Battle of Raphia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Raphia
Part of the Fourth Syrian War
Date 22 June 217 BC Location Rafah, near Gaza Result Ptolemaic Egyptian victory
Belligerents
Ptolemaic Egypt	Seleucid Empire
Commanders and leaders
Ptolemy IV	Antiochus III
Strength
75,000: 70,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, 73 elephants	68,000: 62,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, 102 elephants
Casualties and losses
2,200: 1,500 infantry killed 700 cavalry killed 16 elephants killed Almost 26 elephants captured	14,300: 10,000 infantry killed 300 cavalry killed 5 elephants killed 4,000 infantry captured

The Battle of Raphia, also known as the Battle of Gaza, was a huge fight that happened on June 22, 217 BC. It took place near a city called Rafah, close to modern-day Gaza. This battle was between two powerful ancient kingdoms: Ptolemaic Egypt, led by King Ptolemy IV Philopator, and the Seleucid Empire, led by King Antiochus III the Great.

This battle was one of the biggest in the ancient world. It decided who would control a very important area called Coele Syria. The Ptolemaic Egyptians won, securing their control over the region for a while.

Why Did They Fight?

The two biggest kingdoms in the 3rd century BC, Ptolemaic Egypt and the Seleucid Empire, often fought over control of Syria. These conflicts were known as the Syrian Wars. The Fourth Syrian War started in 219 BC.

At this time, Ptolemy IV ruled Egypt, and Antiochus III the Great ruled the Seleucid Empire. Both kings wanted to control the rich lands of Syria.

The Armies Meet

In 217 BC, both armies were marching through Syria. They finally met near the small town of Rafah. King Antiochus first set up his camp about 2 kilometers away from Ptolemy's army. Later, he moved it even closer, to about 1 kilometer away.

Before the main battle, there were small fights around the edges of the camps. One night, a former officer of Ptolemy, named Theodotus, tried to sneak into Ptolemy's tent to kill him. Luckily, Ptolemy was not there, and the plan failed.

Who Fought in the Battle?

Both kings had very large armies made up of many different types of soldiers from various lands. They also used powerful war elephants.

Antiochus's Seleucid Army

King Antiochus had about 68,000 soldiers.

• He had 62,000 foot soldiers (infantry). Many of these were Phalangites, who fought with long spears. Some were famous "Silver Shields."
• He had 6,000 horsemen (cavalry).
• Antiochus also brought 102 war elephants from India. These elephants were known to be very large and strong.

Ptolemy's Egyptian Army

King Ptolemy had an even larger army, with about 75,000 soldiers.

• He had 70,000 foot soldiers. A big part of his army was made up of Egyptian soldiers trained in the Macedonian style of fighting. This was new and important.
• He had 5,000 horsemen.
• Ptolemy's army included 73 war elephants. These were African elephants.

Elephants in Battle

The Battle of Raphia is special because it's the only known battle where African and Asian elephants fought against each other.

Historians like Polybius wrote that Antiochus's Indian elephants were bigger and stronger than Ptolemy's African elephants. Some people thought Ptolemy's elephants might have been smaller forest elephants. However, it's now believed they were a smaller type of African bush elephant.

According to Polybius, Ptolemy's African elephants couldn't handle the smell, sound, and sight of the larger Indian elephants. They got scared and ran away.

How the Battle Unfolded

After five days of small fights, the two kings decided it was time for the main battle. Both armies lined up with their main foot soldiers (Phalangites) in the middle. The elephants and cavalry were placed on the sides.

Both kings spoke to their soldiers to encourage them. Then, the battle began.

The Elephant Charge

The elephants on both sides charged first. But Ptolemy's smaller African elephants got scared by the bigger Indian elephants. They panicked and ran backward, right through their own army lines. This caused a lot of confusion for Ptolemy's soldiers.

At the same time, King Antiochus led his cavalry on the right side. They charged Ptolemy's cavalry and pushed them back.

The Main Fight

The main groups of foot soldiers then crashed into each other. This was a very tough and messy fight. While Antiochus had his famous "Silver Shields," Ptolemy's army had a strong group of Egyptian soldiers fighting alongside his Macedonians.

Ptolemy saw his right side struggling. He rode to the middle of his army, encouraging his soldiers to attack with all their might. The fight between the two main groups of foot soldiers was fierce.

Antiochus's Mistake

On the far right, Ptolemy's cavalry was winning against Antiochus's cavalry. Antiochus chased the fleeing enemy far away, thinking he had already won the battle.

But while he was gone, Ptolemy's foot soldiers pushed back the Seleucid army. By the time Antiochus rode back, his soldiers were already running away and couldn't be brought back together. The battle was over.

What Happened After?

After the battle, Antiochus tried to gather his remaining soldiers. He asked Ptolemy for a truce to bury the dead, which was allowed.

• The Seleucid army lost about 10,000 foot soldiers, 300 horsemen, and 5 elephants. About 4,000 of their men were captured.
• The Ptolemaic army lost fewer soldiers: 1,500 foot soldiers, 700 horsemen, and 16 elephants. However, many of Ptolemy's elephants were captured by the Seleucids.

The Impact of the Victory

Ptolemy's victory meant that Egypt kept control of the important area of Coele-Syria. However, this peace didn't last forever. Years later, in 200 BC, Antiochus defeated Ptolemy's son and took back Coele Syria.

This battle was a big moment for Egypt. For the first time, a large number of native Egyptians were trained and fought as part of the main army. This helped solve Egypt's problem of not having enough soldiers.

The Egyptians gained a lot of confidence from this victory. Some historians believe this confidence later led to parts of Egypt trying to break away and form their own kingdom.

The Battle of Raphia also changed how the Ptolemaic kings were seen. A special stone tablet was made to thank the gods for the victory. On this tablet, Ptolemy was given full honors as a pharaoh in both Greek and Egyptian languages. This became a normal practice after the battle.

Some people believe this battle is mentioned in the ancient book of Daniel 11:11, which talks about a "king of the South" fighting and defeating a "king of the North."