List of wars and battles in ancient times
Violent confrontations with foreign enemies were commonplace in those societies of antiquity that had no clearly defined borders and whose protection was guaranteed by a class of warriors whose social position depended on their ability to fight war. Forays into the territory of the neighbors were therefore regularly carried out once or several times a year. The war was omnipresent, it determined the life and self-image of such tribal societies and has only been handed down in exceptional cases.
But the rulers of ancient civilizations also defined themselves through military success and had to constantly renew this legitimation . Although these war campaigns were institutionalized through embassies, declarations of war and peace treaties , they were still a regular phenomenon.
The following list therefore represents only a very limited selection of such long-term military conflicts which, due to their course or results, have found their way into historical tradition and scientific discussion.
Antiquity (1200 BC to 641 AD)
date | Battle name | place | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
around 735–715 BC BC - First Messenian War | |||
around 710–650 BC BC - Lelantic War | |||
around 640 BC BC - Second Messenian War | |||
around 600-592 BC BC - First Holy War | |||
500-448 BC BC - Persian Wars | |||
494 BC Chr. | Battle of Ark | Asia Minor | Persians defeat Ionian cities |
490 BC BC, September | Battle of Marathon | Greece | Athenians and Plataeans defeat Persians |
480 BC BC, early August | Battle of Thermopylae | Greece | Persians defeat the Hellenic League |
480 BC BC, early August | Battle of Artemision | Greece | Hellenic League against Persians - no decision |
480 BC BC, September | Battle of Salamis | Greece | Hellenic League defeats Persians |
479 BC BC, spring | Battle of Plataiai | Greece | Hellenic League defeats Persians |
479 BC BC, spring | Battle of Mycale | Asia Minor | Hellenic League defeats Persians |
465 BC Chr. | Battle of the Eurymedon | Pamphylia | Greeks defeat Persians |
498–338 BC BC - Latin Wars | |||
498-493 BC BC - First Latin War | |||
340-338 BC BC - Second Latin War | |||
339 BC Chr. | Battle of Vesuvius | Italy | Romans defeat Latins |
338 BC Chr. | Battle of Trifanum | Italy | Romans defeat Latins |
484 BC BC - Etruscans against Greeks | |||
484 BC Chr. | Battle of Kyme | Italy | Greek cities defeat Etruscans |
480-310 BC BC - Syracuse against Carthage or Italiots | |||
480 BC BC, October | Battle of Himera | Sicily | Syracuse defeats Carthage |
389 BC Chr. | Battle of Elleporus | Italy | Syracuse defeats Italian Confederation |
341 BC Chr. | Battle of the crime thriller | Sicily | Syracuse defeats Carthage |
311 BC Chr. | Battle of the Himeras | Sicily | Carthage defeats Syracuse |
310 BC Chr. | Battle of Tunis | North africa | Syracuse defeats Carthage |
441-439 BC BC - Sami War | |||
431-404 BC BC - Peloponnesian War | |||
457-445 BC - Prelude: First Peloponnesian War | |||
457 BC Chr. | Battle of Tanagra (457 BC) | Greece | Sparta defeats Athens |
457 BC Chr. | Battle of Oinophyta | Greece | Athens defeats Boiotia |
447 BC Chr. | Battle of Koroneia | Greece | Boiotia defeats Athens |
431-404 BC BC - (Second) Peloponnesian War | |||
433 BC Chr. | Battle of the Sybota Islands | Greece | Corinth versus Kerkyra and Athens, tie |
432 BC Chr. | Battle of Potideia | Greece | Athens defeats Corinth |
429 BC Chr. | Battle of Spartolus | Greece | Chalcidians defeat Athens |
429 BC Chr. | Battle of Naupaktos | Greece | Athens defeats the Peloponnesians |
426 BC Chr. | Battle of Tanagra (426 BC) | Greece | Athens defeats Boiotia |
426 BC Chr. | Battle of Olpai | Greece | Athens defeats Sparta |
