Editing List of battles before 301 (section)

==3rd century BC==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! class="unsortable" | Year
! class="unsortable" | Battle
! class="unsortable" | Description
|-
|valign=top|298 BC ||[[Battle of Camerinum]] || The Samnites allied with the Gauls defeat the Romans under [[Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus|Lucius Cornelius Scipio]] in the first battle of the [[Third Samnite War]].
|-
|valign=top|297 BC ||[[Battle of Tifernum]]|| Roman forces defeat the Samnites in Umbria.
|-
|valign=top|295 BC ||[[Battle of Sentinum]]|| The Romans under Fabius Rullianus and Publius Decimus Mus defeat the Samnites and their Etruscan and Gallic allies, forcing the Etruscans, Gauls, and Umbrians to make peace.
|-
|rowspan=2 valign=top|293 BC ||[[Battle of Aquilonia]]|| The Romans decisively defeat the Samnites.
|-
||[[Battle of Yique]]|| [[Qin (state)|Qin]] forces defeat the allied states of [[Wei (state)|Wei]] and [[Han (Warring States)|Han]], leading to Qin's further superiority in China.
|-
|291 BC
|[[Siege of Thebes (292–291 BC)|Siege of Thebes]]
|[[Demetrius I of Macedon|Demetrios I Poliorketes]] takes [[Thebes, Greece|Thebes]].
|-
|287 BC
|[[Siege of Athens (287 BC)|Siege of Athens]]
|[[Demetrius I Poliorcetes|Demetrios I Poliorketes]] unsuccessfully besieges [[Classical Athens|Athens]].
|-
|valign=top|284 BC ||[[Battle of Arretium]] || |A Roman army under Lucius Caecilius is destroyed by the Gauls.
|-
|valign=top|283 BC ||[[Battle of Lake Vadimo (283 BC)|Battle of Lake Vadimo]]|| A Roman army under P. Cornelius Dolabello defeats the Etruscans and Gauls.
|-
|valign=top|282 BC ||[[Battle of Populonia]] || Etruscan resistance to Roman domination of Italy is finally crushed.
|-
|valign=top|281 BC ||[[Battle of Corupedium|Battle of Kurupedion]] || [[Seleucus I Nicator|Seleukos I]] defeats [[Lysimachus|Lysimachos]] who is killed in the fighting.
|-
|valign=top|280 BC ||[[Battle of Heraclea]] || [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhos I]] defeats [[Roman Republic|Romans]] under [[Publius Valerius Laevinus|Publius Valerius Leavinus]].
|-
|rowspan=3 valign=top|279 BC ||[[Battle of Asculum]] || [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhos I]] defeats [[Roman Republic|Romans]] under [[Publius Decius Mus (consul 279 BC)|Publius Decius Mus]].
|-
||[[Battle of Thermopylae (279 BC)|Battle of Thermopylae]] || Invading [[Gaul]]ic forces under [[Brennus (3rd century BC)|Brennus]] defeat a Greek alliance and advance on the Balkans.
|-
||[[Brennus (3rd century BC)|Attack on Delphi]] || Gauls decisively defeated by Greek alliance while trying to sack [[Delphi]]. Brennus commits suicide during the retreat.
|-
| rowspan="2" |278 BC
|[[Siege of Syracuse (278 BC)|Siege of Syracuse]]
|[[Ancient Carthage|Carthaginians]] unsuccessfully besiege [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]].
|-
|[[Siege of Lilybaeum (278 BC)|Siege of Lilybaeum]]
|[[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhos I]] unsuccessfully besieges [[Marsala|Lilybaeum]].
|-
| rowspan="2" |277 BC ||[[Battle of Lysimachia]] || Macedonian Antigonid forces versus Gallic tribes that had settled in the Thracian Chersonese. 
|-
|[[Battle of the Cranita hills]] || [[Samnites]] defeat [[Roman Republic|Romans]] under [[Publius Cornelius Rufinus (consul 290 BC)|Publius Cornelius Rufinus]] and Caius Junius Bubulcus.
