their forces- fooled in part by preliminary Zulu feints- and other errors, such as failure to base the camp on a strong central wagon or laager fortification for example also contributed to fatal weaknesses in the British defences. When pressure by the maneuvering Zulu formations caused the crumbling of the redcoat line, the Zulu prongs surged through and around

8758-455: The ambassador Megasthenes , and by the envoys sent westward by Chandragupta's grandson Ashoka . Chandragupta's gift of war elephants "may have alleviated the burden of fodder and the return march" and allowed him to appropriately reduce the size and cost of his large army, since the major threats to his power had now all been removed. With the war elephants acquired from the Mauryas, Seleucus

8909-426: The ancient Kassites . Antigonus had devastated their lands while fighting Eumenes. Seleucus perhaps recruited a portion of Archelaus' troops. When Antigonus finally invaded Babylon, Seleucus' army was much bigger than before. Many of his soldiers certainly hated Antigonus. The population of Babylon was also hostile. Seleucus, thus, did not need to garrison the area to keep the locals from revolting. Little information

9060-464: The argument relating to Seleucus handing over more of what is now southern Afghanistan is an exaggeration originating in a statement by Pliny the Elder referring not specifically to the lands received by Chandragupta, but rather to the various opinions of geographers regarding the definition of the word "India": Most geographers, in fact, do not look upon India as bounded by the river Indus, but add to it

9211-413: The army. As one historian notes: Meanwhile, the joint Zulu commanders, who had indeed been considering a flank march to Chelmsford's east to join with Matshana and cut the British column off from Natal, decided instead to take advantage of the general's division of forces. They detached men to reinforce Matshana, but on the same evening of 21 January and during the next they transferred the main army across

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9362-445: The basis of wrong assessments of the passage of Strabo [...] and a statement by Pliny." According to John D Grainger (2014, p. 109), "Seleucus "must [...] have held Aria", and furthermore, his "son Antiochos was active there fifteen years later". The arrangement proved to be mutually beneficial. The border between the Seleucid and Mauryan Empires remained stable in subsequent generations, and friendly diplomatic relations are reflected by

9513-571: The battle as they were able to draw the English into a pursuit which was then counter charged and broken. The effective deployment of heavy cavalry by the Normans during this battle demonstrates the importance of technological improvements through arms and armour and evolving tactics to pitched battles during the Middle Ages. Pitched battles developed significantly during the early Modern era as tactics and deployment strategies evolving rapidly with

9664-439: The battle of Gaza Demetrius retreated to Tripoli while Ptolemy advanced all the way to Sidon . Ptolemy gave Seleucus 800 infantry and 200 cavalry. He also had his friends accompanying him, perhaps the same 50 who escaped with him from Babylon. On the way to Babylon Seleucus recruited more soldiers from the colonies along the route. He finally had about 3,000 soldiers. In Babylon, Peithon's commander, Diphilus, barricaded himself in

9815-685: The battle of Isandlwana in 1879 between the Zulu Empire and the British . The mobility and accuracy of artillery was also improved with rifling and sophisticated reload mechanisms and would be utilised to great effect alongside infantry throughout the 19th century. Furthermore, cavalry would continue to be an effective force for pitched battles during this period as they were implemented to harass infantry formations and artillery positions. These tactics would remain in warfare until developments in technology would make pitched battles less effective towards

9966-420: The battle or skirmish they fought, and that none of the ancient authors depicted either Seleucus or Chandragupta as the clear victor of this battle. This lack of information about the encounter and the ensuing treaty means that it is impossible to reconstruct them." Military historian John D. Grainger has argued that Seleucus, upon crossing the Indus, "would find himself in a trap, with a large river at his back and

10117-414: The battle was the deployment of 10,000 Ashigaru arquebusiers. Firearms had been introduced to Japan by European traders as early as 1543 and were adopted quickly. Nagashino was one of the earliest examples of their effective tactical deployment. Before the battle, Nobunaga had positioned his arquebusiers in formations to be protected from enemy cavalry by supporting Ashigaru spearmen. The Takeda strategy

10268-519: The battle. A possible reason for the battle was the attempted crossing of a river by a large group of armed men who were confronted at a ford. Archers may have been positioned at either side of the river in the attempt to cause casualties before a series of close quarter engagements. The battle at Tollense Valley demonstrates that early pitched battles in the European prehistorical period were characterised by large semi-organised groups of combatants and

10419-441: The beginning of the battle and Nicanor was cut off from his forces. The news about the death of Evagoras spread among the soldiers, who started to surrender en masse . Almost all of them agreed to fight under Seleucus. Nicanor escaped with only a few men. Even though Seleucus now had about 20,000 soldiers, they were not enough to withstand the forces of Antigonus. He also did not know when Antigonus would begin his counterattack. On

