Battle of Ipsus
301 BCE · Ipsus (central Turkey) · World · Ancient
Seleucus used his Indian war elephants to cut off Antigonus's main infantry and cavalry from Demetrius's cavalry, and Antigonus's army was split apart and defeated.
Belligerents
Antigonid coalition
- Commanders
- Antigonus I, Demetrius I
- Strength
- Antigonid army with about 75 war elephants
Anti-Antigonid coalition
- Commanders
- Seleucus I, Lysimachus
- Strength
- Coalition with about 400 war elephants
Background
Antigonus I sought to reunite the whole of Alexander's empire, prompting the other Diadochi to ally against him.
Course of the battle
- Cavalry clash on both flanksThe cavalry of both sides clashed fiercely on both flanks
- War elephants cut off the battlefieldSeleucus used his war elephants to cut communications between the front and rear of Antigonus's army
- Infantry isolated and destroyedAntigonus's main infantry, cut off, was surrounded and defeated
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 301 BCE |
|---|---|
| Place | Ipsus (central Turkey) |
| Result | Seleucus used his Indian war elephants to cut off Antigonus's main infantry and cavalry from Demetrius's cavalry, and Antigonus's army was split apart and defeated. |
| Winner | Anti-Antigonid coalition |
| Casualties | Antigonus I was killed on the battlefield, and his army disintegrated. |
| Territorial change | Alexander's empire broke up completely into the successor kingdoms of the Seleucids, the Ptolemies, Macedon, Thrace and others. |
Impact
The decisive battle of the Wars of the Diadochi, after which the division of Alexander's empire was essentially settled.
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