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    Battle of Thymbra Animation

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    saintkarma1
    1) In 546 BC, Cyrus the Great of Persia faced off against Croesus of Lydia and his larger army on the Plain of Thymbra. 2) Croesus deployed his cavalry on the wings and Egyptian mercenaries in the center, while Cyrus surrounded the Lydian flanks with his own cavalry. 3) Cyrus's cavalry enveloped the Lydian wings, and the Egyptian mercenaries unexpectedly routed. With his army collapsing, Croesus withdrew to the walls of Sardis, which Cyrus then besieged and captured.

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    Battle of Thymbra Animation

    Uploaded by

    saintkarma1
    168 views6 pages
    1) In 546 BC, Cyrus the Great of Persia faced off against Croesus of Lydia and his larger army on the Plain of Thymbra. 2) Croesus deployed his cavalry on the wings and Egyptian mercenaries in the center, while Cyrus surrounded the Lydian flanks with his own cavalry. 3) Cyrus's cavalry enveloped the Lydian wings, and the Egyptian mercenaries unexpectedly routed. With his army collapsing, Croesus withdrew to the walls of Sardis, which Cyrus then besieged and captured.

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    Battle of Thymbra Animation

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    1) In 546 BC, Cyrus the Great of Persia faced off against Croesus of Lydia and his larger army on the Plain of Thymbra. 2) Croesus deployed his cavalry on the wings and Egyptian mercenaries in the center, while Cyrus surrounded the Lydian flanks with his own cavalry. 3) Cyrus's cavalry enveloped the Lydian wings, and the Egyptian mercenaries unexpectedly routed. With his army collapsing, Croesus withdrew to the walls of Sardis, which Cyrus then besieged and captured.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    168 views6 pages

    Battle of Thymbra Animation

    Uploaded by

    saintkarma1
    1) In 546 BC, Cyrus the Great of Persia faced off against Croesus of Lydia and his larger army on the Plain of Thymbra. 2) Croesus deployed his cavalry on the wings and Egyptian mercenaries in the center, while Cyrus surrounded the Lydian flanks with his own cavalry. 3) Cyrus's cavalry enveloped the Lydian wings, and the Egyptian mercenaries unexpectedly routed. With his army collapsing, Croesus withdrew to the walls of Sardis, which Cyrus then besieged and captured.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    of 6

    Thymbra

    [?], 546 BC
    Strategic Context
    In 559 BC, Cyrus deposes Astyages of Media and begins to consolidate his new Persian state which he
    accomplishes by 549 BC when he captures the Median capital of Ecbatana. However, he must confront a
    challenge in the west from Croesus of Lydia who wishes to restore Astyages, his brother-in-law, to the throne.
    Croesus organizes an alliance with Egypt and Babylon, crossing the Halys River to invade Persia in 547 BC.
    Cyrus marches to meet Croesus and a sharp, indecisive battle is fought at Pteria. As Croesus withdraws
    across the Halys into winter quarters and sends many of his mercenaries home but Cyrus does not oblige and
    soon follows Croesus. At first, Croesus does not believe the rumours of Cyrus march through Anatolia but
    must hastily reassemble an army when the Persians approach his capital of Sardis. Though not as
    pronounced as that autumn, Croesus still outnumbers Cyrus when they meet on the Plain of Thymbra.

    Stakes
    + A Lydian victory would put Cyrus in an
    extremely vulnerable position in enemy
    territory.
    + A Persian victory would force Croesus
    inside the walls of his capital where he
    would be besieged and his lands pillaged.

