Battle of Magnesia

Overview

The Battle of Magnesia took place in either December 190 or January 189 BC. It was fought as part of the Roman–Seleucid War, pitting forces of the Roman Republic led by the consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus and the allied Kingdom of Pergamon under Eumenes II against a Seleucid army of Antiochus III the Great. The two armies initially camped northeast of Magnesia ad Sipylum in Asia Minor, attempting to provoke each other into a battle on favorable terrain for several days.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Magnesia was the decisive engagement of the Roman–Seleucid War, pitting a Roman and Pergamene force of roughly 30,000 against a Seleucid army more than twice its size at approximately 72,000. The scale of the Seleucid defeat was severe: Roman and allied casualties stood at around 5,000, while Seleucid losses reached some 53,000. The disparity in casualties effectively destroyed Antiochus III's capacity to contest Roman power in Asia Minor. The battle confirmed Roman military dominance east of the Aegean and ended Seleucid ambitions in the region, with Antiochus compelled to negotiate on Roman terms. Eumenes II of Pergamum, whose kingdom fought alongside Rome, emerged as a principal beneficiary, reinforcing Pergamene influence in western Anatolia. The engagement stands as a turning point in the Roman–Seleucid War, after which Antiochus III could no longer sustain offensive operations or challenge the Roman-led order taking shape across the eastern Mediterranean.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (5)