Battle of Pteria

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


caption=
date=547 BC
place=Pteria, Cappadocia
casus=Lydian invasion of Pteria.
territory=Pteria part of Anatolia, lost by Media, captured by Persia.
result=Stalemate;
Lydian retreat
combatant1=Lydian Empire,
Babylonian mercenaries,
Arabian mercenaries
combatant2=Achaemenid Empire
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=Unknown¹
strength2=Unknown,¹
20,000 [Eggenberger, David, "An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present", Courier Dover Publications, (1985) p. 386]
casualties1=Heavy²
casualties2=Heavy²
notes=¹ Herodotus states that the Lydian forces "fell very short of the enemy."
² " [...] upon both sides the number of the slain was great; nor had victory declared in favour of either party, [...] "At the Battle of Pteria in 547 BC, the Persian forces of Cyrus the Great fought a drawn battle with the invading Lydian forces of Croesus, forcing Croesus to withdraw back west into his own kingdom.

Background

Formerly, the Lydians and Medes had arranged that the natural boundary between the two empires would be the Halys River. Croesus learned of the sudden Persian uprising and defeat of his long time rivals, the Medes. He attempted to opportunistically use these set of events to expand his borders upon the eastern frontier of Lydia.

The motives

The battle

Concerning the battle however, the Persians reclaimed the land of the Medes in their name. And as Herodotus refers to how the Lydians fell short in defeating the Persians, it seems clear that partly because of the unsuccessful battle, and having less troops than the Persians, it was enough for Croesus to retreat. So it could be counted as a strategic victory for the Persia, for acquiring that land into the newly formed Achaemenid Empire, but if a stalemate too, it would explain the heavy casualties on the Lydians and Persians.

Aftermath

Among historians, the outcome of the battle remains debatable and unclear. Before all of this, and prior to his invasion, Croesus asked the Oracle of Delphi for advice. The Oracle suggested vaguely that, "if King Croesus should cross the Halys River, a great empire would be destroyed." Croesus took these words with delight, instigating a war that would ironically and eventually end not the Persian Empire but terminate his own. This battle was shortly followed by the Battle of Thymbra, which ended in a decisive victory for Cyrus the Great.

Notes

References

*Eggenberger, David, "An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present", Courier Dover Publications, (1985). ISBN 0486249131