10570-460: The boundaries of his empire were the most extensive in Asia after that of Alexander. The whole region from Phrygia to the Indus was subject to Seleucus. Alexander had appointed satraps in control of his territories, including those of the Indus Valley. The Mauryans annexed the areas governed by Nicanor , Phillip , Eudemus and Peithon . This established Mauryan control all the way to the banks of

10721-488: The burden of servitude. The author of this liberation was Sandracottos [Chandragupta], but he had transformed liberation in servitude after victory, since, after taking the throne, he himself oppressed the very people he has liberated from foreign domination." Details of the conflict are lacking, and the only sources mentioning the confrontation between Seleucus and Chandragupta are a few references by Strabo, Appian, Plutarch, and Justin. According to Appian, [Seleucus] crossed

10872-489: The centre and Franco-Flemings on the right flank. William deployed his missile troops which included crossbowmen , at the front of his lines with his heavy infantry and cavalry behind. William's heavily armoured Norman knights were essential in the battle as they were deployed in cavalry feints which thinned and at occasions broke Godwinson's shield wall as they pursued fleeing Norman cavalry. The repeated implementation of this battle tactic eventually led to Norman victory in

11023-428: The city's fortress. Seleucus conquered Babylon with great speed and the fortress was also quickly captured. Seleucus' friends who had stayed in Babylon were released from captivity. His return to Babylon was afterwards officially regarded as the beginning of the Seleucid Empire and that year as the first of the Seleucid era . Soon after Seleucus' return, the supporters of Antigonus tried to get Babylon back. Nicanor

11174-495: The coast [...] An unexpected obstacle arose to the continuance of the line of march. On the other side of the river loomed the utterly impossible barrier of the Malan (modern name) mountain range, its seaward end dropping abruptly and precipitately into the ater, and barring passage. Tarn further refers to Eratosthenes, who states (in Tarn words) that Alexander [...] took away from Iran the parts of these three satrapies which lay along

11325-409: The correct day came, Seleucus' soldiers spontaneously started building the city. When questioned, the priests admitted their deed. The struggle among the Diadochi reached its climax when Antigonus, after the extinction of the old royal line of Macedonia, proclaimed himself king in 306 BC. Ptolemy, Lysimachus, Cassander and Seleucus, the other four principal Macedonian chiefs, soon followed and assumed

11476-767: The daughter of Seleucus. According to Strabo, the ceded territories bordered the Indus: The geographical position of the tribes is as follows: along the Indus are the Paropamisadae, above whom lies the Paropamisus mountain: then, towards the south, the Arachoti: then next, towards the south, the Gedroseni, with the other tribes that occupy the seaboard; and the Indus lies, latitudinally, alongside all these places; and of these places, in part, some that lie along

11627-422: The daughter of the late Persian King Darius III while several other Macedonians married Persian women. After Alexander's death (323 BC), when the other senior Macedonian officers unloaded their "Susa wives" en masse , Seleucus was one of the very few who kept his wife, and Apama remained his consort (later Queen) for the rest of her life. Ancient sources report several anecdotes about Seleucus' activities during

11778-479: The degree of friendly Maurya-Seleucid relations established after the war implies that the hostilities were probably "neither prolonged nor grievous". The confrontation was followed by a treaty, as recorded by the Greek historians Justin, Appian, Strabo, and Plutarch, and three terms are recorded by these ancient sources. Seleucus Nicator seems to have ceded territories to Chandragupta, and received war elephants from Chandragupta Maurya , which subsequently influenced

11929-469: The deployment of cavalry as they would be rendered immobile and made easy targets. Developments in tactics would emphasise fortified positions in trenches and would result in battles that would take months and be determined by attrition and supply rather than tactics and mobility. The introduction of mechanised armour and aircraft in the late First World War meant that trench warfare would be less effective as trenches could be outmanoeuvred and surrounded. This

12080-404: The eastern parts of Gedrosia , and possibly also Arachosia and Aria as far as Herat . (ii) Chandragupta gave Seleucus 500 Indian war elephants. (iii) The two kings were joined by some kind of marriage alliance (ἐπιγαμία οι κῆδος); most likely Chandragupta wed a female relative of Seleucus. V.A. Smith (1914), Early History of India ,: The satrapy of Gedrosia (or Gadrosia) extended far to

