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The Greatest Battles of Antiquity

History · 7 battles · ~5 min read · Updated August 2026

By Echoes of Battle

The Greatest Battles of Antiquity, a historic battle painting
At a glance
BattleDateForcesCasualties
1Marathon490 BC~35,000~6,600
2Thermopylae480 BC~127,000~24,000
3Salamis480 BC--
4Gaugamela331 BC~167,000~54,000
5Cannae216 BC~136,000~87,000
6Zama202 BC~93,000~32,500
7Actium31 BC--
Quick answer

What were the greatest battles of the ancient world?

The great battles of antiquity include Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, Gaugamela, Cannae, Zama and Actium, fought between 490 BC and 31 BC. The most decisive were Gaugamela, where Alexander shattered the Persian Empire, Zama, where Scipio beat Hannibal and broke Carthage's power, and Actium, the sea battle that made the first emperor.

In antiquity a battle could end a civilisation in an afternoon. Phalanx and legion, chariot and trireme decided the fate of Greece, Persia, Carthage and Rome. Here are the decisive battles of the ancient world, each told in full.

Marathon, 490 BC. Athens saves itself and the idea of Greece.

Thermopylae, 480 BC. The 300 and a stand that became legend.

Salamis, 480 BC. The narrows where the Persian fleet was broken.

Romantic painting of a crowded sea battle with figures in the clouds above
The Battle of Salamis as imagined by Wilhelm von Kaulbach in 1868, a Romantic and partly allegorical painting of the Greek victory. Maximilianeum, Munich. Public domain

Gaugamela, 331 BC. Alexander shatters the Persian Empire.

Cannae, 216 BC. Hannibal's perfect double envelopment.

Zama, 202 BC. Scipio beats Hannibal and breaks Carthage's power.

Actium, 31 BC. The sea battle that made the first emperor.

Baroque painting of ornate galleys with red banners locked in battle
The Battle of Actium as imagined by Laureys a Castro in 1672, with the ships painted as galleys of his own century. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Public domain

For the Greek story on its own, from the Persian Wars to Alexander, see the greatest battles of ancient Greece, set these battles beside every other era in Battles That Changed the World, or follow Rome's conquest of Gaul at Alesia.

What made an ancient battle decisive

In the ancient world a single afternoon could decide the fate of an empire. Battles were fought at close quarters by citizen soldiers and professional phalanxes, and victory usually went to the side with better discipline, ground and nerve rather than the bigger numbers. That is why encirclements like Cannae and against-the-odds wins like Gaugamela are still studied today.

Battle diagram of the Roman army surrounded by Carthaginian forces beside the Aufidus river
Cannae, 216 BC: Hannibal's cavalry and African infantry close around the Roman army (red) in a double envelopment. Map after the US Military Academy. Public domain

Each battle above has its own full account a click away. To see how these clashes fit the wider sweep of history, read on to the greatest battles of all time, or meet the men who won them in the greatest military commanders in history.

Frequently asked questions

What defined warfare in antiquity?

In antiquity, as this guide frames it, war turned on the phalanx and the legion, the chariot and the trireme, and a single battle could end a civilisation in an afternoon. These clashes decided the fate of Greece, Persia, Carthage and Rome.

Which ancient battles does the guide consider the most decisive?

The guide points to Gaugamela in 331 BC, where Alexander shattered the Persian Empire, Zama in 202 BC, where Scipio beat Hannibal and broke Carthage's power, and Actium in 31 BC, the sea battle that made the first emperor. Each closed an era of the ancient world.

What tactic from antiquity became a model of battlefield genius?

The guide singles out Cannae in 216 BC, where Hannibal executed a perfect double envelopment against Rome. It stands as antiquity's clearest example of destroying a larger army through maneuver.

How did the ancient Greeks turn back the Persian invasions?

According to the guide, Marathon in 490 BC saw Athens save itself and the idea of Greece, while at Salamis in 480 BC the Persian fleet was broken in the narrows. Thermopylae in 480 BC gave the era its most legendary stand.

Which battles does the ancient guide cover?

This guide to the greatest battles of antiquity covers Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, Gaugamela, Cannae, Zama and Actium, seven decisive days spanning 490 BC to 31 BC.

When does ancient warfare begin and end?

Broadly from the first organised armies of the Bronze Age to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. The battles here run from the Greek and Persian wars to the end of the Roman Republic.

Who were the greatest generals of antiquity?

Alexander the Great and Hannibal top most lists, with Scipio Africanus and Julius Caesar close behind. Each has a full profile in our guide to the greatest military commanders.

Relive the battles

Echoes of Battle brings 40 of history's greatest battles to life, scene by scene, with a real-time tactical mode in the works. Join the list to be first when it launches.

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