|-
|276 BC
|[[Battle of the Strait of Messina]]
|[[Ancient Carthage|Carthaginians]] defeat [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhos I]] at sea.
|-
|valign=top|275 BC ||[[Battle of Beneventum (275 BC)|Battle of Beneventum]] || [[Roman Republic|Romans]] under [[Manius Curius Dentatus]] defeat [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhos I]] who subsequently leaves Italy with most of his army.
|-
|valign=top|274 BC ||[[Battle of the Aous (274 BC)|Battle of the Aous]] || [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhos I]] defeats [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonians]] under [[Antigonus II Gonatas|Antigonos II Gonatas]].
|-
| rowspan="3" |272 BC
|[[Siege of Sparta]]
|[[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhos I]] unsuccessfully besieges [[Sparta]]. 
|-
|[[Battle of Argos]]
|Coalition under [[Antigonus II Gonatas|Antigonos II Gonatas]] defeats [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhos I]] who is killed in the fighting. 
|-
|[[Siege of Taras (272 BC)|Siege of Taras]] 
|[[Roman Republic|Romans]] take [[Taranto|Taras]].
|-
|264 BC
|[[Battle of Messana]]
|Rome defeats Carthage in the first battle of the [[First Punic War]]
|-
|valign=top|262 BC ||[[Battle of Agrigentum]] || Carthaginian forces under Hannibal Gisco and Hanno are defeated by the Romans, giving them control of most of Sicily.
|-
|rowspan=2 valign=top|261 BC ||[[Battle of Cos]] || Naval victory of [[Antigonus II Gonatas]] over [[Ptolemy II]].
|-
|[[Kalinga War|Battle of Kalinga]] || [[Ashoka the Great]] conquers [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]] for the [[Maurya Empire]].
|-
|rowspan=3 valign=top|260 BC ||[[Battle of Changping]]|| Army of Qin under Bai Qi routed army of Zhao and massacred 500,000 prisoners of war. Military superiority of Qin over all other states of China. Unification became a matter of time.
|-
||[[Battle of the Lipara Islands|Battle of Lipara Islands]] || A Roman naval force is defeated by the Carthaginians.
|-
||[[Battle of Mylae]] || A Roman naval force under C. Duillius defeats the Carthaginian fleet, giving Rome control of the western Mediterranean.
|-
|259 BC 
|[[Battle of Thermae]]
|Carthaginian defeat Romans in Sicily
|-
|rowspan=2 valign=top|258 BC || [[Battle of Ephesus (ca. 258 BC)|Battle of Ephesus]] || Rhodians under [[Agathostratus]] defeat a [[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic]] fleet under [[Chremonides]].
|-
|| [[Battle of Sulci]]|| Minor Roman naval victory during [[First Punic War]].
|-
|rowspan=2 valign=top|257 BC || [[Battle of Tyndaris]] || Sicilian town captured by Rome.
|-
|[[Battle of Handan]] ||States of [[Zhao (state)|Zhao]], [[Chu (state)|Chu]], and [[Wei (state)|Wei]] defeat [[Qin (state)|Qin]].
|-
|valign=top|256 BC ||[[Battle of Cape Ecnomus]] || A Carthaginian fleet under Hamilcar and Hanno is defeated in an attempt to stop a Roman invasion of Africa by Marcus Atilius Regulus.
|-
| rowspan="4" |255 BC
|[[Siege of Aspis]]
|Rome takes the city of Aspis in Africa
|-
|[[Battle of Adys]] || The Romans under Regulus defeat the Carthaginians in North Africa.
|-
||[[Battle of Tunis]] || The Carthaginians under [[Xanthippus]], a Greek mercenary, defeat the Romans under [[Regulus]], who is captured.
|-
|[[Battle of Cape Hermaeum]] 
|Romans defeat Carthaginian fleet and successfully evacuate their army from Africa
|-
|valign=top|251 BC ||[[Battle of Panormus]] || Carthaginian forces under [[Hasdrubal the Fair|Hasdrubal]] are defeated by the Romans under L. Caecilius Metellus.
