List of battles before 601
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List of battles: before 601 - 601-1400 - 1401-1800 - 1801-1900 - 1901-2000 - 2001-current
See also: List of Roman battles
See also: List of Roman battles
Contents |
[edit] Before 500 BC
- c. 2071 BC Magh Ithe, the first recorded (mythological) battle in Ireland (according to Geoffrey Keating).
- c. 1500 BC, Battle of the Ten Kings - king Sudas defeats the invading Puru kings in the Punjab (the battle is both historical and legendary)
- c. 1457 BC Battle of Megiddo - Egyptian forces, led by Thutmose III, rout the Canaanite forces under the King of Kadesh.
- c. 1274 BC Battle of Qadesh - Hittites of king Muwatallis surprises Ramesses II but he turns the tide, result is a draw
- c. 1184 BC Battle of Troy - After the ten-year Trojan War, Troy falls (mixed legendary and historic)
- c. 1100 BC Battle of Mount Gilboa - Israelites and the Philistines, King Saul and his son Jonathan die (biblical, mixed legendary and historic)
- 1046 BC Battle of Muye -Decisive victory of Zhou Dynasty against Shang Dynasty
- 853 BC Battle of Karkar - Indecisive, Assyrian Shalmaneser III faces a military alliance of the king of Damascus and other rulers including Tyre
- 632 BC Battle of Chengpu - Duke Wen of Jin defeats the Chu commander Ziyu, in the biggest battle of the Spring and Autumn Period.
- 612 BC Battle of Nineveh - Medes and Scythians join to sack Nineveh, capital of Assyria
- 609 BC Battle of Megiddo - Necho II of Egypt defeats and kills King Josiah of Judah
- 605 BC Battle of Carchemish - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon begins reign by defeating Necho II of Egypt
- 595 BC Battle of Bi - Spring and Autumn Period
- 588 BC Battle of An - Spring and Autumn Period
- 585 BC Battle of Halys - Thales predicts Eclipse, Lydians vs. Medians
- 575 BC Battle of Yanling - Spring and Autumn Period
- 547 BC Battle of Pteria - Croesus and Cyrus the Great fight to a draw
- 546 BC Battle of Thymbra - Croesus of Lydia is defeated by Cyrus the Great of Persia
- 540 BC Battle of Alalia - Carthaginian and Etruscan fleet defeats Phocaeans
- 539 BC or 538 BC (early October) - Battle of Opis Cyrus the Great defeats Nabonidus (or Belshazzar)
- 506 BC Battle of Bai ju - Forces of Wu under Sun Tzu, defeat the forces of Chu
[edit] 5th century BC
- 499 BC Siege of Naxos (499 BC)
- 498 BC Siege of Sardis (498 BC)
- 498 BC Battle of Ephesus - Persian victory during the Ionian revolt.
- 496 BC Battle of Lake Regillus - A legendary early Roman victory, won over either the Etruscans or the Latins
- 494 BC Battle of Lade - defeat of the Ionian Revolt against Persia
- 490 BC Battle of Marathon August or September. Athens under Miltiades defeat the punitive Persian expedition of Darius I of Persia and Artaphernes, Phidippides dies after running a long distance to tell the Athenians of the victory
- 490 BC Siege of Naxos (490 BC)
- 490 BC Siege of Eretria
- 480 BC -
- August 11 Battle of Thermopylae Persians under Xerxes defeat Spartans under King Leonidas who fight to the last man
- August Battle of Artemisium Persian fleet fights an inconclusive battle with the Greek allied fleet.
- September 23 Battle of Salamis Greek ships under Themistocles and Eurybiades of Sparta defeat Persian fleet in Bay of Eleusis
- Battle of Himera (480 BC) The Carthaginians under Hamilcar are defeated by the Greeks of Sicily, led by Gelo of Syracuse.
- 479 BC -
- August 20 Battle of Plataea End of the Persian invasion of Greece, Mardonius routed by Pausanias, the Spartan commander of the Greek army
- Battle of Mycale Greeks under Leotychidas, King of Sparta, sailed to Asia Minor to attack beached Persian fleet, then destroyed trapped Persian army of 60,000
- Battle of the Cremera - The Carthaginians invade Sicily
- 474 BC Battle of Cumae The Syracusans under Hiero I defeat the Etruscans and end Etruscan expansion in southern Italy.
- 466 BC Battle of the Eurymedon Athenians under Cimon defeat the Persians in a great naval battle.
- 458 BC Battle of Mons Algidus Romans under Cincinnatus defeat the Aequi
- 457 BC -
- Battle of Tanagra The Spartans defeat the Athenians, near Thebes
- Battle of Oenophyta The Athenians defeat the Thebans and take control of Boeotia
- 450 BC Battle of Salamis Athenians under Cimon defeat the Persian fleet.
