Battle of Carchemish
605 BCE · Carchemish, Syria
The Battle of Carchemish was fought in 605 BCE in Carchemish, Syria between Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Medes vs Egypt and the remnants of Assyria; decisive Babylonian victory; Assyria was finished and Egypt lost its hold on Syria.
Battle of Carchemish: quick facts
- Date
- 605 BCE
- Location
- Carchemish, Syria
- Belligerents
- Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Medes vs Egypt and the remnants of Assyria
- Commanders
- Nebuchadnezzar II vs Necho II
- Result
- decisive Babylonian victory; Assyria was finished and Egypt lost its hold on Syria.
- Era
- 🏛️ Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Carchemish?
Crown Prince Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon led his forces against the combined Egyptian army of Pharaoh Necho II and the remnants of the Assyrian Empire at Carchemish on the Euphrates. The Egyptians had marched north to prop up what remained of Assyria as a buffer state against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar's decisive victory destroyed the Assyro-Egyptian alliance and established Babylonian supremacy over the entire Near East, including the Levant.
Did you know?
Nebuchadnezzar had to rush home from Carchemish when his father died, reportedly riding across the desert with a small escort to claim the Babylonian throne before any rivals could act.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Carchemish on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.