Sivaram N.

The Syrian War

When the Romans gave the Greek City-States independence it was a direct challenge to King Antiochus who had his own plans in that area. The Romans sent delegates to Antiochus demanding that he not interfere in the Greek City-States. The Aetolians were growing unhappy with the Romans. The situation in Greece was chaotic with the Aetolians fighting the Spartans and the Spartans fighting the Achaean League. The now troublesome Aetolians now tried to take Sparta, Chalcis and Demetrias. The Romans prevented them from taking the first two, but disgruntled Greeks in Demetrias let the Aetolians in. The Aetolians then convinced Antiochus that if he tried to invade Greece. The Greeks would join him an help him against the Romans. Encouraged By the Aetolians Antiochus crossed into Greece at Demetrias with a small force of 10,000 men. When Antiochus reached Greece he realized how he had been lied to by the Aetolians. No Greeks willingly joined him, and the Achaean League declared war on him. The Roman Consul took control of a huge army of mixed nationalities and ended Aetolian aggression and seized control of Thessaly. The Romans then went against Antiochus who was vastly outnumbered. He tried to defeat the Romans using terrain to his advantage, but he was totally defeated by the Roman consul Glabrio. Antiochus fled back to Euphesus, and was later conquered by the Scipions Africanus and Gnaeus. The Scipios lead an experienced Army against Antiochus’s larger but weaker one, and destroyed them totally at Magnesia. At the end of the Syrian War the Roman influence spread even farther into the East.

Antiochus III of Syria

Image courtesy of The illustrate history of the Roman Empire.