- 447 BC Battle of Coronea The Athenians are driven from Boeotia
- 446 BC Battle of Corbione
- 435 BC Capture of Fidenae (435 BC)
- 433 BC Battle of Sybota Athenians and Corcyreans fight Corinthians, both claim victory
- 432 BC Battle of Potidaea Athens defeats Sparta, leading to the Peloponnesian War
- 429 BC -
- Battle of Chalcis Chalcidians and their allies defeat Athens
- Battle of Rhium Naval defeat of the peloponesians by Athens
- Battle of Naupactus Phormio defeats the Peloponnesian fleet.
- 427 BC -
- Battle of Mytilene Athens puts down Mytilenian revolt
- Battle of Plataea (427 BC) Sparta besieges and destroys Plataea
- 426 BC -
- Battle of Tanagra Athenians under Nicias defeat Tanagra and Thebes
- Battle of Olpae Athenians under Demosthenes defeat the Spartansin Aetolia
- 425 BC -
- Battle of Pylos Athenians under Demosthenes again defeat the Spartans, this time capturing a Spartan fleet and leaving a Spartan contingent isolated on the island of Sphacteria
- Battle of Sphacteria The Spartans on Sphacteria are captured by an operation led by Demosthenes and Cleon
- 424 BC
- Battle of Megara Athens is defeated at Megara
- Battle of Delium Another Athenian invasion of Boeotia is defeated
- 422 BC Battle of Amphipolis. The Spartans under Brasidas defeat the Athenians under Cleon. Both generals are killed.
- 418 BC Battle of Mantinea The Spartans under King Agis II defeat the Argives, Mantineans, and Athenians.
- 415 BC Battle of Melos Athens invades Melos
- 413 BC Battle of Syracuse The Athenian expedition in Sicily, under Nicias and Demosthenes, is utterly destroyed.
- 411 BC -
- Battle of Eretria Spartans defeat Athenian fleet.
- Battle of Syme Spartans defeat Athenian fleet; Persia is drawn into the Peloponnesian War
- Battle of Cynossema The Athenians under Alcibiades defeat the Spartan fleet.
- 410 BC
- Battle of Cyzicus The Athenian fleet, under the leadership of Alcibiades, destroys the Spartan fleet.
- Battle of Abydos
- 406 BC -
- Battle of Notium The Spartans under Lysander defeat a segment of the Athenian fleet.
- Battle of Mytilene Sparta defeats Athens
- Battle of Arginusae last Athenian victory of Peloponnesian War
- 405 BC Battle of Aegospotami last battle in Peloponnesian War, navy of Athens, under Conon is destroyed by Lysander
- 401 BC Battle of Cunaxa Cyrus the Younger revolts against Artaxerxes II of Persia with help of ten thousand Greek mercenaries, including Xenophon, but is defeated
[edit] 4th century BC
- 396 BC Battle of Veii Romans complete conquest of Etruscans
- 396 BC Siege of Rhegium Dionysius of Syracuse conquers the city and sells the inhabitants into slavery.
- 395 BC Battle of Haliartus The Spartan general Lysander is killed in a Spartan defeat to the Thebans
- 394 BC -
- Battle of Nemea Spartans defeat the Thebans Athenians Argives and Corinthians.
- Battle of Cnidus The Spartan fleet under Peisander is utterly destroyed by the Persian-Athenian fleet of Conon
- Battle of Coronea King Agesilaus II of Sparta defeats the Thebans.
- 391 BC Battle of Lechaeum
- 390 BC Battle of the Allia The Gauls defeat the Romans, leading to the Gallic sack of Rome
- 389 BC Battle of the Elleporus Dionysius of Syracuse defeats the Italiote League, securing his domination of Greek Southern Italy.
- 376 BC Battle of Naxos The Athenians under Chabrias defeat the Spartans at sea.
- 375 BC Battle of Tegyra
- 371 BC July Battle of Leuctra Spartans under king Cleombrotus lose to the Thebans under Epaminondas - Cleombrotus is killed. This ends the period of Spartan domination of Greece
- 364 BC Battle of Cynoscephalae The Thebans under Pelopidas fight a drawn battle with Alexander of Pherae in Thessaly. Pelopidas is killed
- 362 BC Battle of Mantinea The Thebans and their allies, under Epaminondas, defeat the Spartans and Athenians, but Epaminondas himself is killed, ending the brief period of Theban domination
- 353 BC -
- Battle of Volo Philip II of Macedon defeats the Phocians in the Third Sacred War
- Battle of Guiling
- 342 BC Battle of Mount Gaurus Roman general Marcus Valerius Corvus defeats the Samnites
- 340 BC Battle of the Crimissus Timoleon defeats the Carthaginian invaders of Sicily
- 340 BC Siege of Byzantium by Philip II of Macedonia
- 339 BC - Battle of Vesuvius - Romans under P. Decius Mus and T. Manlius Imperiosus defeat the rebellious Latins.
