“A FINE SOLDIER AND SKILFUL TACTICIAN”: THE ELEPHANT VICTORY AND THEODOTAS OF RHODES

The so-called “Elephant Victory”, when the Seleucid army of Antiochus I defeated a huge horde of Celts somewhere in Asia Minor, can be ranked among the most picturesque (the Seleucid elephantry, numbering just 16 animals, vanquished the Celts, hence the battle' name), but at the same time, the most obscure episodes of Hellenistic military history. It is known, in essence, due to only one (and quite controversial) main source, Lucian’s “Zeuxis, or Antiochus” [Zeux. 8-11]. Even the exact dating of this battle remains debatable - its different versions based on other sources (mainly epigraphic) can vary from 270s to 260s BCE. Similarly mysterious remains the figure of King's tactician and advisor Theodotas of Rhodes, who made that crucial proposal to finally use the Seleucid elephantry against the Galatians. The author of the article leans towards the opinion identifying this Theodotas with his namesake, a former mercenary of Thracian King Lysimachus, who, according to Polyaenus, previously yielded the city of Sardes to Seleucus I [IV, 9, 4].