425 BC BC, spring | Siege of Pylos | Greece | Athens defeats Sparta |
425 BC BC, spring | Battle of Sphakteria | Greece | Athens defeats Sparta |
424 BC Chr. | Battle of the Delion | Greece | Thebes defeats Athens |
422 BC Chr. | Battle of Amphipolis | Greece | Sparta defeats Athens |
418 BC Chr. | First battle of Mantineia | Greece | Sparta defeats Athens |
415-413 BC Chr. | Siege of Syracuse | Sicily | Syracuse defeats Athens |
411 BC Chr. | Battle of Syme | Greece | Athens versus Sparta, tie |
411 BC Chr. | Battle of Kynossema | Greece | Athens defeats Sparta |
410 BC Chr. | Battle of Kyzikos | Greece | Athens defeats Sparta |
407 BC Chr. | Battle of Notion | Greece | Sparta defeats Athens |
406 BC Chr. | Battle of the Arginus | Greece | Athens defeats Sparta |
405 BC Chr. | Battle of Aigospotamoi | Greece | Sparta defeats Athens |
401 BC BC - Persian Civil War | |||
401 BC Chr. | Battle of Kunaxa | Babylonia | Persian king Artaxerxes defeats the usurper Cyrus |
399-394 BC BC - Spartan-Persian War | |||
394 BC Chr. | Battle of Knidos | Asia Minor | Persians defeat Sparta |
395-387 BC BC - Corinthian War | |||
395 BC Chr. | Battle of Haliartus | Greece | Thebes defeats Sparta |
394 BC Chr. | Battle of Nemea | Greece | Sparta defeats Thebes, Athens, Corinth and Argos |
394 BC Chr. | Battle of Koroneia | Greece | Sparta defeats Thebes, Athens, Corinth and Argos |
391/390 BC Chr. | Battle of Corinth | Greece | Sparta defeats Athens, Argos and Corinth |
390 BC Chr. | Battle of Lechaion | Greece | Athens defeats Sparta |
390-282 BC BC - Wars of Rome against the Celts | |||
387 BC BC, July 16 | Battle of the Allia | Italy | Celts defeat Romans and Latins |
283 BC Chr. | Battle of the Vadimonian Lake | Italy | Romans defeat Gauls |
371-362 BC BC - Theban War | |||
371 BC Chr. | Battle of Leuktra | Greece | Thebes defeats Sparta |
362 BC Chr. | Second battle of Mantineia | Greece | Mantineia, Sparta and Athens versus Thebes, tie |
354-322 BC BC - Macedonian Wars | |||
354 BC Chr. | Battle of Thessaly | Greece | Phokers defeat Macedonia |
353 BC Chr. | Battle on the crocus field | Greece | Macedonia defeats the Phokers |
338 BC BC, August 2nd | Battle of Chaironeia | Greece | Macedonia defeats Athens and Thebes |
334 BC Chr. | Battle of the Granikos | Asia Minor | Macedonia defeats the Persians |
333 BC BC, November | Battle of Issus | Asia Minor | Macedonia defeats the Persians |
331 BC BC, October 1st | Battle of Gaugamela | Asia Minor | Macedonia defeats the Persians |
331 BC Chr. | Battle of Megalopolis | Greece | Macedonia defeats Sparta |
326 BC Chr. | Battle of the Hydaspes | India | Macedonia defeats Poros, king of the Paurava |
323-322 BC BC - Lamish war | |||
322 BC BC, September | Battle of Krannon | Greece | Macedonia defeats Athens |
322 BC BC, September | Sea battle at Amorgos | Greece | Macedonia defeats Athens |
343-289 BC BC - Samnite Wars | |||
343-341 BC BC - First Samnite War | |||
342 BC Chr. | Battle of Mount Gaurus | Italy | Romans defeat Samnites |
326-304 BC BC - Second Samnite War | |||
321 BC Chr. | Battle of the Caudine Passes | Italy | The Samnites defeat the Romans |
315 BC Chr. | Battle of Lautulae | Italy | The Samnites defeat the Romans |
310 BC Chr. | First battle on Lake Vadimon | Italy | Romans defeat Etruscans |
305 BC Chr. | Battle of Bovianum | Italy | Romans defeat Samnites |
298-290 BC BC - Third Samnite War | |||
295 BC Chr. | Battle of Camerinum | Italy | The Samnites defeat the Romans |
295 BC Chr. | Battle of Sentinum | Italy | Romans defeat Samnites and Gauls |
321-160 BC BC - Diadoch Wars and Wars of the Hellenistic Empires | |||
320 BC Chr. | Battle of the Hellespont | Asia Minor | Eumenes defeats Krateros |
