Battle of Raphia, 217 BC - Biggest battle in Hellenistic history

🚩 Download World of Warships today wo.ws/49tx5Ln and join the naval battle! Register now using code WISCONSIN and receive a huge starter pack including 500 Doubloons, 2,000,000 Credits, 10 days Premium Account time, and a free ship! 🚩 We're heading back to ancient times with the Battle of Raphia, 217 BC. Syria and Palestine were prime real-estate that ancient powers fought over. In the aftermath of Alexander the Great's death, his empire was carved up by his generals and family. By the late 3rd century BC, Seleucid Empire and Ptolemaic Egypt fought for domination over this region, then known as Coele Syri

While everybody was busy playing Total War, Theodotus was playing Assassin's Creed

I am so happy that now the Diadochi Wars get some atention, they get usually overshadowed by the Punic Wars

The problem with most of the Hellenic monarchs was that they were more concerned with conquering each other than with administering and consolidating themselves. This reminds me of an old and true Chinese proverb: "Conquering the world on horseback is easy; it is dismounting and governing that is hard."

Funny thing is Antiochus would go on to lose at Magnesia in the exact same way

3:10 Fun fact: the three Hellenistic powers that ruled the Eastern Mediterranean were of Upper-Macedonian origin. The Antigonids were from Elimiotis, the Seleucids from Orestis, and the Lagids or Ptolemies from Eordaea. Rather interesting considering they didn't come from the nobility of the Argead Dynasty in Lower Macedonia but from the Highland shepherd peasantry which was the bulk of Macedonian infantry of Philip II and Alexander the Great. This is also why the heavily decorated Macedonian shields with geometric designs of concentric designs were more popular in the sarissaphoroi infantrymen of the Hellenistic kingdoms as this was a similar shield used by the Illyrians which were the closest neighbours to the Upper-Macedonians

Antiochus' hubris and overconfidence cost him the victory he could've had at raphia, but he'd be far from over, and some time later would face the ptolemies once again, this time achieving his well earned revenge.

My Saturday is not complete without a weekly History Marche video.

Had a great time working on this battle, and as always, it was a pleasure working with HistoryMarche!

Interestingly, Pharoh Ptolemy IV Philpator's later reign started the significant decline of the Ptomtomeic dynasty until the Romans conquered Egypt under Cleopatra VII Thea Philpator. Something eerily similar to Emperor Commodus and slightly Caligula's reigns, highlighting the worst personal traits of a ruler over a vast & powerful empire.

0:51 😂 “Our phalanx stronk!” “Our phalanx stronker!!

This wouldn't be the last time Antiochus lost in this fashion, learning nothing Roman would exploit his mistake again in Magnesia.

I first heard about this battle be re-enacted on a old Television show called Time commanders all the way back in 2003. That show used an early version of a strategy game which became Rome total war. It was the tv program and the game which influenced my passion for history. Seeing this event being back memories of first learning about the event. Thank you HistoryMarche for covering it.

Comparing the magnitude and man power of the ancient battles with the medieval ones, become visible how much human kind was vunerable (and perhaps still is) to plague, hunger and self-destruction.

Ptolemy, upon seeing his left wing routed, disguised himself and escaped towards the center of the field. Antiochus believing Ptolemy fled with his routed troops pursued eagerly to catch him. This little ruse saved the day for the egyptians. Egyptians were known throughout antiquity to be a sophisticated, highly deceptive and ingenious people (Caesar in his book 'Comentarii de Bello Civili' - 'The Civil War'). Excellent video presentation as usual many thanks.

I hosted a wargame on this exact campaign, and it was absolutely awesome. Raphia is underrated and it was a pivotal turning point in History.

When it comes to these historical battles I'm always hooked right from the beginning. Thanks for putting this together and sharing it.

I've been asking for this battle for years now!! Thank you!!!

Thanks for another great video - keep moving foreward

Excellent coverage as usual. Keep up with the good work.