Demetrius I Poliorcetes vs Julian the Apostate

Demetrius commanded the Macedonian fleet to a decisive victory over Ptolemy I's navy off Salamis, Cyprus. He destroyed or captured much of the Ptolemaic fleet, allowing him to conquer Cyprus and establish a base for his father Antigonus I Monophthalmus.

Demetrius Poliorcetes besieged the city of Rhodes with massive siege engines, including the Helepolis, a 130-foot siege tower. After a year-long siege, he failed to capture the city and was forced to withdraw, but his innovative siege techniques earned him the epithet 'Poliorcetes' (Besieger of Cities).

After a period of chaos in Macedon, Demetrius seized the throne and was proclaimed king. He ruled Macedon for seven years, attempting to restore Antigonid power and launch campaigns to reclaim his father's empire in Asia.

After being defeated by Lysimachus and Pyrrhus, Demetrius fled to Asia Minor but was captured by Seleucus I. He was held in honorable captivity in Apamea, where he died three years later from illness and excessive drinking, ending his turbulent career.

While campaigning in Gaul, Julian was proclaimed Augustus by his troops in Paris, rejecting the authority of Emperor Constantius II. This act led to a civil war, but Constantius's death in 361 allowed Julian to become sole emperor without battle.

Julian issued an edict granting freedom of worship to all religions, effectively ending the official persecution of pagans and allowing the restoration of pagan temples. He also recalled Christian bishops exiled by Constantius, aiming to weaken Christianity through internal division.

Julian led a massive invasion of the Sassanid Persian Empire but was mortally wounded during a skirmish near Samarra. His death ended the campaign and led to a humiliating peace treaty with the Persians, ceding territory and marking the failure of his military ambitions.

Julian ordered the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, reversing the earlier Roman ban. The project was abandoned after a series of earthquakes and fires, which Christian sources attributed to divine intervention. This event highlighted Julian's anti-Christian agenda.