Battle of Myonessus | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Roman–Seleucid War | |||||||
Relief of a Rhodian galley | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Roman Republic Rhodes | Seleucid Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Lucius Aemilius Regillus Eudamus | Polyxenidas | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
80 ships | 89 ships | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
2 ships sunk 1 ship captured |
29 ships sunk 13 ships captured | ||||||
The Battle of Myonessus took place in September 190 BC. It was fought as part of the Roman–Seleucid War, pitting the fleets of the Roman Republic led by Admiral Lucius Aemilius Regillus and its Rhodian allies under Eudamus against a Seleucid fleet of Polyxenidas.
Polyxenidas attacked his adversaries as they were putting to sea between Myonessus and the Corycus peninsula. The Roman–Rhodian fleet withstood the first assault, managing to assume battle formation. Eudamus then led the Rhodian squadron to the right flank of the Romans, thwarting a Seleucid attempt at encirclement and overpowering the Seleucid seaward wing. Polyxenidas withdrew, having lost half of his fleet. The battle cemented Roman control over the Aegean Sea, enabling them to launch an invasion of Seleucid Asia Minor.