Battle of Raphia
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{{Infobox Military Conflict
|image=
|caption=
|conflict=Battle of Raphia
|partof=the [[Fourth Syrian War]]
|date=[[22 June]] [[217 BC]]
|place=[[Rafah]], near [[Gaza]]
|result=[[Egypt]]ian victory
|combatant1=[[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic]] [[Egypt]]
|combatant2=[[Seleucid Empire]]
|commander1=[[Ptolemy IV of Egypt]]
|commander2=[[Antiochus III the Great]]
|strength1=70,000 infantry,<br/>6,000 cavalry,<br/>73 elephants
|strength2=62,000 infantry,<br/>6,000 cavalry,<br/>103 elephants
|casualties1=
|casualties2=
}}
The '''Battle of Raphia''', also known as the '''Battle of Gaza''', was a battle of the [[Syrian Wars]] fought on [[22 June]] [[217 BC]] near modern [[Rafah]] between forces of [[Ptolemy IV of Egypt]] and [[Antiochus III the Great]] of the [[Seleucid kingdom]]. Ptolemy had 70,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and 73 [[war elephant]]s Antiochus had 62,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and 103 elephants,.
Ptolemy's elephants were largely [[African Forest Elephant]]s; those of Antiochus were mainly the large [[Syrian Elephant]]s. At this time war elephants were exclusively supplied from India{{Verify source|date=August 2007}}<!-- The Seleucids hat at that time still ''Elephas maximus asurus'' in their own land; India may have been the only (other) *exporter*. FWIW, Hannibal Barca's favorite elephant was apparently from Syria. -->. To maintain their monopoly over the industry the Indians only exported male elephants. Ptolemy, who had no access to Indian elephants, may have used smaller African Forest elephants, or may have trained female elephants.
The kings split their elephants between the wings of their army. Antiochus began winning at the beginning of the battle when Antiochus's larger elephants drove off Ptolemy's elephants. Each army's right wing defeated the opposing left wing and drove it from the field, leaving the Ptolemaic [[Phalanx formation|phalanx]] to defeat the Seleucid infantry.
Ptolemy's victory kept the province of Coele-Syria for Egypt, but it was only a brief respite; at the [[Battle of Panium]] in [[198 BC]] Antiochus defeated the army of Ptolemy's young son, [[Ptolemy V]] and captured Syria and [[Judea]].
Ptolemy owed his victory in part to having a well equipped and trained native Egyptian Phalanx which for the first time formed a large proportion of his phalangites (exactly how much is subject to academic dispute). Also, the Seleucid elephants are recorded to have panicked and fled the battle according to some sources. The self confidence the Egyptians gained was credited by [[Polybius]]<ref>Polybius 107.1-3.</ref> as one of the causes of the secession in 207-186<!--Walbank's dates--> of [[Upper Egypt]] under pharaohs [[Hugronaphor]] and [[Ankmachis]], who created a separate kingdom that lasted nearly twenty years.
The battle of Raphia marked a turning-point in Ptolemaic history. The growth in influence of the native Egyptian element in second-century Ptolemaic administration and culture, at first in the financial pressure aggravated<ref>The Ptolemaic currency had already been debased under [[Ptolemy V of Egypt|Ptolemy V]] (F.W. Walbank, ''The Hellenistic World'' 1981:119.</ref> by the cost of the war itself. The [[stele]] that recorded the convocation of priests at [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]] in November 217, to give thanks for the victory was inscribed in Greek and hieroglyphic and demotic Egyptian:<ref>See also the trilingual [[Decree of Memphis (Ptolemy IV)]] of ca 218.</ref> in it, for the first time, Ptolemy is given full pharaonic honours in the Greek as well as the Egyptian texts; subsequently this became the norm.<ref>As on the [[Rosetta stone]]. F.W.Walbank, ''The Hellenistic World'' 1981:119.</ref>
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:217 BC]]
[[Category:3rd century BC conflicts]]
[[Category:Battles involving Ptolemaic Egypt]]
[[de:Schlacht von Raphia]]
[[el:Μάχη της Ράφια]]
[[es:Batalla de Rafia]]
[[fa:نبرد رافیا]]
[[fr:Bataille de Raphia]]
[[it:Battaglia di Rafah]]
[[he:קרב רפיח]]
[[ja:ラフィアの戦い]]
[[pl:Bitwa pod Rafią]]