    By Jonathan Webb,

    Thymbra, 546 BC
    Strength
    Lydians

    Persians

    Croesus

    Cyrus the Great

    40,000

    30,000

    Well

    Well
    By Jonathan Webb,

    Croesus
    deploys
    his superb
    Lydian
    cavalry
    onto
    the
    wings,
    his
    Egyptian
    phalanx
    at hiswing
    center
    in a large
    block
    and
    his
    chariots
    ahead.
    He wishes
    to
    The
    Persian
    right
    wing
    cavalry
    begin
    roll
    up
    the
    Lydian
    left
    wing
    as
    chariots
    and
    archers
    shower
    it with
    missiles,
    adding
    to
    its
    Cyrus
    personally
    leads
    his
    right
    rear
    cavalry
    to mercenary
    envelop
    the
    left
    Lydian
    cavalry
    while
    the
    Persian
    left
    Croesus
    The
    Lydian
    Persian
    sweeps
    dismounted
    left
    wing
    around
    cavalry
    cavalry
    the
    Persian
    turns
    fight
    to
    valiantly
    square
    enclose
    with
    but
    the
    their
    his
    Egyptian
    great
    lances
    cavalry
    infantry
    prove
    wings
    unwieldy
    in
    a large
    and
    and
    forges
    ring.
    ineffective;
    The
    aCyrus
    huge
    Egyptian
    they
    gap
    lengthen
    his
    line to further
    envelop
    the
    Persian
    army
    but his Egyptian
    mercenaries
    claim
    they fight
    best
    in such
    a attack
    deep formation.
    deploys his
    disorder.
    Meanwhile,
    the
    Lydian
    right
    wing
    dismounts
    from
    its
    frightened
    horses
    and
    renews
    the
    but
    it
    too
    is
    showered
    rear follow
    his
    lead
    and
    charge
    the
    Lydian
    wing;
    Persian
    camel
    frighten
    the
    Lydian
    horses
    infantry
    in a hollow
    square
    only
    ahis
    few
    men
    deep
    on
    each side
    with archers
    andthe
    missile
    towers
    within
    andcavalry
    some chariots
    in front.
    Hechariots
    keeps
    his cavalry
    and
    between
    rout
    infantry
    soon
    offer
    them
    after
    brief,
    and
    the
    bloody
    Lydian
    center.
    resistance
    left
    wing
    His
    before
    center
    is right
    completely
    surrendering.
    is held
    outflanked
    up
    by Persian
    the
    and
    vanguard
    itself
    routs.
    Persian
    Seeing
    the
    enemy
    which
    with
    missiles
    andwings,
    disordered.
    the center,
    the Egyptian
    phalanx
    shoves
    the
    infantry
    back
    upon riders
    the siege
    towers
    which
    chariots
    on
    theaway.
    rear
    ready to In
    pounce
    onPersian
    the Lydian
    flanks. Cyrus
    personally
    leads
    the
    right rear the
    whileEgyptian
    the left
    features
    onphalanx
    baggage
    camels
    to
    which
    run
    Meanwhile,
    the
    center
    infantry
    rush
    to
    engage
    infantry
    which
    unexpectedly
    rout,
    Cyrus
    charge
    his
    the
    cavalry
    Lydiantochariots,
    attack drive
    the Egyptian
    them from
    infantry
    the field
    phalanx
    and mash
    in the
    intorear,
    his infantry.
    relieving the
    temporarily
    haltleads
    the
    Egyptian
    act
    as cavalry after
    an
    officer
    noticesinfantry.
    that Lydian horses panic at the scent of them.

    is
    advancing
    steadily.
    battered
    Persian
    infantry.
    Lydians

    (Croesus)

    Lydians
    (Croesus)
    40,000

    Persians
    (Cyrus the Great)
    30,000

    Persians
    (Cyrus)

    Thymbra, 546 BC
    Casualties & Aftermath
    Lydians:

    Persians:

    or

    or

    Croesus and much of his army withdrew to the walls of Sardis which Cyrus
    besieged and stormed after two weeks. Out of honour and compassion for Croesus,
    Cyrus granted him a high position in the new Persian Empires court. The conquest
    of Lydia allowed Cyrus to turn east and invade Babylonia in 539 BC, laying the
    foundations for the vast Persian Empire.
    By Jonathan Webb,

    The Art of Battle:


    Animated Battle Maps
    http://www.theartofbattle.com

    By Jonathan Webb,

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