- 338 BC -
- August 2 Battle of Chaeronea Philip of Macedon crushes Athens and Thebes in their struggle to maintain their independence
- Battle of Trifanum Roman general T. Manlius Imperiosus decisively defeats the Latins.
- 334 BC Battle of the Granicus - Alexander the Great defeats the Persian army in Western Asia Minor
- 333 BC Battle of Issus - Alexander the Great defeats the main Persian army under King Darius III in northern Syria.
- 332 BC Siege of Tyre Alexander the Great besieges the city.
- 331 BC -
- Battle of Pandosia Alexander of Epirus, the uncle of Alexander the Great, is defeated and killed in Italy by the Samnites.
- Battle of Megalopolis Antipater, Alexander's regent in Macedon and Greece, defeats the Spartans under King Agis III
- Battle of Gaugamela October 1 Alexander the Great defeats Darius III in Mesopotamia and conquers Persia
- 327 BC Capture of Neapolis
- 326 BC Battle of the Hydaspes Alexander defeats the Indian King Porus
- 322 BCBattle of Crannon Lamian War
- 321 BC Battle of the Caudine Forks The Romans under Spurius Postumius and T. Verturius Calvinus are defeated by the Samnites under Gaius Pontius.
- 317 BC Battle of Paraitacene Antigonus Monophthalmus vs. Eumenes
- 316 BC
- Battle of Lautulae The Romans are defeated by the Samnites.
- Battle of Gabiene Antigonus Monophthalmus vs. Eumenes
- 312 BC Battle of Gaza Ptolemy I of Egypt vs. Demetrius I Poliorcetes
- 311 BC Battle of Himera The Carthaginian general Hamilcar defeats the tyrant Agathocles of Syracuse, which is then besieged.
- 310 BC Battle of Lake Vadimo The Romans defeat the Etruscans.
- 306 BC Battle of Salamis in Cyprus (306 BC) Demetrius I Poliorcetes defeats the fleet of Menelaeus, brother of Ptolemy I
- 305 BC Battle of Bovianum The Roman consuls M. Fulvius and L. Postumius decisiviely defeat the Samnites to end the Second Samnite War.
- 301 BC Battle of Ipsus Antigonus Monophthalmus is defeated and killed by Seleucus and Lysimachus
[edit] 3rd century BC
- 298 BC Battle of Camerinum - The Samnites defeat the Romans under Lucius Cornelius Scipio in the first battle of the Third Samnite War.
- 295 BC Battle of Sentinum - The Romans under Fabius Rullianus and Publius Decimus Mus defeat the Samnites and their Etruscan and Gallic allies, forcing the Etruscans, Gauls, and Umbrians to make peace
- 293 BC Battle of Aquilonia - The Romans decisively defeat the Samnites.
- 285 BC Battle of Arretium A Roman army under Lucius Caecilius is destroyed by the Gauls
- 283 BC Battle of Lake Vadimo A Roman army under P. Cornelius Dolabello defeats the Etruscans and Gauls.
- 282 BC Battle of Populonia Etruscan resistance to Roman domination of Italy is finally crushed.
- 281 BC Battle of Corupedium - Last battle in the wars of the Diadochi. Seleucus defeats and kills Lysimachus.
- 280 BC Battle of Heraclea First engagement of Roman and Greek armies, the latter led by Pyrrhus of Epirus, who is victorious.
- 279 BC Battle of Asculum - Pyrrhus again defeats the Romans, at a great cost.
- 275 BC Battle of Beneventum - Pyrrhus fights Rome one last time in this inconclusive draw, but elects to leave Italy afterwards.
- 269 BC - Battle of Yanyu
- 262 BC Battle of Agrigentum - Carthaginian forces under Hannibal Gisco and Hanno are defeated by the Romans, giving them control of most of Sicily.
- 260 BC -
- Battle of Changping Maybe the most bloody battle.Army of Qin under Bai Qi routed army of Zhao and massacred 500,000 prisoners of war. Military superiority of Qin over all other states of China. Unification became a matter of time.
- Battle of the Lipara Islands - A Roman naval force is defeated by the Carthaginians
- Battle of Mylae - A Roman naval force under C. Duillius defeats the Carthaginian fleet, giving Rome control of the western Mediterranean.
- 258 BC -
- Battle of Cos Naval victory of Antigonus II Gonatas over Ptolemy II
- Battle of Sulci Minor Roman naval victory during First Punic War.
- 257 BC - Battle of Tyndaris Sicilian town captured by Rome.
- 256 BC -
- Battle of Cape Ecnomus A Carthaginian fleet under Hamilcar and Hanno is defeated in an attempt to stop a Roman invasion of Africa by Marcus Atilius Regulus.
- Battle of Adys The Romans under Regulus defeat the Carthaginians in North Africa
- 255 BC Battle of Tunes The Carthaginians under Xanthippus, a Greek mercenary, defeat the Romans under Regulus, who is captured.
- 251 BC Battle of Panormus - Carthaginian forces under Hasdrubal are defeated by the Romans under L. Caecilius Metellus.
