Ptolemaic navy

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Ptolemaic navy
Active305-30 BC
CountryPtolemaic Kingdom
BranchNavy
Sizeest: 900-1000 ships distributed
into 4 fleets
Alexandrian Fleet
Aegean Fleet
Nile River Fleet
Red Sea Fleet
EngagementsBattle of Salamis (306 BC)
Battle of Ephesus (258 BC)
Battle of Cos (261/255 BC)
Battle of Andros (246 BC)
Battle of Actium (31 BC)

The Ptolemaic navy was the naval force of the

Nea Paphos (New Paphos) in Cyprus. It operated in the East Mediterranean in the Aegean Sea, the Levantine Sea, but also on the river Nile and in the Red Sea towards the Indian Ocean.[1]

History

There were a number of maritime powers competing across the

Macedon’s 240, and that eventually the Macedonian navy ‘destroyed’ the Athenian fleet in a series of battles in 322 BC.[2] After this the Athenian navy ceased to be an important independent naval force in the Aegean again.[2] The period after the death of Alexander in 320 BC various successors to Alexander were competing with each other for naval supremacy to have an effective naval force in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.[3]

The early Ptolemies focused of developing naval instead of striving to develop a land empire in

Ptolemy I’s major maritime rival in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean was therefore Antigonus I (assisted by his son, Demetrius I of Macedon). The Macedonian king Perdiccas briefly threatened Ptolemy in 321 BC when he sent an army and naval force to invade Egypt, when this operation failed he was assassinated by his officers that fleet was eventually acquired by Antigonus.[2] Antigonus chose not to focus on maritime affairs until 315 BC, after he first campaigned into the former Achaemenid Empire to defeat Eumenes. After this, he returned to the Mediterranean, where a coalition of Ptolemy, Cassander and Lysimachus was preparing to face him.[2]

Antigonus started a gigantic ship-building program, building five

dockyards stating he would soon have a navy of 500 ships, but only 250 of these were actually constructed.[2] However, Ptolemy I had the ascendancy during this period, since Antigonus’ demoralized troops complained that Ptolemy was "dominating the sea". During this period, when Antigonus focused his attention to the Aegean Sea, that was when Ptolemy I also became personally active in the Aegean.[2] In 314 BC that Antigonus made his declaration of ‘freedom for the Greeks,’ intended to scupper the political influence of the other Alexandrian successors in the Aegean. Feeling that his own political interests were being threatened by Antigonus he also issued a similar declaration,[4] and order a naval force of 50 ships be sent to the Peloponnese, under the command of admiral Polycleitus.[5]

In 313 BC,

Syria, as well as spending time organizing Cyprus.[2] Antigonus’ war fleet was active around the Aegean in between 313 and 312 BC, and attacked Miletus. After the peace agreement brokered in 311 BC, Ptolemy I took personal command a Ptolemaic fleet sent on an expedition into the Aegean, the intention may have been to capture the Macedonian throne from Cassander.[2] Ptolemy I succeeded in capturing Andros and Megara, and managed to military garrison both Sicyon and Corinth, after a diplomatic negotiations with Polyperchon. It was during this naval expedition that the future Ptolemy II was born on Cos during this naval expedition, which may have in influenced his own future interest in the maritime affairs.[2]

In 306 BC Antigonus ordered his fleet under his son Demetrius to head to Cyprus for what was to be the decisive naval conflict with Ptolemy, this naval engagement was known as the

Battle of Salamis of 306 BC, that resulted in victory for Antigonid forces.[2] Following the defeat of Ptolemaic navy at Salamis the Ptolemaic Kingdom ceased to be the dominant naval force in the Eastern Mediterranean. In 305 BC the Antigonid navy sent a large fleet of 200 warships and 170 transports on an expedition to capture Rhodes one of Ptolemy’s major allies.[2] Almost ten years following the navy's loss at Salamis the navy was rebuilt and was once again projecting its naval power into the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, taking full control of Cyprus for good.[2]