|-
|rowspan="2" |250 BC
|[[Siege of Lilybaeum (250–241 BC)|Siege of Lilybaeum]] ||Rome takes [[Lilybaeum]] after a long siege 
|-
|[[Battle of Panormus]] ||[[Roman Republic|Roman]] army led by Consul [[Lucius Caecilius Metellus (consul 251 BC)|Metellus]] defeats [[Ancient Carthage|Carthaginian]] army led by General [[Hasdrubal, son of Hanno|Hasdrubal]]
|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |249 BC ||[[Battle of Drepana]] || [[Carthage|Carthaginians]] under [[Adherbal (admiral)|Adherbal]] defeat the fleet of Roman admiral [[Publius Claudius Pulcher (consul 249 BC)|Claudius Pulcher]].
|-
|[[Battle of Phintias]]
|Carthage destroys a large Roman navy
|-
|248

BC
|[[Siege of Drepana]]
|Rome besieges [[Drepana]]
|-
|valign=top|246 BC ||[[Battle of Andros (246 BC)|Battle of Andros]] || [[Ptolemy III]] loses the [[Cyclades]] to [[Antigonus II]] of Macedonia.
|-
|valign=top|241 BC ||[[Battle of the Aegates Islands]] || Roman sea victory over the [[Carthage|Carthaginians]], ending the [[First Punic War]]
|-
|valign=top|241 BC ||[[Battle of the Caecus River]] || [[Attalus I]] defeats the [[Galatia]]ns 
|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" |240 BC ||[[Battle of Utica]]|| Rebellious Carthaginian mercenaries defeats the Carthaginian army of [[Hanno II the Great]]
|-
|[[Battle of the Bagradas River (240 BC)|Battle of the Bagradas River]]|| [[Hamilcar]] defeats mercenary troops, making it the first Punic victory in the [[Mercenary Wars]].
|-
|[[Hamilcar's victory with Naravas]] ||Hamilcar again defeats the mercenary forces, this time with the help of the Numidian defector [[Naravas]]
|-
|239 BC
|[[Battle of Ancyra]]|| [[Antiochus Hierax]] defeats [[Seleucus II Callinicus]]
|-
| rowspan="3" |238 BC
|[[Battle of "The Saw"]]
|[[Hamilcar]] defeats a great mercenary army at Tunis.
|-
|[[Battle of Aphrodisium]]|| [[Attalus I]] of [[Pergamon]] defeats [[Antiochus Hierax]] 
|-
|[[Battle of Leptis Parva]]
|Final battle of the Mercenary War
|-
|233 BC||[[Battle of Fei (233 BCE)|Battle of Fei]] ||[[Zhou dynasty|Zhou]] defeat the [[Qin (state)|Qin]]
|-
|231 BC||[[Siege of Medion]]||[[Illyrians]] under [[Agron of Illyria|Agron]] defeat the [[Aetolian League]]
|-
|230 BC||[[Battle of Phoenice]]||Illyrians defeat the Epirotes
|-
| rowspan="4" |229 BC||[[Battle of Paxos]]||Illyrians defeat the Aetolian League and [[Achaean League]]
|-
|[[Battle of the Harpasus]]|| Attalus again defeats Antiochus Hierax and takes over much of [[Anatolia]]
|-
|[[Battle of Epidamnus]]|| Greeks of [[Epirus]] beat back Illyrians.
|-
|[[Siege of Issa]]|| Romans lift Illyrian siege of Greek city of [[Vis (town)|Issa]].
|-
|227 BC
|[[Battle of Mount Lycaeum]]
|[[Cleomenes III]] of Sparta defeats the Achaean League
|-
|r=top|226 BC ||[[Battle of Dyme]]|| [[Sparta]] again defeats the [[Achaean League]] decisively, resulting in a peace treaty.
|-
|rowspan=2 valign=top|225 BC || [[Battle of Faesulae]] || The Romans are defeated by the Gauls of Northern Italy.