- 249 BC Battle of Drepana - Carthaginians under Adherbal defeat the fleet of Roman admiral Claudius Pulcher.
- 242 BC Battle of the Aegates Islands Roman sea victory over the Carthaginians, ending the First Punic War
- 241 BC Battle of Suessula
- 238 BC Battle of Utica Rebellious Carthaginian mercenaries are defeated by the loyal troops of Hamilcar Barca
- 225 BC -
- Battle of Faesulae The Romans are defeated by the Gauls of Northern Italy.
- Battle of Telamon The Romans under Aemilius Papus and Caius Atilius Regulus defeat the Gauls.
- 222 BC -
- Battle of Clastidium The Romans under Marcus Claudius Marcellus defeat the Gauls.
- Battle of Sellasia Defeat of Cleomenes III of Sparta by Antigonus Doson of Macedon and the Achaean League
- 218 BC -
- Battle of the Ticinus (November) Hannibal defeats the Romans under Publius Cornelius Scipio the elder in a small cavalry fight.
- Battle of the Trebia Hannibal defeats the Romans under Tiberius Sempronius Longus, who had foolishly attacked.
- 217 BC -
- Battle of Lake Trasimene (April)- In an ambush, Hannibal destroys the Roman army of Gaius Flaminius, who is killed.
- Battle of Raphia June 22 - Antiochus III the Great is defeated by Ptolemy IV
- 216 BC -
- Battle of Cannae August 2 - Hannibal destroys the Roman army of Lucius Aemilius Paulus and Publius Terentius Varro in what is considered one of the great masterpieces of the tactical art.
- First Battle of Nola The Roman general Marcus Claudius Marcellus holds off an attack by Hannibal.
- 215 BC Second Battle of Nola Marcellus again repulses an attack by Hannibal.
- 214 BC Third Battle of Nola Marcellus fights an inconclusive battle with Hannibal.
- 214 BC Battle of Beneventum - Tiberius Gracchus' slave legions defeat Hanno (son of Bomlicar) and, therefore, deny Hannibal his reinforcements.
- 212 BC -
- Siege of Syracuse (212 BC) After two years of siege, Roman general Marcellus finally captures the city, which had rebelled against Rome. Despite Marcellus' orders, Archimedes is killed by Roman soldiers.
- First Battle of Capua Hannibal defeats the consuls Q. Fulvius Flaccus and Appius Claudius, but the Roman army escapes
- Battle of the Silarus Hannibal destroys the army of the Roman praetor M. Centenius Penula.
- Battle of Herdonia Hannibal destroys the Roman army of the praetor Gnaeus Fulvius.
- 211 BC -
- Battle of the Upper Baetis Publius and Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio are killed in battle with the Carthaginians under Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal Barca
- Second Battle of Capua Hannibal is unable to break the Roman siege of the city.
- 210 BC -
- Second Battle of Herdonia Hannibal destroys the Roman army of Fulvius Centumalus, who is killed
- Battle of Numistro Hannibal defeats Marcellus once more
- 209 BC -
- First Battle of Lamia Philip V of Macedon defeats an Aetolian force under Phyrrhias.
- Second Battle of Lamia Philip V of Macedon again defeats Phyrrhias.
- Battle of the Arius Antiochus III defeats the Parthians
- Battle of Asculum Hannibal once again defeats Marcellus, in an indecisive battle
- 208 BC Battle of Baecula The Romans in Spain under P. Cornelius Scipio the Younger defeat Hasdrubal Barca
- 207 BC -
- Battle of Grumentum The Roman general Gaius Claudius Nero fights an indecisive battle with Hannibal, then escapes north to confront Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal Barca, who has invaded Italy
- Battle of Julu - Xiang Yu destroys the main Qin army for control of China
- Battle of the Metaurus - Hasdrubal is defeated and killed by Nero's Roman army.
- Battle of Mantinea Philopoemen of the Achaean League defeats the Spartans under Machanidas, who is killed
- 206 BC Battle of Ilipa Scipio again decisively defeats the remaining Carthaginian forces in Spain.
- 205 BC -
- Battle of Jingxing - Han Xin, with an army of 30,000 levies, defeats a numerically larger army of the Zhao near Jingxing (Jing Gorge)
- Battle of Tao River - Han Xin, positioning his army with a river behind them to make them fight to the death, defeats a Zhao army, killing Chen Yu and capturing Zhao Xie, the Prince of Zhao.
- 204 BC -
- Battle of Crotona - Hannibal fights a drawn battle against the Roman general Sempronius in Southern Italy.
- Battle of Wei River - Han Xin defeats a joint Qi and Western Chu army by building a temporary dam, luring his enemies into the river, and opening the dam to drown them.
- 203 BC Battle of Bagbrades The Romans under Scipio defeat the Carthaginian army of Hasdrubal Gisco and Syphax. Hannibal is sent to return to Africa.
