This Week: Big battles

Posted by Robin Fowler Jun 18, 2006

June 20 - The Roman festival in honor of the god Summanus was held on this day. This lesser-known god of nighttime thunder was the counterpart to the Roman god Jupiter, the god of daytime thunder and head of the Roman Pantheon. On this date, cakes would have been offered to Summanus at his temple at Rome's Circus Maximus.

June 22, 217 B.C. - The Battle of Raphia occurs on this date. This battle was a part of the Syrian wars, fought between Egypt's Ptolemy IV and Antiochus of the Seleucids (a Hellenistic empire that was in power between 323 B.C. to 60 B.C.). Ptolemy was the victor, keeping Syria in Egypt's grasp - for the time being.

June 22, 168 B.C. - The Battle of Pydna occurs on this date. Fought between Rome and the Antigonids (a Macedonian dynasty that had lineage to Alexander the Great. Rome's Legion style of warfare proved far more powerful than the somewhat dated (though revolutionary in its time) Phalanx type of combat, and Rome came away victorious.

June 23, 47 B.C. - Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar is born. Also known as Caesarion, or "little Caesar", he is the son of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.

June 23, 79 AD - Legendary Roman Emperor Vespasian dies. He was the founder of the Flavian dynasty of Emperors, he was known for bringing a certain level of peace to Rome, as well as spearheading the beginning phase of construction of the Flavian Amphitheater, more commonly known as the Colosseum.