12231-633: The eastern satrapies. Additionally, a marriage alliance was formed, with Chandragupta marrying a daughter of Seleucus, according to Strabo and Appian. Furthermore, the Seleucid Empire received a considerable military force of 500 war elephants with mahouts , which would play a decisive role against Antigonus at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC. In 281 BC, he also defeated Lysimachus at the Battle of Corupedium , adding Asia Minor to his empire. Seleucus' victories against Antigonus and Lysimachus left

12382-437: The eastern territories, Seleucus I Nicator took control of Alexander's conquests. According to the Roman historian Appian : [Seleucus was] always lying in wait for the neighboring nations, strong in arms and persuasive in council, he acquired Mesopotamia, Armenia, 'Seleucid' Cappadocia, Persis, Parthia, Bactria, Arabia, Tapouria, Sogdia, Arachosia, Hyrcania, and other adjacent peoples that had been subdued by Alexander, as far as

12533-585: The easternmost provinces of Arachosia , Gedrosia , Paropamisadae and perhaps also Aria . On the other hand, he was accepted by other satraps of the eastern provinces. His Persian wife, Apama, may have helped him implement his rule in Bactria and Sogdiana . This would tend to be corroborated archaeologically, as concrete indications of Mauryan influence, such as the inscriptions of the Edicts of Ashoka which are known to be located in, for example, Kandhahar in today's southern Afghanistan. Some authors say that

12684-499: The efficacy of heavy infantry . Pitched battles decreased in size and frequency during the Middle Ages and saw the implementation of heavy cavalry and new counter cavalry formations. The early modern period saw the introduction of rudimentary firearms and artillery developing new tactics to respond to the rapidly changing state of gunpowder warfare . The late modern period saw improvements to firearms technology which saw

12835-500: The empire was once again in turmoil. Peithon, the satrap of Media, assassinated Philip, the satrap of Parthia , and replaced him with his brother Eudemus as the new satrap. In the west Antigonus and Eumenes waged war against each other. Just like Peithon and Seleucus, Eumenes was one of the former supporters of Perdiccas. Seleucus' biggest problem was, however, Babylon itself. The locals had rebelled against Archon and supported Docimus. The Babylonian priesthood had great influence over

12986-483: The empire. When Demetrius arrived in Babylon, Seleucus was somewhere in the east. He had left Patrocles to defend the city. Babylon was defended in an unusual way. It had two strong fortresses, in which Seleucus had left his garrisons. The inhabitants of the city were transferred out and settled in the neighbouring areas, some as far as Susa. The surroundings of Babylon were excellent for defence, with cities, swamps, canals and rivers. Demetrius' troops started to besiege

13137-634: The end of the 19th century. The Battle of Isandlwana was fought between the Zulu Empire and the British Empire on 22 January 1879. This pitched battle saw the implementation of superior tactics to overwhelm a technologically superior force. The Zulu army usually deployed in its well known "buffalo horns" formation. The attack layout was composed of three elements: The Zulu forces were generally grouped into 3 levels: regiments; corps of several regiments; and "armies" or bigger formations. With enough manpower, these could be marshaled and maneuvered in

13288-538: The enemy armour, while your right pushes down the Peninsula and threatens the rear and flank of the forces facing the Second British Army.. It appears to me that we must use all possible energy in a determined effort to prevent a stalemate or facing the necessity of fighting a major defensive battle with the slight depth we now have in the bridgehead... please be assured that I will produce everything that

13439-613: The enormous Macedonian dominion among Alexander's generals. Seleucus was chosen to command the Companion cavalry ( hetairoi ) and appointed first or court chiliarch , which made him the senior officer in the Royal Army after the regent and commander-in-chief Perdiccas. Several other powerful men supported Perdiccas, including Ptolemy , Lysimachus , Peithon and Eumenes . Perdiccas' power depended on his ability to hold Alexander's enormous empire together, and on whether he could force

13590-432: The events, and Jansari warns that "the dependence on a small group of sources from only one literary tradition necessitates a cautious approach to these texts and the events they describe." Strabo gives three terms of the treaty. I his geography he describes a number of tribes living along the Indus, and then states that "The Indians occupy [in part] some of the countries situated along the Indus, which formerly belonged to

13741-534: The evolution of tactics and technology during the Middle Ages was the battle of Hastings fought on the 14 October 1066. This battle was fought between the Norman-French Army under William the Conqueror and the English army under Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson . This pitched battle was fought as William engaged Godwinson who deployed his army of infantry in a small dense formation at the top of

13892-490: The extent of Aria the idea that Seleucus handed over more of what is now southern Afghanistan is an exaggeration originating in a statement by Pliny the Elder in his Geographia VI, 69, referring not specifically to the lands received by Chandragupta, but rather to the various opinions of geographers regarding the definition of the word "India." Pliny the Elder: Most geographers, in fact, do not look upon India as bounded by

