Battle of Thymbra

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Thymbra
partof=the Wars of Cyrus the Great


caption=
date=December, 547 BC
place=Thymbra (Modern day Hanaï Tepeh), Lydia
result=Persian victory.
cause=Persian invasion of Lydia
territory=Lydia annexed by Persia.
combatant1=Lydian Empire,
Arabian mercenaries,
Babylonian mercenaries,
Egyptian mercenaries
combatant2=Achaemenid Empire,
Arabian mercenaries
commander1=Croesus of Lydia,
Artacamas of Phrygia,
Aribaeus of Cappadocia,
Aragdus of Arabia,
Gabaedus of Hellespont,
unknown others
commander2=Cyrus the Great,
Arsames of Persia,
Hystaspes of Persia,
Artabazus,
Aglaitadas,
Chrysantas,
Madates,
Megabyzus,
Abradates of Susia†,
Andamyas of Media,
Araspas,
Harpagus,
Rambacas,
Tanaoxares,
Tigranes of Armenia,
Embas,
Artouchas of Hyrcania,
Datamas of Cadusia,
Alceuna,
Rhathines,
Gubaru of Babylonia,
Gadates,
Amorges or Thambradas of Sacia,
Euphratas,
Dauchas
Carduchas,
Artaozus,
Artagerses,
Pharnuchus,
Asiadatus,
Adousius,
unknown others
strength1=100,000+ [Davis, Paul]
420,000, (reserves)?
300 chariots
(Xenophon)
105,000
(Modern consensus)
strength2=30,000 [Campbell, Alexander] to 50,000, [Kindersley, Dorling]
196,000, (reserves)?
300 camel cavalry,
700? chariots
(300 engaged),
5-6 siege towers
(Xenophon)
49,000
(Modern consensus)
casualties1=Heavy
casualties2=Light

The Battle of Thymbra was the decisive battle in the war between Croesus of the Lydian Empire against Cyrus the Great in the last weeks of 547 BC. Cyrus, having pursued Croesus into Lydia following the drawn Battle of Pteria, met the remains of Croesus' partly disbanded army in battle on the plain north of Sardis. Even though Croesus' army was reinforced with many new men, Cyrus utterly defeated it, despite being outnumbered more or less 3:1. This proved decisive, and after the 14 day Siege of Sardis, the city and possibly its king fell, and therefore, in the end Lydia was conquered by the Persians.

The motives

Cyrus's motives were to catch the Lydian king unprepared for battle, but in fact, Croesus had more than double in the number of men to meet Cyrus at Thymbra. The Lydians marched out to meet Cyrus and quickly armed all the reserves there, before their allies were to arrive, which they never came. According to Xenophon, Cyrus had 196,000 men in total, which was composed of 31,000 to ~70,000 Persians. This consisted of 20,000 infantry which may have had archers and slingers, 10,000 elite infantry/ cavalry, which may have been the Persian Immortals, plus 20,000 Peltasts, finally there was the 20,000 Hoplites, which were just the spearmen. All are known to have carried small to large shields, except the archers and slingers. The others were, 42,000 Arabians, Armenians, and finally Medians, which amounted to 126,000 infantry. There was also 300 camel cavalry, 300 chariots, and 5-6 siege towers, which were known to hold 20 men each. It all amounted to 1,000+ men, it was partly because there was one citizen, and one soldier on each chariot. The same historian says Croesus had 420,000 men, which were composed of 60,000 Babylonians, Lydians, and Phrygians, also Cappadocians, plus nations of the Hellespont, which amounted to 300,000 men which also had 60,000 cavalry in them. There was also 120,000 Egyptians, plus 300 chariots, which may have been 500+ men. The numbers of the battle given by Xenophon, even if untrue, are considered within the realm of possibility. But in most cases less than half may have engaged in the actual battle.

The battle

Cyrus deployed his troops with flanks refused in a great square formation. The flanks were covered by chariots, cavlary, and his best infantry and a newly organised camel corp. This improvised camel corp was formed by camels taken from the baggage train, its sole purpose was to disrupt the Lydian cavalry.

As Cyrus expected, the wings of the Lydian army wheeled inward to envelop this novel formation. As the Lydian flanks swung in, gaps appeared at the hinges of the wheeling wings. Disorder was increased by effective overhead fire of the Persian achers and mobile towers, stationed within the square. Cyrus then gave the order to attack, his flank units smashing into Croesus' disorganised wings. Now Cyrus deployed his secret weapon. At Pteria, one of his generals had noticed the way in which Lydian horses had shied at the presence of Persian camels used for transport. Cyrus formed his pack animals into the first camel corps in history and sent them forward.

Catching the smell of the camels, the Lydian horses panicked. Cyrus' forces capitalized on this, focusing ranged fire from the archers and siege towers on the disorganized cavalry. The Lydian cavalry dismounted and attempted to fight on foot, but their lances proved too unwieldy to be effective. The resulting collapse caused the two enveloping flanks of the Lydians to open, and Cyrus and his companion cavalry exploited this, outflanking Croesus, who was forced to retreat with heavy casualties. The result was a rout, the Lydian survivors running for the walls of Sardis. The Egyptians held their ground but eventually surrendered, and Cyrus made terms with them to remain in Anatolia.

Herodotus gives an account of the battle but does not give any numbers. His account of the battle's progress and outcome, however, confirms that of Xenophon.

Aftermath

After the battle all the Lydian lands were annexed by the Persian empire including the Greek cities in Asia Minor, which opened the rising conflict between Greece and Persia. The surviving troops holed up in the nearby city of Sardis, which was captured after a short siege. According to the Greek author Herodotus, Croesus was treated well and in respect after the battle by Cyrus, but this is contradicted by the Nabonidus Chronicle [http://www.livius.org/ct-cz/cyrus_I/babylon02.html] , one of the Babylonian Chronicles (although if the text refers or not to Lydia's king or prince is unclear).

ee also

*Siege of Sardis (546 BC)

Notes

References

*Paul K. Davis (1999). "100 Decisive Battles: From Ancient Times to the Present". Santa Barbara, California. ISBN 1-57607-075-1.
*Alexander Campbell (1830). "The Millennial Harbinger", Vol. I, No. IX.
*Dorling Kindersley (2005). "Grant, R.G Battle, a Visual Journey Through 5000 Years of Combat" pg 19. London, England.

External links

* [http://www.livius.org/a/battlefields/sardes/sardes.html Battle of Sardes] pictures.