|-
||[[Battle of Telamon]] || The Romans under Aemilius Papus and Caius Atilius Regulus defeat the Gauls.
|-
|rowspan=3 valign=top|222 BC ||[[Battle of Clastidium]] || The Romans under [[Marcus Claudius Marcellus]] defeat the Gauls.
|-
|[[Battle of Sellasia]] || Defeat of [[Cleomenes III]] of [[Sparta]] by [[Antigonus Doson]] of [[Macedon]] and the [[Achaean League]].
|-
|[[Battle of Dai]] || [[Qin (state)|Qin]] under [[Qin Shihuang]] defeat the army of and eliminate the [[Zhou dynasty]] in their [[Qin's wars of unification|unification of China]].
|-
| rowspan="2" |219 BC
||[[Illyro-Roman Wars|Siege of Dimallum]] || Romans take city from Illyrians and defeat forces of [[Demetrius of Pharos]].
|-
| [[Siege of Saguntum]] || [[Hannibal]] of Carthage lays siege to the city of [[Saguntum]] in Spain, marking the start of the [[Second Punic War]].
|-
| rowspan="6" |218 BC
||[[Battle of Lilybaeum]] || Roman naval forces under Amellius defeat the Carthaginians, ending their attempts to colonize Sicily.
|-
|[[Capture of Malta (218 BC)|Capture of Malta]]
|Roman forces capture Malta 
|-
||[[Battle of Rhone Crossing]] || [[Hannibal]] defeats the [[Volcae]] Gauls, staying undefeated in his march for Italy.
|-
||[[Battle of the Ticinus]] || November – [[Hannibal]] defeats the Romans under [[Publius Cornelius Scipio (consul 218 BC)|Publius Cornelius Scipio]] the elder in a small cavalry fight.
|-
||[[Battle of the Trebia]]  || [[Hannibal]] defeats the Romans under [[Tiberius Sempronius Longus (consul 218 BCE)|Tiberius Sempronius Longus]], who had foolishly attacked.
|-
||[[Battle of Cissa]]|| Roman forces defeat a Catharginian army under Hanno, controlling the territory north of Ebro river.
|-
|rowspan=5 valign=top|217 BC ||[[Battle of Raphia]] || 22 June – [[Antiochus III the Great]] is defeated by [[Ptolemy IV]].
|-
|| [[Battle of Lake Trasimene]] || 24 June – In an ambush, Hannibal destroys the Roman army of [[Gaius Flaminius (consul 223 BC)|Gaius Flaminius]], who is killed.
|-
||[[Battle of Ebro River]] || Roman naval forces destroy a Carthaginian fleet under [[Himilco]], weakening Carthage's influence in Iberia.
|-
||[[Battle of Ager Falernus]] || [[Hannibal]] defeats Roman forces under [[Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus|Quintus Fabius Maximus]].
|-
||[[Battle of Geronium]] || [[Hannibal]] fights Roman forces in Apulia, resulting in a strategic draw.
|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" |216 BC ||[[Battle of Cannae]] ||  2 August – [[Hannibal]] destroys the Roman army of Lucius Aemilius Paulus and Publius Terentius Varro in what is considered one of the great masterpieces of the tactical art.
|-
|[[Battle of Silva Litana]] 
|Gallic [[Boii]] tribe ambush and destroy a Roman army
|-
||[[First Battle of Nola]] || The Roman general [[Marcus Claudius Marcellus]] holds off an attack by Hannibal.
|-
|rowspan=3 valign=top|215 BC ||[[Battle of Ibera]]|| A Roman army under [[Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus]] and [[Publius Cornelius Scipio (consul 218 BC)|Publius Cornelius Scipio]] destroys Carthaginian forces under [[Hasdrubal (Barcid)|Hasdrubal]].
|-
||[[Second Battle of Nola]] || Marcellus again repulses an attack by Hannibal.
|-
||[[Battle of Decimomannu]]|| Roman forces under Torquatus defeat a Carthaginian army under [[Hasdrubal the Bald]] in Sardinia.