- 202 BC Battle of Zama October 19 - Scipio Africanus Major decisively defeats Hannibal in North Africa, ending the Second Punic War
- 201 BC Battle of Chios Philip V of Macedon is defeated at sea by the Egyptians, Rhodians, and Pergamese
- 200 BC Battle of Cremona Roman forces defeat the Gauls of Cisalpine Gaul
[edit] 2nd century BC
- 198 BC -
- Battle of Panium Antiochus III the Great secures the conquest of Syria and Israel from Egypt with this victory
- Battle of the Aous Roman forces under Titus Quinctius Flamininus defeat the Macedonians under Philip V
- 197 BC Battle of Cynoscephalae Romans under Flamininus decisively defeats Philip in Thessaly
- 194 BC -
- Battle of Mutina Roman victory over the Gauls
- Battle of Gythium With some Roman assistance, Philopoemen of the Achaean League defeats the Spartans under Nabis
- 191 BC Battle of Thermopylae Romans under Manius Acilius Glabrio defeat Antiochus III the Great and force him to evacuate Greece
- 190 BC -
- Battle of the Eurymedon Roman forces under Lucius Aemilius Regillus defeat a Seleucid fleet commanded by Hannibal, fighting his last battle.
- Battle of Myonessus Another Seleucid fleet is defeated by the Romans
- Battle of Magnesia (December) (near Smyrna) Romans under Lucius Cornelius Scipio and his brother Scipio Africanus Major defeat Antiochus III the Great in the decisive victory of the war.
- 171 BC Battle of Callicinus Perseus of Macedon defeats a Roman army under Publius Licinius Crassus.
- 168 BC Battle of Pydna June 22 - Romans under Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus defeat and capture Macedonian King Perseus, ending the Third Macedonian War
- 166 BC -
- Battle of Beth Horon The Jewish rebel leader Judas Maccabaeus defeats the Seleucids.
- Battle of Emmaus Judas Maccabeus again defeats the Seleucids
- 165 BC Battle of Beth Zur Another victory of Judas Maccabaeus over the Seleucids, leading to the recapture of Jerusalem by the rebels
- 164 BC Battle of Beth Zachariah The Seleucid regent Lysias defeats the Jewish rebels
- 161 BC -
- Battle of Adasa In his last victory, Judas Maccabaeus defeats the Seleucid general Nicanor.
- Battle of Elasa Jewish leader Judas Maccabaeus is defeated and killed by the Selucid army of Bacchides
- 148 BC Battle of Pydna - The forces of the Macedonian pretender Andriscus are defeated by the Romans under Quintus Caecilius Metellus in the decisive engagement of the Fourth Macedonian War
- 146 BC -
- Battle of Carthage (c.149 BC) ends - Scipio Africanus Minor captures and destroys Carthage, ending the Third Punic War
- Battle of Corinth - The Romans under Lucius Mummius defeat the Achaean League forces of Critolaus, who is killed. Greece comes under direct Roman rule.
- 145 BC Battle of Antioch Ptolemy VI Philometor defeats the Seleucid usurper Alexander Balas, but is killed in the fighting
- 129 BC Battle of Ecbatana The Seleucid King Antiochus VII Sidetes is defeated and killed by the Parthians under Phraates II, ending any pretense of Seleucid control over Media or Mesopotamia.
- 112 BC Battle of Noreia Cimbrian victory during Cimbrian War.
- 108 BC Battle of the Muthul Roman forces under Caecilius Metellus defeat the forces of Jugurtha of Numidia
- 105 BC Battle of Arausio October 6 - Cimbri inflict a major defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus
- 102 BC Battle of Aquae Sextae The Romans under Gaius Marius defeat Teutons
- 101 BC Battle of Vercellae The Romans under Marius defeat the Cimbri, who are entirely annihilated.
[edit] 1st century BC
- 89 BC -
- Battle of Fucine Lake Roman forces under Lucius Porcius Cato are defeated by the Italian rebels in the Social War
- Battle of Asculum The Roman army of C. Pompeius Strabo decisively defeats the rebels in the Social War.
- 88 BC -
- Battle of the River Amnias Mithridatic forces defeat Nicomedes IV of Bithynia.
- Battle of Mount Scorobas Mithridatic forces under Archelaus defeat the Romans under Manius Aquilius.
- 86 BC -
- Battle of Tenedos Naval victory for Lucius Licinius Lucullus during the First Mithridatic War.
- Battle of Chaeronea The Roman forces of Lucius Cornelius Sulla defeat the Pontic forces of Archelaus in the First Mithridatic War
- 85 BC Battle of Orchomenus Sulla again defeats Archelaus in the decisive battle of the First Mithridatic War.
- 83 BC Battle of Mount Tifata Sulla defeats the popular forces of Caius Norbanus in the First Roman Civil War.
- 82 BC Battle of the Colline Gate (November) - Sulla defeats Samnites allied to the popular party in Rome in the decisive battle of the Civil War.