14043-501: The few examples of pitched battles during the period demonstrate developments in arms and armour and their effect upon tactics and deployment. Technological improvements in metalworking permitted the increased introduction of plate armour which provided superior protection in combat. Wealthy soldiers, often called knights , would combine heavy plate armour and a mount. These would be deployed in devastatingly effective charges or dismounted to fight on foot dominating battlefields throughout

14194-412: The first phase of the war. Antigonus was besieging Tyre , when Seleucus sailed past him and went on to threaten the coast of Syria and Asia Minor. Antigonus allied with the island of Rhodes , which had a strategic location and a navy capable of preventing the allies from combining their forces. Because of the threat of Rhodes, Ptolemy gave Seleucus a hundred ships and sent him to the Aegean Sea. The fleet

14345-469: The flood barriers of the river, but the resulting flood did not stop Eumenes. In the spring of 316 BC, Seleucus and Peithon joined Antigonus, who was following Eumenes to Susa. From Susa Antigonus went to Media, from where he could threaten the eastern provinces. He left Seleucus with a small number of troops to prevent Eumenes from reaching the Mediterranean. Sibyrtius , satrap of Arachosia , saw

14496-584: The forces of Antigonus, who were still without their weapons and in disarray and thus easily defeated. The historical accuracy of the story is questionable. The Babylonian war finally ended in Seleucus' victory. Antigonus was forced to retreat west. Both sides fortified their borders. Antigonus built a series of fortresses along the Balikh River while Seleucus built a few cities, including Dura-Europos and Nisibis . The next event connected to Seleucus

14647-423: The fortresses of Babylon and conquered one of them. The second fortress proved more difficult for Demetrius. He left his friend Archelaus to continue the siege, and himself returned west leaving 5,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry in Babylon. Ancient sources do not mention what happened to these troops. Perhaps Seleucus had to reconquer Babylon from Archelaus. Over the course of nine years (311–302 BC), while Antigonus

14798-741: The four satrapies of the Gedrose , the Arachotë , the Aria , and the Paropamisadë , the River Cophes thus forming the extreme boundary of India. According to other writers, however, all these territories, are reckoned as belonging to the country of the Aria. — Pliny, Natural History VI, 23 Nevertheless, it is usually considered today that Arachosia and the other three regions did become dominions of

14949-575: The gaps, annihilating the camp's defenders. The liquidation of almost 1,000 European troops with modern arms by the African spearmen sparked disbelief and uproar in Britain. Aside from the losses of British regulars, and the supporting native levies, the Zulu impi killed more British officers at Isandlwana than Napoleon killed at Waterloo. Towards the late 19th century and into the World Wars of

15100-423: The implementation of simple hand and missile weapons such as bows. Elsewhere, pitched battles had grown in frequency and size because of developments in technology and logistics during the later prehistorical period. Technological improvements included the addition of iron weaponry, shields, and cavalry which were deployed in organised formations. An example of a pitched battle that demonstrated these developments

15251-526: The instigation of Cassander to allow the diadochs to assume the title of king. After arriving in Egypt, Seleucus sent his friends to Greece to inform his fellow Diadochi Cassander (ruler of Macedon and overlord of Greece) and Lysimachus (ruler of Thracia ) about Antigonus. Antigonus was now the most powerful of the Diadochi , and the others would soon have to face him. Ptolemy, Lysimachus and Cassander formed

15402-583: The introduction of early firearms and artillery . There was a general increase in the size of pitched battles during this period as states grew and could wield larger standing armies using improved logistics. Firearms were introduced in Europe during the 16th century and revolutionised pitched battles because of their devastating effect when fired in sequence. Despite this, early firearms were inaccurate and slow to fire meaning that they were most effectively deployed in smaller, mobile blocks of infantry who would fire

15553-482: The king's army. Seleucus, like his later rivals Antigonus and Demetrius , was reportedly a very powerful man. Appian wrote of an incident in which a wild bull that was about to be sacrificed by Alexander broke free of its bounds, and Seleucus managed to recapture the animal by grabbing and holding unto its horns with his bare hands. This was apparently the reason for the bull horns in the coins he later minted. A number of legends, similar to those told of Alexander

15704-530: The lawful ruling family against the usurper Antigonus. Eumenes marched his army 300 stadions away from Babylon and tried to cross the Tigris . Seleucus had to act. He sent two triremes and some smaller ships to stop the crossing. He also tried to get the former hypasiti of the Argyraspides to join him, but this did not happen. Seleucus also sent messages to Antigonus. Because of his lack of troops, Seleucus apparently had no plans to actually stop Eumenes. He opened

