Battle of Gaza (312 BC)

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Battle of Gaza
Part of the Wars of the Diadochi
Probable depiction of the Battle of Gaza on the Alexander Sarcophagus near Sidon, Lebanon (4th century BC)[1]
Date 312 BC Location Gaza, Macedonian Empire 31°31′N 34°27′E / 31.517°N 34.450°E / 31.517; 34.450 Result Ptolemaic–Seleucid victory
Belligerents
Ptolemies Seleucids	Antigonids
Commanders and leaders
Ptolemy I Soter Seleucus I Nicator	Demetrius Peithon Nearchus Andronicus Philip
Strength
c. 22,000 total 18,000 infantry 4,000 cavalry	c. 17,000 total 12,500 infantry 4,400 cavalry 43 war elephants
Casualties and losses
Unknown	500 killed 8,000 captured
class=notpageimage| Location of the Battle of Gaza.

The Battle of Gaza of 312 BC, was fought between the invading army of Ptolemy I Soter and his ally Seleucus I Nicator and the defending army of Demetrius I of Macedon, son of Antigonus I Monophthalmus. The battle was part of the Third War of the Diadochi and was fought near the city of Gaza.

In late 312 BC, Ptolemy launched an invasion into the Levant from Egypt, he marched with 18,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry along the northern edge of the Sinai Peninsula. Receiving timely intelligence, Demetrius recalled his troops from their winter quarters and concentrated them at Gaza. Demetrius' advisors had apparently told him to avoid a military confrontation with Ptolemy and Seleucus, who had more military experience, but he ignored their advice;^[2] the conflict ended in a decisive defeat for Demetrius, subsequently enabling the absorption of his controlled territory by Ptolemy and Seleucus.