Page 79 - All About History - Issue 72-18

Battle of Raphia

On his way south Antiochus accepted the submission
of several cities and towns, including Aradus, SELEUCIDEMPIRE PTOLEMAICEGYPT
Philoteria, Scythopolis, and Gaddara. He captured
Atabyrium and Rabbatamana. Several higher-ranking
Ptolemaicofficersdefectedtohimashisawe- NUMBER OF INFANTRY NUMBER OF INFANTRY
inspiring army approached the borders of Egypt.
As Hellenistic successor states of the vaunted
Alexander’s grand empire, both largely adhered to
the military system that the Macedonian conqueror
had perfected. At the heart of both the Seleucid and
the Ptolemaic armies was the infantry phalanx.
Each soldier, or phalangite, was armed with a NUMBER OF CAVALRY NUMBER OF CAVALRY
sarissa,anextremelylongpikethatcouldbeas
much as 20 feet in length. When arrayed in lines,
the business end of the weapons held by the men of
the first five lines projected ahead of the phalangite
of the first line. This meant that the Hellenistic
phalanx presented an almost impenetrable hedge of NUMBER OF ELEPHANTS (INDIAN) NUMBER OF ELEPHANTS (AFRICAN FOREST)
degree of training to be effective, since it was no 102 73
spearpoints against an opponent.
Phalanxes tended to be relatively immobile,
andmostoftenbettersuitedforeitherdefenceor
a deliberate advance. They also required a high

easy thing to manoeuvre with a giant spear in close
proximity to other soldiers. Both the Seleucids and
the Ptolemies favoured using Macedonian men who ANTIOCHUS PTOLEMY IV
were the descendants of Alexander’s soldiers who III Young Ptolemy IV led a
had settled in their empires a century beforehand. debauched lifestyle but managed
Young Antiochus III was to rebuilt the Egyptian army
It was something of a novelty when Ptolemy IV
determined to restore the empire when Antiochus’s intentions
recruitednativeEgyptianstoserveasphalangitesin
of his forefathers to glory. became clear.
the run-up to the Raphia campaign. His main opponent would be Reacted quickly when the
Bothsidesstakedhugeimportanceontheircorps Ptolemy IV of Egypt. LEADER Seleucid threat became apparent
of war elephants. The Seleucids, with their territories LEADER Brave and determined Youngandpaid toolittle
abutting India, acquired their animals from that Youthful and inexperienced attention to statecraft
land. A treaty between Seleucus I and Chandragupta
Maurya, one of India’s greatest kings, called for INDIAN ELEPHANTS ECHECRATES’ CAVALRY
Chandragupta to provide the Macedonian monarch
with no fewer than 500 elephants. Naturally, the The Indian The right wing cavalry
Seleucids also monopolised the elephant trade with elephants of the under Echecrates of
Seleucid army Thessaly won the
India for themselves and the Ptolemies were forced
were bigger and battle for Ptolemy
to look elsewhere to obtain them, and organised tougher than the with a timely charge
elephant hunting expeditions in the lands of the African forest against the Seleucid
Horn of Africa. Animals incorporated into the elephants of the left wing.
Egyptians. Well-trained and
Egyptian army were found in Ethiopia, Sudan,
Strong and big daring
Eritrea, and Somalia.
Elephants could KEY UNIT Had trouble KEY UNIT
The elephants of both empires were topped with become unruly if charging prepared
fighting towers that could accommodate up to four wounded infantry
men.Thesemightbearmedwiththesarissa,the
long pike that equipped the infantrymen, or with
bows. Shields were often hung from the sides of the SARISSA AFRICAN FOREST ELEPHANTS
towers.Inthebattlethemenbearingsarissaswould Thesarissa,a20-footpike,wastheprimaryweaponofthe The African forest elephants refused to take on their Indian
jab at opposing elephants or their riders. phalangites of the Seleucid phalanx. counterparts at Raphia.
Theelephantitselfwouldbecoveredinacoatof Long reach Strong and intelligent
The sarissa-armed phalanx was hard to move Timid in the face of the Indian elephants
bronze scale armour hung over the back and flanks
of thebeast.Itwas also bedecked in colouredcloth.
Its head was protected by a metal plate adorned
withuprightfeathers.Topreventanenemyfrom
hamstringing the animal, its legs were encircled with
laminated bands of bronze.
In one profound way, the two species of elephants,
Indian (Elephas maximus) and African forest
elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), differed, and this WEAPON KEY UNIT
wouldbeofcrucialimportancefortheupcoming

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