15855-463: The level ground to ensure the effective deployment of cavalry and the Romans the narrow field between the river Aufidus and the village of Cannae to make full effect of their powerful infantry. Both sides carefully deployed their troops ensuring to make full advantage of their respective strategies. The Romans had deployed their heavy infantry in a deep formation with the intention of breaking through

16006-422: The life of Alexander. In the first of these episodes, he participated in a sailing trip near Babylon , where Alexander's diadem was blown off his head and landed on some reeds near the tombs of Assyrian kings. Seleucus swam to fetch the diadem back, placing it on his own head while returning to the boat to keep it dry. The validity of the story is dubious. In the second, he took part in the dinner party of Medeios

16157-601: The new satrap of Susiana and Peithon of Media. Babylon was one of the wealthiest provinces of the empire, but its military power was insignificant. It is possible that Antipater divided the eastern provinces so that no single satrap could rise above the others in power. After the death of Alexander, Archon of Pella was chosen satrap of Babylon. Perdiccas, however, had plans to supersede Archon and nominate Docimus as his successor. During his invasion of Egypt, Perdiccas sent Docimus along with his detachments to Babylon. Archon waged war against him, but fell in battle. Thus, Docimus

16308-473: The new satrap of Mesopotamia, for helping Seleucus. Modern scholars are skeptical of the prophecy story. It seems certain, however, that the Babylonian priesthood was against Seleucus. During Seleucus' escape to Egypt, Macedonia was undergoing great turmoil. Alexander the Great's mother Olympias had been invited back to Macedon by Polyperchon in order to drive Cassander out. She held great respect among

16459-492: The northern part of Macedonia . Just a year before his birth (if the year 358 BC is accepted as the most likely date), the Paeonians invaded the region. Philip defeated the invaders and only a few years later utterly subdued them under Macedonian rule. Seleucus' year of birth is unclear. Justin claims he was 77 years old during the battle of Corupedium , which would place his year of birth at 358 BC. Appian tells us Seleucus

16610-440: The other hand, he knew that at least two eastern provinces did not have a satrap. A great majority of his own troops were from these provinces. Some of Evagoras' troops were Persian. Perhaps a portion of the troops were Eumenes' soldiers, who had a reason to hate Antigonus. Seleucus decided to take advantage of this situation. Seleucus spread different stories among the provinces and the soldiers. According to one of them, he had in

16761-435: The period. Pitched battles during the Middle Ages decreased in overall size and frequency because states were unable to field armies as large as those during the Classical period. The potential decisiveness and possibility of the death of the leader also decreased the number of pitched battles fought. Battlefield strategy also began to favour control through sieges and garrisons in fortifications such as castles . However,

16912-546: The prehistorical period, after 3000 BCE, battles became increasingly organised and were typified by the implementation of bronze weaponry and rudimentary missile weapons . One of the earliest battles in Europe occurred in the Tollense Valley where a pitched battle was fought during the 13th century BCE, consisting of at least several hundred combatants. Evidence of bronze weaponry and flint and bronze arrow heads indicates that archers were used alongside infantry during

17063-513: The prevalence of irregular warfare . The largest set-piece battle in the history of warfare was the Battle of Kursk . Pitched battles were first recorded during the prehistorical period as massed organised conflict became the primary method for the expansion of territory for early states. During the Neolithic period, from 10,000 BCE to 3000 BCE, violence was experienced endemically rather than in concentrated large-scale events. Later during

17214-522: The pursuing side engage in individual arms. The success of the phalanx was demonstrated against the Persians at Marathon in 490 BCE and then at Plataea in 479 BCE. The Macedonians under Phillip II and Alexander the Great would develop this formation further to be deeper and wield longer spears called a sarrisa . The Macedonian phalanx was extremely successful against the Persian Empire and dominated Mediterranean warfare during

17365-674: The regent of Alexander's empire, and was appointed Commander of the Companions and chiliarch at the Partition of Babylon in 323 BC. However, after the outbreak of the Wars of the Diadochi in 322, Perdiccas' military failures against Ptolemy in Egypt led to the mutiny of his troops in Pelusium . Perdiccas was betrayed and assassinated in a conspiracy by Seleucus, Peithon and Antigenes in Pelusium sometime in either 321 or 320 BC. At

17516-442: The region. Babylon also had a sizeable population of Macedonian and Greek veterans of Alexander's army. Seleucus won over the priests with monetary gifts and bribes. After the death of Antipater in 319 BC, the satrap of Media began to expand his power. Peithon assembled a large army of perhaps over 20,000 soldiers. Under the leadership of Peucestas the other satraps of the region brought together an opposing army of their own. Peithon

