Rome's victory at Thermopylae expelled Antiochus III from mainland Greece, decisively shifting the Roman-Seleucid War in Rome's favor.
Key Facts
- Date
- 24 April 191 BC
- Roman commander
- Consul Manius Acilius Glabrio
- Seleucid commander
- Antiochus III the Great
- Flanking force leader
- Marcus Porcius Cato
- Conflict
- Roman–Seleucid War
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Antiochus III of the Seleucid Empire, allied with the Aetolian League, had entered mainland Greece seeking to expand his influence westward. This brought him into direct conflict with the Roman Republic, which moved to confront his army at the strategically narrow pass of Thermopylae, the same terrain that had defined earlier famous battles in Greek history.
On 24 April 191 BC, Roman consul Manius Acilius Glabrio engaged the Seleucid-Aetolian force at the Thermopylae pass. Though the Seleucids initially repulsed Roman frontal assaults, Marcus Porcius Cato led a small force that surprised the Aetolian garrison at Fort Callidromus and outflanked the enemy position. The resulting panic caused the Seleucid ranks to collapse and their army was largely destroyed.
Antiochus III escaped the battlefield with his cavalry and withdrew from mainland Greece shortly afterward. The defeat effectively ended Seleucid ambitions in Greece and pushed the war eastward into Anatolia, where Rome and its allies would continue to press their advantage against the Seleucid Empire in subsequent campaigns.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Manius Acilius Glabrio, Marcus Porcius Cato.
Side B
2 belligerents
Antiochus III the Great.