319 BC Chr. | Battle of Orkynia | Asia Minor | Antigonus defeats Eumenes |
319 BC Chr. | Battle of Cretopolis | Asia Minor | Antigonus defeats Alketas |
317 BC Chr. | Battle of Byzantion | Asia Minor | Antigonus defeats Clitus |
316 BC Chr. | Battle of the Kopratas | Iran | Eumenes defeats Antigonus |
316 BC Chr. | Battle of Paraitakene | Iran | Eumenes draws against Antigonus |
316 BC Chr. | Battle of Gabiene | Iran | Eumenes draws against Antigonus |
312 BC Chr. | Battle of Gaza | Palestine | Ptolemy I defeats Demetrios |
301 BC Chr. | Battle of Ipsos | Asia Minor | Fall of Antigonus |
281 BC Chr. | Battle of Kurupedion | Asia Minor | Seleucus I defeats Lysimachus |
279 BC Chr. | Thermopylae and Delphi | Greece | Greeks defeat Celts |
268 BC Chr. | Elephant battle | Asia Minor | Seleucids defeat the Celts |
234 BC Chr. | Battle of Aphrodision | Asia Minor near Pergamon | Attalus I of Pergamon defeats Antiochus Hierax and the Celts (Galatians) allied with him |
234/233 BC Chr. | Battle of the Kaïkos springs | Asia Minor | Attalus I of Pergamon defeats the Celts (Galatians) |
222 BC Chr. | Battle of Sellasia | Greece | Macedonia defeats Sparta |
220 BC Chr. | Battle of Apollonia | Iran | Antiochus III. defeated insurgents |
217 BC Chr. | Battle of Raphia | Sinai | Ptolemy IV defeats Antiochus III. |
207 BC Chr. | Third Battle of Mantineia | Greece | Achaean League defeats Sparta |
200 BC Chr. | Battle of Paneion | Palestine | Seleucids defeat Ptolemies |
160 BC Chr. | Battle of Elasa | Palestine | Seleucids defeat Maccabees |
280-275 BC BC - Pyrrhus Wars | |||
280 BC Chr. | Battle of Heraclea | Lower Italy | Pyrrhus defeats Rome |
279 BC Chr. | Battle of Asculum | Lower Italy | Pyrrhus defeats Rome |
275 BC Chr. | Battle of Beneventum | Lower Italy | Rome defeats Pyrrhus |
264-146 BC BC - Punic Wars | |||
264-241 BC BC - First Punic War | |||
261 BC Chr. | Battle of Agrigento | Sicily | Rome defeats Carthage |
260 BC Chr. | Battle of Mylae | Mediterranean Sea | Rome defeats Carthage |
255 BC Chr. | Battle of Tunes | North africa | Carthage defeats Rome |
249 BC Chr. | Battle of Drepana | Mediterranean Sea | Carthage defeats Rome |
218-201 BC BC - Second Punic War | |||
218 BC Chr. | Siege of Saguntum | Spain | Carthage defeats Iberians |
218 BC Chr. | Second Battle of Lilybaeum | Sicily | Rome defeats Carthage |
218 BC Chr. | Battle of the Rhone | France | Carthage defeats Volcae |
218 BC Chr. | Battle of the Ticinus | Italy | Carthage defeats Rome |
218 BC Chr. | Battle of the Trebia | Italy | Carthage defeats Rome |
217 BC Chr. | Battle of Lake Trasimeno | Italy | Carthage defeats Rome |
216 BC BC, August 2nd | Battle of Cannae | Italy | Carthage crushes Rome |
215 BC Chr. | Battle of Ibera | Spain | Rome defeats Carthage |
212 BC Chr. | Battle of Castulo | Spain | Carthage defeats Rome |
212 BC Chr. | Battle of Ilorci | Spain | Carthage defeats Rome |
208 BC Chr. | Battle of Baecula | Spain | Rome defeats Carthage |
207 BC Chr. | Battle of the Metaurus | Northern Italy | Rome defeats Carthage |
206 BC Chr. | Battle of Ilipa | Spain | Rome defeats Carthage |
204 BC Chr. | Battle of Crotona | Southern Italy | Draw Rome and Carthage |
202 BC Chr. | Battle of Zama | North africa | Rome defeats Carthage |
149-146 BC BC - Third Punic War | |||
229-215 BC BC Illyrian-Roman Wars | |||
215-168 BC BC Macedonian-Roman Wars | |||
215-205 BC Chr. First Macedonian War | |||
200-197 BC Chr. Second Macedonian War | |||
197 BC Chr. | Battle of Kynoskephalai | Greece | Rome defeats Macedonia |
171-168 BC Chr. Third Macedonian War | |||
168 BC BC, June 22nd | Battle of Pydna | Greece | Rome defeats Macedonia |
192-188 BC BC Roman-Syrian War | |||
191 BC Chr. | Second battle of Thermopylae | Greece | Romans defeat Seleucids |