17667-450: The reliability and accuracy of the weapons. The efficacy of firearms increased dramatically during the 18th century with the introduction of rifling for enhanced range and accuracy, cartridge ammunition and magazines. As a result, most armies during this period would strictly deploy firearm infantry. Notable exceptions to this would be in colonial Africa where native armies would still employ close quarter fighting to some success, such as at

17818-498: The river Indus, but add to it the four satrapies of the Gedrosia , the Arachotë , the Aria , and the Paropamisadë , the River Cophes , thus forming the extreme boundary of India. According to other writers, however, all these territories, are reckoned as belonging to the country of the Aria. According to Raychaudhuri & Mukherjee (1996), p.594, it "has been wrongly included in the list of ceded satrapies by some scholars [...] on

17969-479: The river Indus, so that the boundaries of his empire were the most extensive in Asia after that of Alexander. The whole region from Phrygia to the Indus was subject to Seleucus. The Mauryans then annexed the areas around the Indus governed by the four Greek satraps: Nicanor , Phillip , Eudemus and Peithon . This established Mauryan control to the banks of the Indus. Chandragupta's victories convinced Seleucus that he needed to secure his eastern flank. Seeking to hold

18120-534: The satrap of Media, Peithon , and the commander of the Argyraspides , Antigenes , both serving as officers under Perdiccas, and assassinated him. Cornelius Nepos mentions that Seleucus also took part in this conspiracy, but this is not certain. The most powerful man in the empire after the death of Perdiccas was Antipater . Perdiccas' opponents gathered in Triparadisos, where the empire of Alexander

18271-477: The situation as hopeless and returned to his own province. The armies of Eumenes and his allies were at breaking point. Antigonus and Eumenes had two encounters during 316 BC, in the battles of Paraitacene and Gabiene . Eumenes was defeated and executed. The events of the Second War of the Diadochi revealed Seleucus' ability to wait for the right moment. Blazing into battle was not his style. Antigonus spent

18422-440: The son of Seleucus, moved the whole population of Babylon to his father's namesake capital in 275 BC. The city flourished until AD 165, when the Romans destroyed it. A story of the founding of the city goes as follows: Seleucus asked the Babylonian priests which day would be best to found the city. The priest calculated the day, but, wanting the founding to fail, told Seleucus a different date. The plot failed however, because when

18573-627: The standardisation of rifle infantry , cavalry and artillery during battles. Pitched battles declined towards the late 19th century and had ceased by the First World War because of technological developments establishing trench warfare . Whilst there are a few examples of pitched battles that occurred on a large scale during the Second World War , during the Post-war period , pitched battles effectively ceased to exist because of

18724-430: The states of the Indus Valley , had all submitted to Alexander the Great and become part of his empire. When Alexander died, the Wars of the Diadochi ("Successors") split his empire apart; as his generals fought for control of Alexander's empire. In the eastern territories one of these generals, Seleucus I Nicator , was taking control and was starting to establish what became known as the Seleucid Empire . According to

18875-490: The story is propaganda invented to present Seleucus as the natural successor of Alexander. John Malalas tells us Seleucus had a sister called Didymeia , who had sons called Nicanor and Nicomedes. It is most likely the sons are fictitious. Didymeia might refer to the oracle of Apollo in Didyma near Miletus . It has also been suggested that Ptolemy (son of Seleucus) was actually the uncle of Seleucus. In spring 334 BC, as

19026-596: The subsequent Battle of the Hydaspes (326 BC), Seleucus led his troops against the elephants of King Porus . It is unknown the extent in which Seleucus participated in the actual planning of the battle, as he is not mentioned as holding any major independent position during the battle. This contrasts with Craterus , Hephaistion , Peithon and Leonnatus – each of whom had sizable detachments under their control. Seleucus' Royal Hypaspistai were constantly under Alexander's eye and at his disposal. They later participated in

19177-465: The title and style of basileus (king). Seleucus soon turned his attention once again eastward. The Persian provinces in what is now modern Afghanistan, together with the wealthy kingdom of Gandhara and the states of the Indus Valley , had all submitted to Alexander the Great and become part of his empire. When Alexander died, the Wars of the Diadochi ("Successors") split his empire apart; as his generals fought for control of Alexander's empire. In

19328-596: The title of basileus (king). The Seleucid Empire was one of the major powers of the Hellenistic world , until it was overcome by the Roman Republic and Parthian Empire in the late second and early first centuries BC. While serving under Alexander, Seleucus was commander of the Hypaspistai , an elite Macedonian infantry unit. After the death of Alexander in June 323 BC, Seleucus initially supported Perdiccas ,