|-
|rowspan=3 valign=top|214 BC ||[[Third Battle of Nola]] || Marcellus fights an inconclusive battle with Hannibal.
|-
||[[Battle of Beneventum (214 BC)|Battle of Beneventum]] || [[Tiberius Gracchus]]' slave legions defeat [[Hanno, son of Bomilcar]] and, therefore, deny [[Hannibal]] his reinforcements.
|-
||[[Siege of Syracuse (214–212 BC)|Siege of Syracuse]] || The Roman general [[Marcus Claudius Marcellus|Marcellus]]' forces being kept at bay by the inventions of [[Archimedes]].
|-
|rowspan=5 valign=top|212 BC ||[[Battle of Tarentum (212 BC)|Battle of Tarentum]] || [[Hannibal]] defeats a Roman army in southern Italy, strengthening his situation in Italy.
|-
||[[Battle of Capua (212 BC)|First Battle of Capua]] || Hannibal defeats the Consuls Q. Fulvius Flaccus and Appius Claudius, but the Roman army escapes.
|-
||[[Battle of Beneventum (212 BC)|Battle of Beneventum]] || [[Quintus Fulvius Flaccus (consul 237 BC)|Quintus Fulvius Flaccus]] defeats Hanno (son of Bomilcar) in Southern Italy.
|-
||[[Battle of the Silarus]] || Hannibal destroys the army of the Roman praetor M. Centenius Penula.
|-
||[[Battle of Herdonia]] || Hannibal destroys the Roman army of the praetor Gnaeus Fulvius.
|-
|rowspan=3 valign=top|211 BC ||[[Battle of the Upper Baetis]] || [[Publius Cornelius Scipio (consul 218 BC)|Publius]] and [[Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus|Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio]] are killed in battle with the Carthaginians under Hannibal's brother [[Hasdrubal Barca]].
|-
||[[Second Battle of Capua]]|| Hannibal is unable to break the Roman siege of the city.
|-
||[[Siege of Sardis (211 BC)]]|| [[Seleucid Empire]] defeats and executes the usurper [[Achaeus (general)|Achaeus]].
|-
|rowspan=2 valign=top|210 BC ||[[Second Battle of Herdonia]] || Hannibal destroys the Roman army of [[Gnaeus Fulvius Centumalus Maximus|Fulvius Centumalus]], who is killed.
|-
||[[Battle of Numistro]] || Hannibal defeats Marcellus once more.
|-
| rowspan="5" valign="top" |209 BC ||[[First Battle of Lamia]] || [[Philip V of Macedon]] defeats an Aetolian force under Phyrrhias.
|-
||[[Second Battle of Lamia]] || Philip V of Macedon again defeats Phyrrhias.
|-
||[[Battle of Canusium|Battle of Asculum]] || Hannibal once again defeats Marcellus, in an indecisive battle.
|-
||[[Battle of Tarentum (209 BC)|Battle of Tarentum]]|| [[Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus|Quintus Fabius Maximus]] defeats Hannibal's forces.
|-
|[[Battle of Mount Labus]]
|[[Seleucid Empire|Seleucids]] defeat and subjugate the [[Parthian Empire|Parthians]] 
|-
|rowspan=3 valign=top|208 BC ||[[Battle of Baecula]] || The Romans in Spain under [[Scipio Africanus Major|P. Cornelius Scipio the Younger]] defeat [[Hasdrubal Barca]].
|-
||[[Siege of Bactra]] || The [[Seleucid Empire]] defeats the [[Greco-Bactria]]ns under [[Euthydemus I|Euthydemus]].
|-
||[[Battle of the Arius]] || Antiochus III defeats the [[Greco-Bactria]]ns.
|-
|rowspan=5 valign=top|207 BC ||[[Battle of Grumentum]] || The Roman general [[Gaius Claudius Nero]] fights an indecisive battle with Hannibal, then escapes north to confront Hannibal's brother [[Hasdrubal Barca]], who has invaded Italy.
