Sajun.org
The '''Battle of Raphia''', also known as the '''Battle of Gaza''', was a battle of the
Syrian Wars between
Ptolemy IV of Egypt and
Antiochus III the Great of the
Seleucid kingdom. Fought on
22 June 217 BC near
Gaza. Ptolemy had 70,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and 73
war elephants. Antiochus had 62,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and 103 elephants.
The kings split their elephants between the wings of their army. Each army's right wing defeated the opposing left wing and drove it from the field, leaving the Egyptian
phalanx to defeat the Seleucid infantry. Ptolemy's victory kept the province of Syria for Egyptian but it was only a brief respite; at the
Battle of Paneas in
198 BC Antiochus defeated Ptolemy and captured Palestine and Syria.
