Foreword: This is my first ATL ever so I'm not going to ask for mercy if it's terrible just keep that in mind. It's centred (obviously) around the Battle of Raphia in 217 BC.
The Great Emperor- A Battle of Raphia ATL
In 217 BC Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid Empire took advantage of Ptolemaic weakness following the ascension of Ptolemy IV and declared war on the Ptolemaic Dynasty in an attempt to reclaim Coele-Syria from the Ptolemaic Kingdom. His army quickly made it's way South to the Sinai peninsula where it met the Ptolemaic Army at Raphia.
The Seleucid Army was comprised of 62,000 infantry, 6000 cavalry and 102 elephants. This great army was made up of native Greeks who formed the phalanges (20,000 Macedonians and 10,000 Silver Shields) and these phalanges were placed in the centre. However the rest of the infantry was light infantry most of which was levied from throughout the Empire- Persians, Cretans, Cilicians and even Thracians all came to fight for Antiochus. These light infantry went to the side of the phalanges with missile forces in front. Before those lay the Elephants and on the far flanks lay the cavalry.
On the other side lay the Ptolemies of Egypt, their leader was Ptolemy IV who was known to be corrupt and weak and very much under the control of his courtiers. It was those courtiers who had made the preparations for Antiochus and it was those courtiers who were really directing the Ptolemy forces as opposed to Ptolemy IV. His army was made up of 70,000 infantry, 5000 cavalry and 73 elephants although these were African elephants as opposed to the Indian variety used by Antiochus. Ptolemy and his courtiers had cleverly managed to solve their crippling manpower problem by hiring native Egyptians, 30,000 of them. His army was arrayed nearly identically to Antiochus'.
The two forces met at Raphia and after 5 days of skirmishing they lined themselves up for battle and prepared to confront one another. Immediately things went wrong for the Ptolemies as their elephants ran amok at the sight of the Indian elephants and started making for their own lines. Ptolemy's forces wheeled away hurriedly to avoid these elephants just in time to see Antiochus' forces advance. Just as Ptolemy's forces began to get back into position, Antiochus' elephants crashed into them. The Phalanx, which hadn't managed to quite get itself back into formation broke immediately under the elephant assault as the Elephants walked through them. Shortly afterwards the Seleucid line engaged the Egyptians, meanwhile Antiochus engaged the Egyptian cavalry and after a tough fight managed to rout them from the field. Knowing the battle wasn't one he wheeled his cavalry around and gave the order to charge. The enemy phalanx was broken enough and when the heavy Seleucid cavalry came charging in, it broke. The Seleucids were merciless as they hunted down the Egyptian soldiers who broke and fled.
In total 12,000 infantry, 450 cavalry and 16 elephants were killed with a further 4000 infantry captured. However Ptolemy wasn't done as he escaped with 54,000 infantry, 4550 cavalry and 57 elephants as he fled towards the Egypt and the perceived safety of the Nile river.
The Great Emperor- A Battle of Raphia ATL
In 217 BC Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid Empire took advantage of Ptolemaic weakness following the ascension of Ptolemy IV and declared war on the Ptolemaic Dynasty in an attempt to reclaim Coele-Syria from the Ptolemaic Kingdom. His army quickly made it's way South to the Sinai peninsula where it met the Ptolemaic Army at Raphia.
The Seleucid Army was comprised of 62,000 infantry, 6000 cavalry and 102 elephants. This great army was made up of native Greeks who formed the phalanges (20,000 Macedonians and 10,000 Silver Shields) and these phalanges were placed in the centre. However the rest of the infantry was light infantry most of which was levied from throughout the Empire- Persians, Cretans, Cilicians and even Thracians all came to fight for Antiochus. These light infantry went to the side of the phalanges with missile forces in front. Before those lay the Elephants and on the far flanks lay the cavalry.
On the other side lay the Ptolemies of Egypt, their leader was Ptolemy IV who was known to be corrupt and weak and very much under the control of his courtiers. It was those courtiers who had made the preparations for Antiochus and it was those courtiers who were really directing the Ptolemy forces as opposed to Ptolemy IV. His army was made up of 70,000 infantry, 5000 cavalry and 73 elephants although these were African elephants as opposed to the Indian variety used by Antiochus. Ptolemy and his courtiers had cleverly managed to solve their crippling manpower problem by hiring native Egyptians, 30,000 of them. His army was arrayed nearly identically to Antiochus'.
The two forces met at Raphia and after 5 days of skirmishing they lined themselves up for battle and prepared to confront one another. Immediately things went wrong for the Ptolemies as their elephants ran amok at the sight of the Indian elephants and started making for their own lines. Ptolemy's forces wheeled away hurriedly to avoid these elephants just in time to see Antiochus' forces advance. Just as Ptolemy's forces began to get back into position, Antiochus' elephants crashed into them. The Phalanx, which hadn't managed to quite get itself back into formation broke immediately under the elephant assault as the Elephants walked through them. Shortly afterwards the Seleucid line engaged the Egyptians, meanwhile Antiochus engaged the Egyptian cavalry and after a tough fight managed to rout them from the field. Knowing the battle wasn't one he wheeled his cavalry around and gave the order to charge. The enemy phalanx was broken enough and when the heavy Seleucid cavalry came charging in, it broke. The Seleucids were merciless as they hunted down the Egyptian soldiers who broke and fled.
In total 12,000 infantry, 450 cavalry and 16 elephants were killed with a further 4000 infantry captured. However Ptolemy wasn't done as he escaped with 54,000 infantry, 4550 cavalry and 57 elephants as he fled towards the Egypt and the perceived safety of the Nile river.