19479-600: The two soon turned cold, however. Seleucus punished one of Antigonus' officers without asking permission from Antigonus. Antigonus became angry and demanded that Seleucus give him the income from the province, which Seleucus refused to do. He was, however, afraid of Antigonus and fled to Egypt with 50 horsemen. It is told that Chaldean astrologers prophesied to Antigonus that Seleucus would become master of Asia and would kill Antigonus. After hearing this, Antigonus sent soldiers after Seleucus, who had however first escaped to Mesopotamia and then to Syria . Antigonus executed Blitor,

19630-565: The war, there would be several important battles that would employ pitched battle tactics at a larger scale. During the Normandy landings under Operation Overlord , the Allies engaged in a pitched battle on a massive scale to defeat German resistance. When the Allies landed at Normandy, the pitched battle strategy used by the commander of the British land forces , general Bernard Montgomery ,

19781-552: The way for Ptolemy Ceraunus to absorb much of Lysimachus' former power in Macedon. Seleucus was succeeded by his son Antiochus I as ruler of the Seleucid Empire. Seleucus founded a number of new cities during his reign, including Antioch (300 BC), Edessa and Seleucia on the Tigris (c. 305 BC), a foundation that eventually depopulated Babylon. Seleucus was the son of Antiochus . Historian Junianus Justinus claims that Antiochus

19932-551: The west, and probably only the eastern part of it was annexed by Chandragupta. The Malin range of mountains, which Alexander experienced such difficulty in crossing, would have furnished a natural boundary. Pierre Eggermont describes the area, stating that the Malan range is an offshoot of the Makran Coastal Range , which was explored by Sir Aurel Stein , who found out that "the Buzelak, or "Goat's Pass", leading from

20083-511: The winter of 316 BC in Media, whose ruler was once again Peithon. Peithon's lust for power had grown, and he tried to get a portion of Antigonus' troops to revolt to his side. Antigonus, however, discovered the plot and executed Peithon. He then superseded Peucestas as satrap of Persia. In the summer of 315 BC Antigonus arrived in Babylon and was warmly welcomed by Seleucus. The relationship between

20234-504: Was 73 years old during the battle, which means 354 BC would be the year of birth. Eusebius of Caesarea , however, mentions the age of 75, and thus the year 356 BC, making Seleucus the same age as Alexander the Great . This is most likely propaganda on Seleucus' part to make him seem comparable to Alexander. As a teenager, Seleucus was chosen to serve as the king's page ( pais ). It was customary for all male offspring of noble families to first serve in this position and later as officers in

20385-542: Was a pitched battle fought between the combined forces of Oda and Tokugawa clans against Takeda clan on 28 June 1575 during the Sengoku period in Japan. The battle occurred as Oda Nobunaga led 38,000 men to relieve Tokugawa forces besieged by Takeda Katsuyori at Nagashino Castle . This battle represents an example of a siege that develops into a pitched battle upon the arrival of new forces. Key to Oda success during

20536-516: Was able to defeat his rival, Antigonus , along with his allies at the Battle of Ipsus . Adding Antigonus's territories to his own, Seleucus would found the Seleucid Empire , which would endure as a great power in the Mediterranean and the Middle East until 64 BC. Mauryan control of territory in what is now Afghanistan helped guard against invasion of India from the northwest. Chandragupta Maurya went on to expand his rule in India southward into

20687-454: Was aware of the superior power of the Roman infantry and elected to out manoeuvre and trap the Romans in an encirclement. Hannibal's deployment tactic worked and although precise numbers of casualties are disputed, eight Roman legions or roughly 45,500-70,000 Roman infantry were slain. The battle resulted in a decisive victory for Hannibal and illustrates the importance of heavy infantry and advanced deployment strategies for pitched battles during

20838-626: Was demonstrated clearly during the early stages of The Second World War during the German Blitzkrieg in France. Tactics in the Second World War developed to focus on mobile groups of infantry who would work in tandem with armour, aircraft and artillery to out manoeuvre and surround enemy positions. This would generally result in many smaller skirmishes along a wide battle front rather than localised pitched battles. However, during

20989-649: Was en route to the main Egyptian camp on the North-West side of the fortress of Kadesh . In the second phase of the battle, Ramesses II launched a chariot counterattack on the Hittite chariots which were plundering the Egyptian camp and pushed them back towards the Orontes River and main force of the Hittite army. The third stage was a dedicated series of charges launched by both sides as the Hittite reserve