In 294 BC recorded by Plutarch, Demetrius began construction of a huge shipbuilding program that was to consist of 500 ships built at dockyards in Corinth, Chalcis, Pella and Piraeus.[2] This program was halted when following his seven year reign he lost his throne in 288 BC, at which point Ptolemy I took this chance to return to the matters of Greek affairs by personally commanding an expedition of his Aegean Fleet sent into the Aegean Sea. The expedition succeeded, he gained possession of Cyprus and strategic bases in the Aegean like Andros, the Ptolemaic navy once again became the strongest navy in the Eastern Mediterranean area.[2]

After this, the Ptolemaic navy remained unchallenged for almost 30 years when there followed a number of decisive naval battles in the Aegean during the reign of Ptolemy II. The first was at the Battle of Ephesus involving the Ptolemaic Kingdom and its former ally Rhodes it took place of the coast of Anatolia at Ephesus. The Rhodian fleet was under the command of Agathostratus, whilst the Ptolemaic fleet was commanded by an Athenian admiral called Chremonides resulted in a major defeat for Ptolemaic navy. The outcome of which was the success breaking Ptolemaic dominance in the Aegean Sea.

To ensure the Ptolemaic navy never gained resurgence in the Aegean region, a further engagement, the

Second Syrian War. The battle was fought by the fleets of Ptolemy II and his admiral Patroclus against Antigonus II Gonatas of Macedonia, resulting in another defeat for the Ptolemaic navy, which also led to resurgence of Macedonian naval power in the region.[7]

It was during the

Third Syrian War to confront the forces of Macedonia once again it was defeated and withdrew to Egypt.[8]

For almost the next two hundred years the navy was not involved in any further major conflicts until the

as only force in the entire Mediterranean.

Supreme Commander

Ptolemy IX Soter II, co held two military titles that of Strategoi and Naurarch of the Ptolemaic Fleet.[13]

Name Dates Appointer
Callicrates 270–250 BC
Ptolemy II[14]
Seleucus, son of Bithys 144–ca. 130 BC Ptolemy VIII Euergetes[15]
Crocus ca. 130–124 BC[16][17]
Theodorus, son of Seleucus 123–118 BC[15]
Helenus of Cyrene (1st time) 118–117 BC[15]
Ptolemy IX Soter II
117–116 BC<[15]
Ptolemy X Alexander
116–114 BC[15]
Ptolemy IX Soter II
Helenus of Cyrene (2nd time) 114 BC–106 BC[15]
King Ptolemy IX Soter II
105–88 BC [15] himself
Potamon 105–88 BC[15]
Ptolemy IX Soter II
Chaereas? 88–80 BC
King Ptolemy of Cyprus 80–53 BC [15] himself

Fleet Commanders

Below is a list of post holders holding the title of nauarchos, some of whom were fleet commanders, commanding individual fleets, whilst others were supreme commanders of the navy such as Callicrates.[9]

Name Dates Appointed by Notes/Ref
Polycleitus 313 BC Ptolemy I Soter [5]
Menelaus 322-254 BC
Ptolemy II
[18]
Zenon 286 BC Ptolemy I Soter [19]
Timosthenes 280s-270s BC
Ptolemy II
[20]
Philocles, King of Sidon 260–253 BC
Ptolemy II
[21]
Perigenes 218 BC Ptolemy IV Philopator [22]

Fleets

Alexandrian fleet

The

Ptolemy II possessed a fleet of 336 warships, that were rated according to the number of banks of oars they possessed.[24] Athenaeus records that Ptolemy II had at his disposal more than 4,000 ships that consisted of individual war fleets in addition to transports and ships from allies.[24] The Alexandrian Fleet was said to number about 336 warships, not including those ships stationed elsewhere.[24] The cost of maintaining this fleet would have been enormous.[24]

Aegean fleet

The Aegean fleet was established and headquartered at Thera from the 3rd century BC. This was the main wartime fleet for the entire Aegean Sea and was stationed in the city's harbour. It was disbanded in 145 BC.[25]

Nile River fleet

The Nile Fleet or Royal River fleet was a naval force garrisoned at Alexandria from at least the 3rd century BC.[26] Part of this fleet included a river guard force or police patrol to ensure the free movement of commerce up and down the Nile, which in these times could be dangerous. The Nile fleet was operating until at least 94 BC.[26]

Red Sea fleet

The Red Sea Fleet, was based at

Southern Arabia, India, Sri Lanka and Upper Egypt.[28]