- 80 BC Battle of the Baetis River Rebel forces under Quintus Sertorius defeat the legal Roman forces of Lucius Fulfidias in Spain.
- 74 BC Battle of Cyzicus Roman forces under Lucius Lucullus defeat the forces of Mithridates VI of Pontus
- 72 BC Battle of Cabira Lucullus again defeats Mithridates, overrunning Pontus
- 69 BC Battle of Tigranocerta Lucullus defeats the army of Tigranes II of Armenia, who was harboring his father-in-law Mithridates VI of Pontus
- 68 BC Battle of Artaxata Lucullus again defeats Tigranes.
- 66 BC Battle of the Lycus Pompey the Great decisively defeats Mithridates VI, effectively ending the Third Mithridatic War
- 62 BC Battle of Pistoria (January) - The forces of the conspirator Catiline are defeated by the loyal Roman armies under Gaius Antonius.
- 58 BC -
- Battle of the Arar (Saone) (June) - Caesar defeats the migrating Helvetii
- Battle of Bibracte (July) - Caesar again defeats the Helvetii, this time decisively.
- September Caesar decisively defeats the forces of the Germanic chieftain Ariovistus near modern Belfort
- 57 BC -
- Battle of the Axona (Aisne) Caesar defeats the forces of the Belgae under King Galba of Suessiones.
- Battle of the Sabis (Sambre) Caesar defeats the Nervii.
- Battle of Octodurus
- 53 BC Battle of Carrhae The Roman Triumvir Crassus is defeated and killed by the Parthians
- 52 BC
- Battle of Gergovia Caesar is defeated by Vercingetorix
- Battle of Alesia Caesar defeats the Gallic rebel Vercingetorix, completing the Roman conquest of Transalpine Gaul.
- 49 BC Battle of the Bagradas River August 24 - Caesar's general Gaius Curio is defeated in North Africa by the Pompeians under Attius Varus and King Juba I of Numidia. Curio commits suicide.
- 48 BC -
- Battle of Dyrrhachium July 10 Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia
- Battle of Pharsalus August 9 Caesar decisively defeats Pompey, who flees to Egypt
- 47 BC -
- February Battle of the Nile Caesar defeats the forces of the Egyptian king Ptolemy XIII
- May Battle of Zela Caesar defeats Pharnaces II of Pontus. This is the battle where he famously said Veni, vidi, vici. (I came, I saw, I conquered.)
- 46 BC -
- Battle of Ruspina January 4 - Caesar loses perhaps as much as a third of his army to Titus Labienus.
- Battle of Thapsus February 6 - Caesar defeats the Pompeian army of Metellus Scipio in North Africa.
- 45 BC Battle of Munda March 17 - In his last victory, Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Gnaeus Pompey the Younger in Spain. Labienus is killed in the battle and the Younger Pompey captured and executed.
- 43 BC -
- Battle of Forum Gallorum April 14 - Antony, besieging Caesar's assassin Decimus Brutus in Mutina, defeats the forces of the consul Pansa, who is killed, but is then immediately defeated by the army of the other consul, Hirtius
- Battle of Mutina April 21 - Antony is again defeated in battle by Hirtius, who is killed. Although Antony fails to capture Mutina, Decimus Brutus is murdered shortly thereafter.
- 42 BC -
- First Battle of Philippi October 3 - The Triumvirs Marc Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's assassins Marcus Brutus and Cassius. Although Brutus defeats Octavian, Antony defeats Cassius, who commits suicide.
- Second Battle of Philippi October 23 - Brutus's army is decisively defeated by Antony and Octavian. Brutus escapes, but commits suicide soon after.
- 40 BC Battle of Perugia Marc Antony's brother Lucius Antonius and his wife Fulvia are defeated by Octavian. Fulvian is exiled.
- 36 BC Battle of Naulochus Octavian's fleet, under the command of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa defeats the forces of the rebel Pompey.
- 31 BC Battle of Actium September 2 - Octavian decisively defeats Antony and Cleopatra in a naval battle near Greece
- 30 BC Battle of Alexandria July 31 - Marc Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian's forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide.
- 11 BC Battle of the Lupia River Roman forces under Augustus's stepson Drusus win a victory in Germany.
[edit] 1st century
- 9 September Battle of the Teutoburg Forest The German leader Arminius defeats the Roman legions of Publius Quinctilius Varus
- 16 Battle of the Weser River Legions under Germanicus defeat German tribes of Arminius
- 24 June Battle of Kunyang After being sieged for 2 months, 9000 insurgents under Liu Xiu defeat 450,000 of Wang Mang's troops, ushering in the fall of Wang Mang and restoration of Han Dynasty.
- 43 Battle of the Medway Claudius and general Aulus Plautius defeat a confederation of British Celtic tribes. Roman invasion of Britain begins.
- 50 Battle of Caer Caradock The British chieftain Caractacus is defeated and captured by the Romans under Ostorius Scapula.
