Chapter II
The Road to Damaskos?
268 BC – 264 BC

In the 15th year since Ptolemaios II Philadelphos came to the throne of Aigyptos, the First Syrian War, was yet to really kick off. Only one land battle had been fought directly between the Ptolemaioi and their Seleukid rivals (near Side in 270 BC) with the Ptolemaic force victorious against a numerically superior foe. It is widely believed however that the attack on Paraitonion by the Kyrenaioi was financed by Antiochos I, but since there was no Seleukid forces in the battle it cannot be counted as a battle in the war.

Around the same time that Meleagros' second son, Hermias, was born the Karthadastim attacked Kyrene. An enraged Philadelphos sent an emissary to the Karthadastim force attacking the city threatening them with war if they did not return to their own lands. The emissary returned to Alexandria with a guarantee that as long as Ptolemaios counted the Kyrenaioi a friend they would not attack. Things seemed to go back to normal between the two African super-powers however, with retrospect, relations were strained from this point onwards.

In the winter of 268, Admiral Naukrates surprised a group of particularly troublesome pirates in the North Sea and completely decimated their fleet. Taking the leader captive to be drowned in the Nile.

The year of 268 BC was a quiet year for the period with Ptolemaios delaying his renewed campaign to Damaskos in light of recent developments with the Karthadastim.

After making sure that his ultimatum was accepted he resumed his journey to Damaskos this time using his naval superiority of the region to transport his army to Ioudeia where it would be reinforced by 8000 local spearmen. Philadelpos was finally able to besiege Damaskos in the Spring of 266 BC almost five years after he first began his march to the Seleukid town. His second son Lysimachos comes of age around this time and begins further education in Alexandria.

For a full year Ptolemaios camped outside Damaskos unwilling to assault the walls yet unable to draw the garrison out from behind them. The only time Philadelphos left the countryside surrounding Damaskos was in the autumn of that first year when he attended his son Lysimachos' wedding.

By the following Spring the Ptolemaic army was getting restless and Ptolemaios new he would either have to attack soon or else lift the siege and return to Ioudeia. This decision was made for him when his scouts reported a large army almost over 20,000 strong coming to relieve Damaskos. Including the army inside the city which numbered 14,000 he would be outnumbered by 2-1. With another army marching from Antiocheia towards Sidon battling a numerically superior force then marching to fight another army would not be a good strategy. He lifted the siege on Damaskos and marched north to engage the army to the north of Sidon. Surprisingly neither the relief force led by Seron Themisoniou Phrygikou nor the garrison of Damaskos pursued. Once again Phillipos, member of the Pezheiteroi, provides the most credible account of the battle:

“As we marched towards the enemy, Ptolemaios noticed an ideal position to take, close to Mount Lebanon. To engage us the enemy would have to travel up a slight slope with almost no cover, it was also ideal as there was forested areas to the right of our position which we could hide our reserves in.

The next day the army awoke to the news that the enemy would reach us by afternoon. This gave us plenty of time to prepare. The plan was simple let the enemy march in the open ground while our Toxotoi rained arrows upon them, then allow them to exhaust themselves on the points of our Sarissas.

Around midday a rumor spread around the camp that our reinforcements from Sidon would not arrive in time. The Ioudaioi Taxeis, mostly inexperienced men seemed to take this news as a bad omen, but luckily they had very little to ponder this and let their imaginations run wild as the enemy emerged from the forest at the foot of the hill we were positioned on, in the typical style, all the Phalangitai in the There was also a unit of Prodromoi on our left flank, with 800 Ioudaioi Taxeis and 1600 Thureophoroi in the woods on our right. All too soon the enemy came within range of the Toxotoi and the air was filled with burning arrows.



In the centre of the enemy line was a unit of Argyraspides. We may outnumber them but the enemy army's core was made up of these elites. Ptolemaios must have noticed them too for the order was given to direct all fire upon these men. The enemy advanced under fire from our archers who inflicted minimal damage. The Ioudaioi Taxeis in the first line were ordered to fire upon the enemy as soon as they came within range. The man to my left Alexios had disclosed to me at the camp fire the night before that he had some doubt about the loyalty of the Ioudaioi as the enemy had a few thousand of their countrymen in it. His fears were for naught however as a hail of javelins slammed into the enemy Ioudaioi Taxeis.



The enemy general ordered his army to halt just out of reach of our Sarissas, it would seem they were going to try and tease us down the slope. They launched volley after volley at our line but still we stood fast. The man in front of me whose name, to my eternal shame, I cannot recall was hit in the chest by a javelin. Without hesitation I stepped into the space once occupied by him, as he was dragged to the back of the Phalanx.



Seeing that we would not give up the high ground without a fight the enemy advanced once again. My unit and the unit to our left would attempt to halt the enemy Argyraspides, no easy task. The battle in the centre was even for the next few hours until the unthinkable happened. The Argyraspides fearing being flanked broke. Seemingly without shame they turned their banks on our phalanx and ran back the way they came. Leaving their leader alone, surrounded and outnumbered.



The battle soon drew to a close. Fugitives from the enemy army being hunted down well into the night. The battle was a great victory by anyone's standards, hardly any of the Greeks on our side died, the Ioudaioi Taxeis bearing the brunt of the casualties. These men fought well in this battle. For barbaroi.”





With this victory Ptolemaios II had a clear road to Antiocheia, which was left virtually undefended. Many of its garrison lying dead in the hills of Phoenicia. Ptolemaios immediately moved his army towards the western capital of the Arche Seluekia, arriving at the beginning of winter.


Time line of this period:

268 BC

Summer ~ Hermias Ptolemaios, son of Meleagros Ptolemaios is born.

Autumn ~ Kyrene attacked by an army of Karthadastim
~ Sophanes Soter, son of Karpion Soter is born

Winter ~ Admiral Naukrates defeats pirates in the Red Sea

267 BC

Summer ~ Eirene, sister of Ptolemaios II dies
~ Ptolemaios resumes his planned invasion of Damaskos

266 BC

Spring ~ Lysimachos Ptolemaios, son of Ptolemaios II comes of age.
~ Ptolemaios II besieges Damaskos

Summer ~ Pothine, daughter of Leontiskos is born.
~ Kallippos, 3rd son of Meleagros is born

Autumn ~ Lysimachos marries Tasion
~ Deogenis daughter of Karpion Soter born

265 BC

Spring ~ Ptolemaios retreats before a numerically superior Seleukid army, led by Seron Themisoniou Phrygikou.

Summer ~ Philadelphos moves his army north to counter a Seleukid army marching south from
Antiocheia
~ Ptolemaios II defeats a Seleukid army in Phoenicia

Winter ~ Ptolemaios II besieges Antiocheia.


The Known World at the end of 265 BC