First Syrian War (Carian War; 280-279)

Statuette of Ptolemy II Philadelphus wearing an elephant's scalp. British museum, London (Britain). Photo Jona Lendering

Ptolemy II Philadelphus (British Museum, London)

Syrian Wars: series of conflicts between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires in the third and second centuries BCE; at stake was an area called Coele Syria, which is more or less identical to modern Israel, the Palestine territories, Lebanon and southern Syria.

First/1
280-279

281, September: Death of Seleucus I Nicator (killed by Ptolemy Keraunos); he is succeeded by his son Antiochus I Soter, who has difficulty to assert himself.
c.280: Ariarathes II and Orontes III of Armenia defeat a Seleucid army led by Amyntas, which means the beginning of independence of Cappadocia.
280-279: Ptolemy II Philadelphus conducts a brief but successful war against Antiochus I Soter. Ptolemy conquers Ionia, Caria, Lycia, Pamphylia, and parts of Cilicia.
When Ptolemy has taken Damascus and discovers that Antiochus is as powerful as his father, an armistice is concluded. Antiochus accepted the defeat because he needed all his energy to organize his father's conquests in what is now Turkey. The first round of the First Syrian War had lasted less than twelve months.
This war is also known as Carian War.

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