191 BC Chr. | Battle of Magnesia | Asia Minor | Romans defeat Seleucids |
113-101 BC BC War against Cimbri and Teutons | |||
113 BC Chr. | Battle of Noreia | Eastern Alps | Cimbri, Ambrones and Teutons defeat the Romans |
107 BC Chr. | Battle of Agen | South France | Helvetii, Cimbri, Ambrones and Teutons defeat the Romans |
105 BC Chr. | Battle of Arausio | South France | Cimbri, Ambrons and Teutons defeat the Romans with devastation |
102 BC Chr. | Battle of Aquae Sextiae | South France | Marius defeats the Teutons and Ambrones |
101 BC Chr. | Battle of Vercellae | Northern Italy | Marius defeats the Cimbri |
88-64 BC Chr. Mithridatic Wars | |||
88-84 BC First Mithridatic War | |||
86 BC Chr. | Second battle at Chaeronea | Greece | Romans defeat Mithridates |
86 BC Chr. | Battle of Orchomenos | Asia Minor | Romans defeat Mithridates |
83-81 BC Second Mithridatic War | |||
74-64 BC Third Mithridatic War | |||
69 BC Chr. | Battle of Tigranocerta | Armenia | Romans defeat Mithridates |
58-51 BC BC Gallic War | |||
58 BC Chr. | Battle of Bibracte | France | Romans defeat Helveten and Rauracher |
58 BC Chr. | Battle of Alsace | Alsace | Caesar defeats Ariovistus |
57 BC Chr. | Battle of the Sambre | Belgium | Caesar defeats Belger |
52 BC Chr. | Battle of Lutetia | France | Labienus defeats Gauls |
52 BC BC, September | Battle for Alesia | France | Caesar finally defeats the Gauls |
54-53 BC BC Parthian War | |||
53 BC Chr. | Battle of Carrhae | Mesopotamia | Parthians defeat the Romans |
133-30 BC BC Roman civil wars | |||
82 BC Chr. | Battle of the Collin Gate | Italy | Sulla defeats the Marians |
62 BC Chr. | Battle of Pistoria | Northern Italy | Senate army destroys Catiline and his followers |
48 BC BC, July 10th | Battle of Dyrrhachium | Albania | Pompey defeats Caesar |
48 BC BC, August | Battle of the Bagradas | North africa | Pompeians defeat Caesar's army |
48 BC Chr. | Battle of Pharsalus | Greece | Caesar defeats Pompey |
47 BC Chr. | Battle of the Nile | Egypt | Caesar defeats Egypt |
47 BC Chr. | Battle of Zela | Asia Minor | Caesar defeats Pharnakes |
46 BC Chr. | Battle of Thapsus | North africa | Caesar defeats the Pompeians |
45 BC Chr. | Battle of Munda | Spain | Caesar defeats the Pompeians |
43 BC BC, April 14th or 15th | Battle of Forum Gallorum | Northern Italy | Aulus Hirtius defeats Mark Antony |
43 BC BC, April 21 | Battle of Mutina | Northern Italy | Aulus Hirtius and Octavian defeat Mark Antony |
42 BC Chr. | Battle of Philippi | Macedonia | Mark Antony and Octavian defeat Cassius and Brutus |
31 BC Chr. | Battle of Actium | Greece | Octavian defeats Mark Antony |
Roman Imperial Era
- 9, autumn, battle in the Teutoburg Forest (Northern Germany), Teutons defeat Romans
- 15, Battle of Caecina (Northern Germany), Germans defeat the Romans
- 16, Battle of Idistaviso (Northern Germany), Romans defeat Teutons
- 16, Battle of the Angrivarian Wall (Northern Germany), Romans defeat Teutons
- 18, Marcomannic battle (Bohemia?), Cherusker against Marcomanni
- 61, Battle of Watling Street (England), Romans beat Iceni and Trinovants during the Boudicca uprising
- 69, April 14, First Battle of Bedriacum , Vitellius defeats Otho
- 69, October 24, Battle of Cremona (also called Second Battle of Bedriacum), Vespasian defeats Vitellius
- 83/84, Battle of Mons Graupius (Scotland), Romans defeat Caledonians
- 89, First Battle of Tapae (Romania), Romans defeat Dacians
- 101/102, Battle of Hulpe (Romania), Romans defeat Dacians
- 115, Battle of the Tigris (Mesopotamia), Romans defeat Parthians
- 132-135 Bar Kochba uprising (Palestine), Romans defeat Jewish rebels
- 163, Battle of Dura Europos (Syria), Romans defeat Parthians
- 175, Battle of the Danube (Austria), Romans defeat Jazygen
