Battle of Callinicus

Battle of Callinicus
Part of the Third Macedonian War
Date 171 BC Location By a hill called Callinicus near the Roman camp at Tripolis Larisaia, Thessaly Result Macedonian victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Macedon Odrysian kingdom Cretans mixed nationality auxiliaries	Romans Italian allies Thessalian cavalry Aetolians other Greek allies Pergamon
Commanders and leaders
Perseus of Macedon Cotys IV	Licinius Crassus Eumenes II of Pergamon
Casualties and losses
20 Cavalry 40 Infantry	200 Cavalry 2000 Infantry 600 captured

The Battle of Callinicus (Greek: μάχη του Καλλίνικου) was fought in 171 BC between the Kingdom of Macedon and the Roman Republic by a hill called Callinicus, Close to the Roman camp at Tripolis Larisaia, five kilometers north of Larissa, the capital of Thessaly. It was fought during the first year of the Third Macedonian War (171-168 BC). The Macedonians were led by their king, Perseus of Macedon, while the Roman force was led by the consul Publius Licinius Crassus. The Macedonians were supported by Cotys IV, the king of the Odrysian kingdom (the largest state in Thrace) and his forces, by Cretan mercenaries and by auxiliaries of mixed nationalities. The Romans had their Italian allies with them as usual and were supported by some soldiers brought by Eumenes II of Pergamon, a force of Thessalian cavalry and Greek allies. The battle saw the deployment of troops with cavalry intermixed with light infantry. Although the battle was actually inconclusive because Perseus withdrew before it came to a conclusion, it was considered a Macedonian victory because the Romans suffered heavy casualties.

With the outbreak of the war the consul Pulius LIcinius sailed from Italy to Epirus on the west coast of Greece and crossed much of Greece through arduous mountain passes to reach Thessaly. Meanwhile, Perseus ravaged the northern districts of Thessaly, close to the Macedonian border. After he set up his camp, Perseus sent a detachment to ravage the fields of Pherae, in southern Thessaly, hoping to draw the Romans away from their camp. However, the Romans did not respond. Later Perseus was seen near the Roman camp with a detachment at 9 am. A Roman detachment was sent for reconnaissance. The two forces clashed in a drawn battle. The next day and for several days Perseus showed up on the same spot and at the same hour. The Romans did not offer battle and each time he withdrew. As he had failed to draw Roman cavalry units of their camp, Perseus moved his camp a placed it five miles from the Roman camp. Then he marched to the Roman camp with the whole of his cavalry and light infantry at dawn. This caught the Romans by surprise because they were used to seen him at a later time. Perseus lined up his men a mile and a half from the Roman line.

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