|-
||[[Battle of Julu]] || [[Xiang Yu]] destroys the main [[Qin dynasty|Qin]] army for control of China.
|-
||[[Battle of the Metaurus]] || |Hasdrubal is defeated and killed by Nero's Roman army.
|-
||[[Battle of Cartagena (207 BC)|Battle of Cartagena]] || [[Scipio Africanus Major]] destroys the Catharginian city of Cartagena in Iberia.
|-
||[[Battle of Mantinea (207 BC)|Battle of Mantinea]] || [[Philopoemen]] of the [[Achaean League]] defeats the [[Sparta]]ns under [[Machanidas]], who is killed.
|-
|valign=top|206 BC ||[[Battle of Ilipa]] || Scipio again decisively defeats the remaining Carthaginian forces in Spain.
|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" |205 BC ||[[Battle of Pengcheng]] || Chu defeats Han under [[Liu Bang]].
|-
||[[Battle of Anyi]] || Han defeats Wei.
|-
||[[Battle of Jingxing]] || [[Han Xin]], with an army of 30,000 levies, defeats a numerically larger army of the [[Zhao (state)|Zhao]] near [[Jingxing Pass|Jingxing]] ([[Jing Gorge]]), killing [[Chen Yu (Zhao)|Chen Yu]] and capturing [[Zhao Xie]], the Prince of Zhao.
|-
|rowspan=3 valign=top| 204 BC || [[Battle of Crotona]] || Hannibal fights a drawn battle against the Roman general Sempronius in Southern Italy.
|-
||[[Battle of Utica (204 BC)|Battle of Utica]]|| [[Scipio Africanus]] fights the Carthaginians and Numidians, ending in a draw.
|-
||[[Battle of Wei River]] || [[Han Xin]] defeats a joint Qi and Western Chu army by building a temporary dam, luring his enemies into the river, and opening the dam to drown them.
|-
| rowspan="5" valign="top" |203 BC ||[[Battle of Utica (203 BC)|Battle of Utica]] || [[Scipio Africanus|Publius Cornelius Scipio]] decisively defeats Carthage under [[Hasdrubal Gisco|Hasdrubal]].
|-
||[[Battle of the Great Plains]]|| The Romans under Scipio defeat the Carthaginian army of [[Hasdrubal Gisco]] and [[Syphax]]. Hannibal is sent to return to Africa.
|-
||[[Battle of Cirta]]|| Roman forces sack the Numidian capital, decisively defeating Carthage's ally.
|-
||[[Po Valley Raid]]|| Roman forces under Varus and Cethegus defeat [[Mago (Barcid)|Mago]] of Carthage, ending the Second Punic War in Italy.
|-
||[[Battle of Gaixia]]|| The [[Han dynasty|Han]] forces led by [[Liu Bang]], who was later to become Emperor of China, defeats their [[Chu (state)|Chu]] opponents.
|-
| valign="top" |202 BC ||[[Battle of Zama]] || [[Scipio Africanus Major]] decisively defeats [[Hannibal]] in North Africa, ending the [[Second Punic War]].
|-
|rowspan=2 valign=top|201 BC ||[[Battle of Chios (201 BC)|Battle of Chios]] || [[Philip V of Macedon]] is defeated at sea by the Rhodians and Pergamenes.
|-
||[[Battle of Lade (201 BC)|Battle of Lade]] || [[Philip V of Macedon]] defeats Cleonaeus of Rhodes in a naval battle.
|-
|rowspan=3 valign=top|200 BC ||[[Battle of Cremona (200 BC)|Battle of Cremona]] || Roman forces defeat the Gauls of [[Cisalpine Gaul]].
|-
||[[Battle of Baideng]]|| The army of [[Han China]], attempting to conquer the [[Xiongnu]] people living to the north, is defeated and the Chinese Emperor is almost captured.
|-
||[[Battle of Panium]] || [[Antiochus III the Great]] secures the conquest of Syria and Israel from Egypt with this victory.
|}