Battle of Magnesia 190 BC

The Battle of Magnesia has remained on our ‘to do’ list for quite some time as our primary obstacle was reconciling the troop strengths for the DBA big battle option. Ancient and modern historians are in conflict to the actual numbers as Livy and Appian quote 70,000 Seleucid which seems high by modern historians against a total of 35-40,000 for Rome and Pergemon. We decided to use the Seleucid Army by Bar Kochva for his detailed analysis of the deployment and battle. Using the figures quoted above, this works out to a ratio of 7:4.

Regarding the strength of the Roman force I am not convinced that this exceeded 35,000 as anyone familiar with Livy’s history of the War with Hannibal are aware that consular armies were relatively fixed at 20 to 25,000 troops. This gives us two Roman legions, two Latin legions, each with its component skirmishers and cavalry. Following the end of the Second Punic War there is little evidence of any reforms that would generate an increase of troop strength for the consular army. For this project we will use the figure quoted above and plus the 10,000 Pergamene troops led by Eumenes.

Historical numbers to elements

Readers who regularly follow this blog are aware of the number of historical refights we have done with unequal sized armies. Most however, seem small incomparison to Magnesia, but we were up for the challenge. Using our ratio of 7:4, Rome/Pergamene would consist of three commands of 12 elements each, For the Seleucid, this produces a total of 63 elements which will be deployed among four commands.  

While researching the army strengths for both sides, I found Luke Ueda-Sarson’s website extremely helpful as he lists the various contingents for a DBM game. Using Livy and Appian as references and the DBM historical scale, this came to 236 elements. Dividing this quantity by four for DBA we arrive at a total close to our original abjective. 

 

Number of Commnads

The decision to organize the Seleucid in four commands is based on the historical account of the battle. The Seleucid engaged Rome successfully on their right while incurring an opposite result on their left and the latter resulted in a cascade of setbacks for the Seleucid army eventually leading to the collapse  of the army. Fielding four commands for the Seleucid felt about right as both wings would have higher pip priority than the two central commands. The following list is tentative as the comporsition of left center and left wing commands may change slightly.  

Composition of the Seleucid army:

Right Wing

1 x Dahae horse archer (LH)

6 x Argyraspides (Pk)
3 x Cyrtian and Elymain skirmishers (Ps)
1 x Antiochus (3Kn)
1 x Agema (3Kn)
2 x cataphracts (4Kn)
3 x Mysian archers (3Bw)
17

Right Center

2 x mercenary foot (4Ax)
2 x Galatian (4Wb or 4Bd)
1 x elephant (El)
1 x Philippos (4Pk)
15 x phalanx (4Pk)
21

Left Center

1 x levy skirmishers (Ps)
2 x elephant (El)
6 x Cappadocians and other peltasts (3Ax)
1 x Mercenary foot (4Ax)
1 x Galatian (4Wb or 4Bd)
1 x mixed levies (7Hd)
1 x Seleucus (3Kn)
1 x Companions (3Kn)
2 x cataphracts (4Kn)
17

Left Wing

1 x Zeuxis (3Kn)
1 x Galatian cavalry (Cv)
1 x Tarantine cavalry (LH)
2 x Elymain archers (3Bw)
3 x Cretan, Cyrtian, Tralian skirmishers (Ps)
1 x Scythed Chariot (SCh)
9
Total elements = 64


Each Roman command lists both Roman and Allied (Latin) types. This is done for the convenience of players wishing to duplicate the historical deployment of troops. Do note, the totals may be subject to change following our test games.

Roman and Pergemene allies

 

Allied Left Wing

2 x velites (Ps)
2 x Hastatii (4ax)
2 x Princepes (4Bd)
1 x Triarii (Sp)
1 x aliied cavalry (Cv)
Roman Left Wing
1 x velites (Ps)
3 x Hastati, Principes (4Bd)
1 x Triariii (Sp)
1 x Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (Cv)
14

Roman Right Wing

1 x velites (Ps)
3 x Hastati, Principes (4Bd)
1 x Triariii (Sp)
1 x Lucius Cornelius Scipio (Cv)
Allied Left Wing
2 x velites (Ps)
2 x Hastatii (4ax)
2 x Princepes (4Bd)
1 x Triarii (Sp)
1 x aliied cavalry (Cv)
14

Pergamene

 

1 x Eumenes (3Kn)

1 x Xystophoroi (3Kn) or Galiatian cavalry (Cv)
1 x thureophoroi (4x)
2 x Achaeon thureophoroi (3Ax)
4 x Peltasts, Cretan, Traillian, Masdyene skirmishers (Ps)
9
Total elements = 37

 

Illustration: Hellenistic bronze plaque, discovered during the German archaeological campaigns in the Acropolis of Pergamum at the end of the 19th century. The piece, which was lost and of which there remained only a pen-and-ink illustration by Alexander Conze (1913), likely depicts the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC. The Roman infantry, the Seleucid phalanx and the Attalid cavalry are shown. – Wiki (public domaain)