Battle of Thermopylae

Overview

The Battle of Thermopylae took place on 24 April 191 BC. It was fought as part of the Roman–Seleucid War, pitting forces of the Roman Republic led by the consul Manius Acilius Glabrio against a Seleucid-Aetolian army of Antiochus III the Great.

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

Significance

The Battle of Thermopylae, fought on 24 April 191 BC, was a major engagement of the Roman–Seleucid War in which Roman forces under consul Manius Acilius Glabrio confronted the Seleucid-Aetolian army of Antiochus III the Great. The Roman Republic fielded approximately 25,000 troops against a Seleucid force of roughly 12,500. Seleucid casualties reached some 12,000, representing a near-total destruction of Antiochus's engaged force. The scale of those losses significantly degraded Antiochus III's capacity to sustain operations in Greece and undercut the Seleucid-Aetolian coalition that had formed to contest Roman influence in the region. The engagement was a decisive Roman success within the broader campaign that ultimately concluded with the Peace of Apamea in 188 BC, confirming Roman dominance over the Hellenistic east and sharply curtailing Seleucid power west of the Taurus Mountains.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)