21140-597: Was finally defeated in a battle waged in Parthia. He escaped to Media, but his opponents did not follow him and rather returned to Susiana. Meanwhile, Eumenes and his army had arrived at Cilicia , but had to retreat when Antigonus reached the city. The situation was difficult for Seleucus. Eumenes and his army were north of Babylon; Antigonus was following him with an even larger army; Peithon was in Media and his opponents in Susiana. Antigenes, satrap of Susiana and commander of

21291-469: Was not intending to give Babylon to Seleucus without a fight. It is not certain how Seleucus took Babylon from Docimus, but according to one Babylonian chronicle an important building was destroyed in the city during the summer or winter of 320 BC. Other Babylonian sources state that Seleucus arrived in Babylon in October or November 320 BC. Despite the presumed battle, Docimus was able to escape. Meanwhile,

21442-555: Was occupied in the west, Seleucus brought the whole eastern part of Alexander's empire as far as the Jaxartes and Indus Rivers under his authority. In 311 BC Antigonus made peace with Cassander, Lysimachus and Ptolemy, which gave him an opportunity to deal with Seleucus. Antigonus' army had at least 80,000 soldiers. Even if he left half of his troops in the west, he would still have a numerical advantage over Seleucus. Seleucus may have received help from Cossaians, whose ancestors were

21593-482: Was one of Philip II of Macedon 's generals, but no such general is mentioned in any other sources, and nothing is known of his supposed career under Philip. It is possible that Antiochus was a member of an upper Macedonian noble family. Seleucus' mother was supposedly called Laodice , but nothing else is known of her. Later, Seleucus named a number of cities after his parents. Seleucus was born in Europus , located in

21744-475: Was partitioned again (the Treaty of Triparadisus 321 BC). At Triparadisos the soldiers had become mutinous and were planning to murder their master Antipater. Seleucus and Antigonus , however, prevented this. For betraying Perdiccas, Seleucus was awarded the rich province of Babylon. This decision may have been Antigonus' idea. Seleucus' Babylon was surrounded by Peucestas , the satrap of Persis ; Antigenes ,

21895-516: Was positioned and refused to retreat over the river. The pitched battle resulted in an Egyptian tactical victory but a strategic stalemate for both sides. Pitched battles continued to evolve into the Classical period as weapons technology and battlefield tactics became more complex. The widespread introduction of iron weapons increased emphasis on close quarter infantry combat as improvements in armour and larger infantry block formations made projectiles less effective. The Classical Greeks implemented

22046-495: Was the battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE between New Kingdom Egypt under Ramses II and the Hittite Empire under Muwatalli II . Evidence from reliefs at the temple of Ramesses II depict the implementation of chariots and larger infantry formations that used spears and swords for close-quarter fighting. The battle itself occurred in three stages. Initially, Hittite chariots were deployed and charged an Egyptian division that

22197-404: Was the founding of the city of Seleucia . The city was built on the shore of the Tigris probably in 307 or 305 BC. Seleucus made Seleucia his new capital, thus imitating Lysimachus, Cassander and Antigonus, all of whom had named cities after themselves. Seleucus also transferred the mint of Babylon to his new city. Babylon was soon left in the shadow of Seleucia, and the story goes that Antiochus ,

22348-413: Was the new satrap of Media and the strategos of the eastern provinces. His army had about 17,000 soldiers. Evagoras, the satrap of Aria , was allied with him. It was obvious that Seleucus' small force could not defeat the two in battle. Seleucus hid his armies in the marshes that surrounded the area where Nicanor was planning to cross the Tigris and made a surprise attack during the night. Evagoras fell in

22499-455: Was to confront German armoured units with constant harassment from British armies on the eastern flank of the beachhead. The role of the British forces would be to act as a great shield for the Allied landing, constantly sucking the German armour on to that shield on the left (east), and constantly grinding it down with punishing blows from artillery, tanks and Allied aircraft. As the shield held

22650-479: Was to utilise their superior cavalry force and make the Oda infantry flee with concentrated charges. This was unsuccessful as Oda spearmen worked in tandem with the arquebusiers who fired organised volleys in ranks of three to repel Takeda cavalry charges and achieve victory in the battle. Firearms and artillery dominated pitched battles during the late modern period as technological improvements such as rifling improved

22801-449: Was too small to defeat Rhodes, but it was big enough to force Asander , the satrap of Caria , to ally with Ptolemy. To demonstrate his power, Seleucus also invaded the city of Erythrai . Polemaios , a nephew of Antigonus, attacked Asander. Seleucus returned to Cyprus, where Ptolemy I had sent his brother Menelaos along with 10,000 mercenaries and 100 ships. Seleucus and Menelaos began to besiege Kition. Antigonus sent most of his fleet to

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