Bases and ports

Ptolemy VIII ascended to the throne in 145 BC he withdrew all Ptolemaic forces from Thera.[33]

# Base/Port Area
1. Alexandria Mediterranean Sea
2. Berenice Troglodytica Red Sea
3. Ephesus Aegean Sea
4. Itanos, Crete[34] Aegean Sea
5. Kom Ombo[35]
Upper Nile
6.
Nea Paphos, Cyprus
Levantine Sea
7. Ptolemais, Phoenicia Levantine Sea
8. Salamis, Cyprus Levantine Sea
9. Samos Aegean Sea
10.
Thera[36]
Aegean Sea

Naval engagements

# battle against date/s part of result
1. Naval expedition against Greece
Sikyon
308 BC
Fourth War of the Diadochi
Won.[37]
2. Battle of Salamis Macedonian navy & Athenian navy 306 BC Fourth War of the Diadochi Loss.[38]
3. Battle of Cos Macedonian navy 261/255 BC
Second Syrian War
Loss.
4. Battle of Ephesus Rhodian navy 258 BC Second or Third Syrian Wars Loss.[39]
5. Battle of Andros Macedonian navy 246 BC
Third Syrian War
Loss.[40]
6. Battle of the Plane Tree Pass Seleucid navy 218 BC
Fourth Syrian War
Undecided[41]
7. Battle of Actium Roman navy 31 BC
Final War of the Roman Republic
Loss.[42]

Footnotes

  1. .
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Robinson, Carlos. Francis. (2019). "Queen Arsinoë II, the Maritime Aphrodite and Early Ptolemaic Ruler Cult". Chapter: Naval Power, the Ptolemies and the Maritime Aphrodite. pp.79-94. A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Philosophy. University of Queensland, Australia.
  3. ^ a b Robinson. pp.79-94.
  4. .
  5. ^ .
  6. ^ Worthington. pp. 118-119.
  7. ^ a b c Rickard, J (6 June 2007), Battle of Cos, 258 BC , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_cos.html
  8. JSTOR 624686
    .
  9. ^ a b Hauben 2013, p. 52.
  10. .
  11. ^ Mavrogiannis, Theodoros. "The Mausoleum of Ptolemy Eupator and the "Tombs of the Kings" at Nea Paphos in the Light of the Portraiture of the Ptolemaic Strategoi from Voni - Kythrea', Ostraka XXV 2016, pp. 119-162". academia.edu. University of Cyprus, Department of History and Archaeology.: 123. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  12. .
  13. ^ Bagnall 1976, p. 47.
  14. .
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bagnall 1976, pp. 45, 47.
  16. ^ T. B. Mitford: "The Hellenistic Inscriptions of Old Paphos," The Annual of the British School at Athens, 56 (1961), p. 28, no. 74. Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum 13.573. Inscriptions de Délos 1528 = OGIS 140.
  17. ^ Bagnall 1976, p. 45.
  18. ^ Sharpe, Samuel (1852). "V". The History of Egypt from the Earliest Times Till the Conquest by the Arabs A. D. 640 by Samuel Sharpe: Vol. 1. London, England: Edward Moxon. p. 206.
  19. ^ Buraselis 2013, p. 106.
  20. .
  21. .
  22. ^ "Polybius • Histories — Book 5. 68". penelope.uchicago.edu. University of Chicago. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  23. .
  24. ^ a b c d Muhs.
  25. .
  26. ^ a b Kruse 2013, pp. 172–185.
  27. .
  28. .
  29. .
  30. ^ "The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, PACHIA AMMOS ("Minoa") Ierapetra district, Crete. , PANTELIMONUL DE SUS, see ULMETUM , PAPHOS or Nea Paphos (Kato Paphos) Cyprus". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Princeton, New Jersey, United States.: Princeton University. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  31. ^ Christodoulou. p.265.
  32. PMID 29561857
    .
  33. ^ a b Public Library of Science (PLOS).
  34. .
  35. .
  36. ^ Constantakopoulou. p.48.
  37. .
  38. .
  39. .
  40. ^ Rickard, J (17 June 2007), Battle of Andros, 246 or 245 B.C., http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_andros.html
  41. ^ Rickard, J (18 June 2007), Battle of the Plane Tree Pass, 218 BC, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_plane_tree_pass.html
  42. .

Bibliography