- 61 Battle of Watling Street The uprising of the British queen Boudica against the Romans is defeated by Suetonius Paullinus
- 62 Battle of Rhandeia Romans under Lucius Caesennius Paetus are defeated by a Parthian-Armenian army under King Tiridates of Parthia.
- 69 -
- April 14 Battle of Bedriacum Vitellius, commander of the Rhine armies, defeats Emperor Otho and seizes the throne.
- October 24 Second Battle of Bedriacum Forces under Antonius Primus, the commander of the Danube armies, loyal to Vespasian, defeat the forces of Emperor Vitellius.
- 84 Battle of Mons Graupius. The Romans under Agricola defeat the Caledonians.
- 87 First Battle of Tapae. between Domitian and Dacia
[edit] 2nd century
- 101 - Battle of Tapae - Trajan defeats Decebalus, ending the Dacian Wars.
- 191 - Battle of Jieqiao - Yuan Shao's infantry repulses a cavalry charge by rival warlord Gongsun Zan
- 193 -
- Battle of Cyzicus Septimius Severus, the new Emperor, defeats his eastern rival Pescennius Niger
- Battle of Nicaea Severus again defeats Niger
- 194 Battle of Issus Severus finally defeats Niger.
- 195 Battle of Maigh Mucruimhe - Art mac Cuinn, Irish High King, killed.
- 197 Battle of Lugdunum February 17 Emperor Septimius Severus defeats and kills his rival Clodius Albinus, securing full control over the Empire.
[edit] 3rd century
- 200 Battle of Guan Du - Cao Cao defeats Yuan Shao's numerically superior army and secures domination of the North China plain.
- 208 -
- Battle of Changban - Cao Cao's cavalry catch Liu Bei's forces, disperse his army and capture most of his baggage train.
- Battle of Red Cliffs - War of Three Kingdoms
- 218 Battle of Antioch (218) - Varius Avitus defeats Emperor Macrinus to claim the throne under the name Elagabalus.
- 222 Battle of Yiling - Liu Bei's invasion of Wu is repulsed by Sun Quan's commander Lu Xun.
- 228 Battle of Jieting - Part of the First Northern Expedition.
- 234 Battle of Wuzhang Plains - Part of the Fifth Northern Expedition, Zhuge Liang dies.
- 238 Battle of Carthage - Troops loyal to the Roman Emperor Maximinus Thrax defeat and kill the usurper Gordian II.
- 243 Battle of Resaena Roman forces under Gordian III defeat the Persians under Shapur I. Gordian is murdered before he can exploit his victory.
- 250 Battle of Philippopolis - King Cuiva of the Goths defeats a Roman army.
- 251 Battle of Abrittus The Goths defeat and kill the Roman Emperor Trajan Decius
- 260 Battle of Edessa King Shapur I of Persia defeats and captures the Roman Emperor Valerian
- 268 Battle of Lake Benacus The Romans under Claudius II defeat the Alamanni
- 269 Battle of Naissus Claudius II decisively defeats the Goths, earning the surname Gothicus.
- 271 -
- Battle of Placentia. The Emperor Aurelian is defeated by the Alemanni forces invading Italy
- Battle of Fano Aurelian defeats the Alemanni, who begin to retreat from Italy
- Battle of Pavia Aurelian destroys the retreating Alemanni army.
- Battle of Immae Aurelian defeats the army of Zenobia of Palmyra
- 272 Battle of Emesa Aurelian decisively defeats Zenobia.
- 273 Battle of Chalons Aurelian defeats the Gallic usurper Tetricus, reestablishing central control of the whole empire.
- 285 Battle of the Margus The usurper Diocletian defeats the army of the Emperor Carinus, who is killed.
- 296 Battle of Callinicum The Romans under the Caesar Galerius are defeated by the Persians under Narseh.
- 298 -
- Battle of Lingones The Caesar Constantius Chlorus defeats the Alemanni
- Battle of Vindonissa Constantius again defeats the Alemanni
[edit] 4th century
- 312 -
- Battle of Turin Constantine defeats forces loyal to Maxentius.
- Battle of Verona Constantine again defeats Maxentius.
- October 28 Battle of Milvian Bridge Constantine defeats Maxentius and takes control of Italy.
- 313 Battle of Tzirallum In the eastern part of the Empire, the forces of Licinius defeat Maximinus Daia.
- 314 - October 8 Battle of Cibalae Constantine defeats Licinius
- 316 - Battle of Mardia Constantine again defeats Licinius, who cedes Illyricum to Constantine.
- 324 -
- July 3 Battle of Adrianople Constantine defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium
- July Battle of the Hellespont Flavius Julius Crispus, son of Constantine defeats the naval forces of Licinius
- September 18 Battle of Chrysopolis Constantine decisively defeats Licinius, establishing his sole control over the empire.
