The Losses on Each Side
Having secured the final victory by his phalanx, and
killed large numbers of the enemy in the pursuit by means of
his cavalry and mercenaries on his right wing, Ptolemy retired
to his own camp and there spent the night. But next day,
after picking up and burying his own dead, and stripping the
bodies of the enemy, he advanced towards Rhaphia. Antiochus
had wished, immediately after the retreat of his army, to make
a camp outside the city; and there rally such of his men as had
fled in compact bodies: but finding that the greater number
had retreated into the town, he was compelled to enter it himself also. Next morning, however, before daybreak, he led out
the relics of his army and made the best of his way to
Gaza.
There he pitched a camp: and having sent an embassy to
obtain leave to pick up his dead, he obtained a truce for
performing their obsequies.
The losses on either side. |
His loss amounted
to nearly ten thousand infantry and three
hundred cavalry killed, and four thousand taken
prisoners. Three elephants were killed on the field, and two
died afterwards of their wounds. On Ptolemy's side the
losses were fifteen hundred infantry killed and seven hundred
cavalry: sixteen of his elephants were killed, and most of the
others captured.
Such was the result of the battle of Rhaphia between kings
Ptolemy and Antiochus for the possession of
Coele-Syria.
After picking up his dead Antiochus retired with his army
The effect of the battle of Rhaphia. |
to his own country: while Ptolemy took over
Rhaphia and the other towns without difficulty,
all the states vying with each other as to
which should be first to renew their allegiance and come over
to him. And perhaps it is the way of the world everywhere
to accommodate one's self to circumstances at such times; but
it is eminently true of the race inhabiting that country, that they
have a natural turn and inclination to worship success. Moreover it was all the more natural in this case, owing to the
existing disposition of the people in favour of the Alexandrian
kings; for the inhabitants of
Coele-Syria are somehow always
more loyally disposed to this family than to any other. Accordingly they now stopped short of no extravagance of adulation,
honouring Ptolemy with crowns, sacrifices, and every possible
compliment of the kind.
