The most important battle of the Diadochi period was fought at the end of 301 BC between Antigonus Monophtalmus ("the one-eyed") and his son Demetrius Poliorcetes ("the besieger") on one side, and a coalition of Seleucus Nicator, Lysimachus and troops of Cassander on the other, at Ipsus in Phrygia. The Antigonid army consisted of 70,000 foot, 10,000 horse and 75 war elephants (1) with Antigonus fighting alongside the phalanx and Demetrius and the young Pyrrhus at the head of the cavalry, while that of his enemies numbered 64,000 foot, 10,500 horse, 400 war elephants and 120 scythe chariots.
When the battle began Demetrios attacked Antiochus, the son of Seleucus, with the cavalry and soundly defeated him. Pursuing the fleeing soldiers too far, however, he was cut off from the main body of the army by the enemy war elephants and could not come to the aid his father. Seleucus' soldiers, upon observing that the phalanx was without cavalry and its flanks were unprotected, surrounded it, and as no help from either Demetrius or Pyrrhus arrived, most of Antigonus' troops deserted him. The others fought fiercely and were utterly crushed; Antigonus himself lost his life, pierced by a cloud of arrows and spears. Demetrius and Pyrrhus with the remaining 5000 foot and 4000 horse managed to quickly reach Ephesus. From there Demetrius sent Pyrrhus as a hostage to Ptolemy and moved to Greece. The victors divided Antigonus' kingdom between themselves - Lysimachus took western Asia Minor and Seleucus received Cappadokia, Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine, Cilicia and Lycia being given to a brother of Cassander.
The importance of the battle of Ipsus lies in that it was the last opportunity for Alexander's empire to be reunited under Antigonus. His defeat meant that the empire would remain divided among the different factions, as neither of the other Diadochi strove to emulate his example.
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(1) The Antigonid Army was composed of the following units: Xystophoroi (Companion Cavalry), allied Greek cavalry, Tarantine light horse, Median or Persian light horse, the phalanx (about a third of these would be pantodapoi, easterners armed and trained in the Macedonian fashion, led by Macedonian officers), mercenary peltasts (these troops would not be using the oval shield, as later Theurophoroi were to do. Smaller circular or the traditional crescent shaped pelte would be used), javelin men or Asiatic archers, war elephants (note that at this early date, crew, usually consisting of two soldiers, rode directly atop the elephant; towers had not yet been introduced).
(2) The images are respectively: coin of Demetrius Poliorcetes, bust of Seleucus Nicator and map of the Hellenistic kingdoms at the eve of the battle of Ipsus.
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