- 193, Second Battle of Issus (Syria), Roman Civil War
- 197, Battle of Lugdunum (France), Roman Civil War
- 217, Battle of Nisibis (Syria), tie between Parthians and Romans
- 235, Harzhorn event (Germany), Romans defeat Teutons
- 242, Battle of Resaina (Syria), Romans defeat Sassanids (see also Roman-Persian Wars )
- 244, February (?) Battle of Mesiche (Mesopotamia), Sassanids defeat Romans
- 251, May, Battle of Terni , Roman Civil War
- June 251, Battle of Abrittus (Bulgaria), Goths defeat Romans
- 260, Battle of Edessa (Syria), Sassanids defeat Romans
- 260, Battle of Augusta Vindelicorum (Augsburg, southern Germany), Romans defeat Juthungen
- 268, Battle of Naissus (Balkans), Romans defeat Goths
- 268, Battle of Lacus Benacus (Lake Garda Italy), Romans defeat Alemanni
- 270, spring, Battle of Placentia (Italy), Alemanni defeat Romans
- 271, Battle of Pavia (Italy), Romans defeat Alemanni
- 272, Battle of Emesa (Syria), Romans defeat Palmyra
Late antiquity
- 297, Battle of Satala , Romans defeat Sassanids
- 312, October 28, Battle of the Milvian Bridge , Rome, Constantine the Great defeats Maxentius
- 313, May 1st, Battle of Tzirallum , near Adrianople, Licinius defeats Maximinus Daia
- 316, Battle of Cibalae , Constantine the Great defeats Licinius
- 316/17, Battle of Mardia , Constantine the Great defeats Licinius
- 324, Battle of Chrysopolis Constantine the Great defeated Licinius for good
- 351, Battle of Mursa , Roman Civil War
- 357, autumn, Battle of Argentoratum (Strasbourg), Romans defeat Alemanni
- 363, Battle of Maranga (Mesopotamia), Romans defeat Sassanids
- 378, Battle of Argentovaria , Romans defeat Lentiens
- 378, August 9, Battle of Adrianople , Goths defeat Romans
- 394, September 6th, Battle of Frigidus (Battle of Aquileia, Slovenia), Theodosius I defeats Eugenius
- 402, Battle of Pollentia (near Turin), Western Rome under Stilicho defeated Visigoths under Alaric
- 402, Battle of Verona , Western Rome under Stilicho defeated Visigoths under Alaric
- 406, Battle of Faesulae (Fiesole near Florence), Westrom under Stilicho defeated Teutons under Radagais
- 436, Battle of Narbonne Westrom under Aetius defeated the Visigoths under Theodoric I.
- 451, September 20th, Battle of the Catalaunian Fields (Gaul), Visigoths and Romans defeat the Huns and the Ostrogoths
- 454, Battle of Nedao (Eastern Europe), Gepids defeat the Huns
- 486, Battle of Soissons (486) (Gaul), Franks defeat Syagrius
- 493, August, Battle of the Ravens (Italy)
- 496, Battle of Zülpich , Franconia defeat the Alamanni
- around 500 Battle of Mons Badonicus , Romano-British and Celts defeat the Anglo-Saxons
- 507, spring, Battle of Vouillé , or of Voulon (south-west central France), Franks defeat Visigoths
- 524, June 21st, Battle of Vézeronce , the Burgundians defeat the Franks
- 530 Battle of Dara , Eastern Romans defeat the Sassanids
- 531, April 19th, Battle of Callinicum , Sassanids defeat Eastern Romans
- 531, Battle of the Unstrut , Franconia defeat the Thuringians
- 532, Battle of Autun , Franks defeat the Burgundians
- 533, September 13th, Battle of Ad Decimum , Ostrom defeats the Vandals
- 533, December 15th, Battle of Tricamarum , Ostrom defeats the Vandals
- 537, Battle of Camlann
- 552, July 1st, Battle of Busta Gallorum , Ostrom defeated the Ostrogoths
- 553, Battle of Mons Lactarius , Ostrom defeats the Ostrogoths
- 554, Battle of Casilinum , Ostrom defeats the Franks and Alemanni
- 575/76, Battle of Melitene , Ostrom defeats the Sassanids
- 586, Battle of Solachon , Ostrom defeated the Sassanids
- 626, July 29th to August 7th, Siege of Constantinople (626) , East Current defeats the Sassanids and Avars
- 627, December 12th, Battle of Nineveh , Ostrom decisively defeats the Sassanids