Pantauchus (late 4th century BC - 3rd century BC),(son of Nicolaus,from Aloros

Aloros

Aloros was a town of Bottiaea, Macedonia on the Thermaic Gulf, at the mouth of Haliacmon river near modern Kapsochori. The birthplace of Ptolemy the regent and Pantauchus the general of Alexander the Great. Not to be confused with the modern city Aloros in Pella Prefecture.- Demographics :...

) was a Macedonian

Ancient Macedonians

The Macedonians originated from inhabitants of the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, in the alluvial plain around the rivers Haliacmon and lower Axios...

 trierarch

Trierarch

Trierarch was the title of officers who commanded a trireme in the classical Greek world. In Athens and a few other states this officer was also required to pay for the outfitting and maintenance of the ship. Trierarchs thus had to be men of considerable means, since the expenses incurred could...

 of Nearchus

Nearchus

Nearchus was one of the officers, a navarch, in the army of Alexander the Great. His celebrated voyage from India to Susa after Alexander's expedition in India is preserved in Arrian's account, the Indica....

's fleet and general during the short reign of Demetrius Poliorcetes

Demetrius I of Macedon

Demetrius I , called Poliorcetes , son of Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Stratonice, was a king of Macedon...

 (294

294 BC

Year 294 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Megellus and Regulus...

 - 288 BC).

He was considered to be the bravest as well as physically the strongest among Demetrius' army commanders. When Demetrius decided to invade Aetolia

Aetolia

Aetolia is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, forming the eastern part of the modern prefecture of Aetolia-Acarnania.-Geography:...

, king Pyrrhus of Epirus

Pyrrhus of Epirus

Pyrrhus or Pyrrhos was a Greek general and statesman of the Hellenistic era. He was king of the Greek tribe of Molossians, of the royal Aeacid house , and later he became king of Epirus and Macedon . He was one of the strongest opponents of early Rome...

 set out to meet him with his army. However, the two armies marched following different directions and did not encounter each other. As a result, Demetrius started pillaging Epirote territory. He had stationed a large proportion of his forces in Aetolia under Pantauchus' orders.

Consequently, Pyrrhus led his troops into battle against Pantauchus. The conflict was remarkable for its intensity and harsh nature, since commanders from both sides displayed great courage and dare. Pantauchus challenged king Pyrrhus himself and soon enough a hard duel began between them. Initially, they used their spears but after a while they engaged in hand to hand combat

Hand to hand combat

Hand-to-hand combat is a lethal or nonlethal physical confrontation between two or more persons at very short range that does not involve the use of firearms or other distance weapons...

with swords. The two men were skillful fighters and Pantauchus struck the Epirote king once but Pyrrhus wounded his opponent in the thigh and along the neck. The Macedonian general was forced to flee and his companions managed to rescue him.

Pyrrhus' legendary personal valor and fighting ability proved crucial for the battle's result, since the Epirotes were greatly inspired by their ruler's example and crushed the enemy phalanx. Several retreating Macedonians were killed and 5,000 were captured.