Battle of Jimo
279 BCE · Jimo (southeast of today's Pingdu, Shandong) · China · Ancient
Tian Dan launched a night attack on the Yan camp with his fire-ox formation, routing the Yan army in one stroke and recovering Qi's former lands
Belligerents
Qi
- Commanders
- Tian Dan
- Strength
- Qi remnants and the city's soldiers and residents
Yan
- Commanders
- Qi Jie
- Strength
- Main Yan besieging force
Background
The Yan general Yue Yi had taken more than seventy Qi cities in succession, leaving only Ju and Jimo; King Hui of Yan fell for a ruse to sow discord and replaced Yue Yi with Qi Jie, and Tian Dan seized the chance to counterattack.
Course of the battle
- Holding the isolated city to the deathTian Dan held out at Jimo, quietly building up morale and sowing discord among the enemy
- Fire-ox surprise attackTian Dan tied blades to the horns of more than a thousand oxen and lit torches on their tails, launching a night attack on the Yan camp
- ReconquistaThe Qi army pressed its pursuit and recovered all of the more than seventy cities taken by Yan
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 279 BCE |
|---|---|
| Place | Jimo (southeast of today's Pingdu, Shandong) |
| Result | Tian Dan launched a night attack on the Yan camp with his fire-ox formation, routing the Yan army in one stroke and recovering Qi's former lands |
| Winner | Qi |
| Casualties | The Yan commander Qi Jie was killed in battle, and the besieging Yan army collapsed |
| Territorial change | Qi recovered all its lost territory and was saved from ruin |
Impact
A classic case of the weak defeating the strong; Qi was restored but gravely weakened, and could no longer contend for supremacy.
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