- 344 Battle of Singara Emperor Constantius II fights an indecisive battle against the Persian King Shapur II (approximate date)
- 351 Battle of Mursa Major Emperor Constantius II defeats the usurper Magnentius
- 353 Battle of Mons Seleucus Final defeat of Magnentius by Constantius II
- 356 Battle of Reims Caesar Julian is defeated by the Alemanni
- 357 Battle of Strasbourg Julian expels the Alamanni from the Rhineland
- 359 Battle of Amida Sassanids capture Amida from Romans
- 363 May 29 - Battle of Ctesiphon Emperor Julian defeats Shapur II outside the walls of the Persian capital, but is unable to take the city, leading to an ultimate disaster on the retreat back to Roman territory.
- 366 - Battle of Thyatria - The army of the Roman Emperor Valens defeats the usurper Procopius.
- 367 Battle of Solicinium Romans under Emperor Valentinian I defeat yet another Alemanni incursion.
- 373 Battle of the Tanais River The Huns defeat the Alans near the Don, beginning the great period of the Germanic migrations.[citation needed]
- 377 Battle of the Willows Roman troops fight an inconclusive battle against the Goths.
- 378 -
- May, Battle of Argentovaria The Western Emperor Gratianus is victorious over the Alamanni, yet again.
- August 9 Battle of Adrianople The Thervings under Fritigern defeat and kill the Eastern Emperor Valens
- 383 Battle of Feishui - Fu Jiān is defeated by the Jin commander Xie An. The kingdom of the Former Qin collapses shortly thereafter.
- 388 Battle of the Save Emperor Theodosius I defeats the usurper Magnus Maximus.
- 394 Battle of the Frigidus September 6 The Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius I defeats and kills the Pagan usurper Eugenius and his Frankish general Arbogast.
[edit] 5th century
- 402 April 6 Battle of Pollentia Stilicho stymies the Visigoths under Alaric
- 402 June Battle of Verona Stilicho again defeats Alaric, who withdraws from Italy.
- 410 Sack of Rome August 24. The Visigoths under Alaric sack Rome.
- 425 The Roman general Aëtius defeats the Visigoths under Theodoric I.
- 432 Battle of Ravenna The Roman general Aëtius defeats his rival Count Boniface, who is killed.
- 436 Battle of Narbonne Aëtius again defeats the Visigoths under Theodoric I.
- 447 Battle of the Utus Attila the Hun is defeated by the East Romans in an indecisive battle
- 451 Battle of Vartanantz May - Forces of Yazdegerd II annihilate the Armenian army led by Saint Vartan (hence the name of the battle)
- 451 Battle of Chalons June - Forces of the Visigothic king Theodoric I and Romans under Aëtius repulse the attack of Attila the Hun. Theodoric is killed in the battle.
- 452 Sack of Aquileia Aquileia is razed to the ground by the forces of Attila the Hun.
- 454 Battle of Nedao A Germanic alliance under the leadership of the Ostrogoths and the Gepids breaks Hunnic power in Europe
- 456 Battle of Campi Canini Roman General Majorian defeats an Alemanni invasion of Italy.
- 456 Battle of the Urbicas Theodoric II, king the Visigoths defeats the Suevi, and conqueres Spain
- 461 Battle of Cartagena A Vadal fleet surprises and destroys the Roman fleet.
- 486 Battle of Soissons - Clovis I defeated Syagrius and gained the Domain of Soissons.
- 496 Battle of Tolbiac Franks under Clovis I defeat Alamanni
- 500 Battle of Mons Badonicus or Battle of Mynydd Baddon Later connected to King Arthur
[edit] 6th century
- 507 Battle of Vouillé Franks under the lead of Clovis I defeat the Visigoths under Alaric II
- 508 - Battle of Netley - The West Saxons under Cerdic and his son or grandson Cynric defeat a large British force under their king Nudd Lludd
- 524 - Battle of Vézeronce June 25 Burgundians beat Franks.
- 530 Battle of Daraa Justinian's commander Belisarius defeats Persians in his first major battle of the campaign to regain Eastern empire
- c 530 Battle on the Ice? between Eadgils and his uncle king Onela of Sweden with the help of Beowulf. This event appears in several Norse sagas and in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf.
- 533 -
- 13 September Battle of Ad Decimum (or "Battle of Carthage (533)") Belisarius defeats Vandals near Carthage
- 15 December Battle of Ticameron Belisarius defeats again the Vandals near Carthage.
- 537 Battle of Camlann King Arthur killed, perhaps mythical
- 552 -
- Battle of Taginae Narses replaces Belisarius and defeats Ostrogoths under Totila
- Battle of Asfeld Longobards under king Audoin defeat the Gepids
- 553 Battle of Mons Lactarius Narses defeats the Ostrogoths under Teia
- 554 October, Battle of the Volturnus Narses defeats the Franks
- 573 Battle of Arfderydd
- 577 Battle of Deorham West Saxons vs Celts in Wiltshire, England
- 586 Battle of Solachon Byzantine Empire defeats Persia