Antipus was a Nephite commander appointed over the army in the land of Judea during the war with the Lamanites, around 66 BC. By the time Helaman arrived with two thousand young Ammonite men in the twenty-sixth year, Antipus’s army had been reduced by the Lamanites, who had slain many of his men and taken several cities (Alma 56:9). Antipus rejoiced at the reinforcement, having found his men toiling to fortify the city and worn down in body and spirit from fighting by day and laboring by night (Alma 56:10, 56:16-17).
Antipus and Helaman devised a stratagem to draw the strongest Lamanite army out of the city of Antiparah. Helaman marched his small force past the city as if carrying provisions to a city beyond; when the Lamanites pursued, Antipus followed with part of his army to catch them from behind (Alma 56:30-33). The Lamanites pressed their pursuit of Helaman in a straight course rather than turn and face Antipus (Alma 56:37). Antipus overtook the Lamanites and a battle began, but he fell by the sword along with many of his leaders, worn out by the speed of their march, and his men began to give way (Alma 56:51). When Helaman returned and struck the Lamanites from the rear, the surrounded army surrendered; not one of Helaman’s two thousand had been killed (Alma 56:56). Some of the surviving men of Antipus escorted the Lamanite prisoners to the land of Zarahemla, while the rest joined Helaman’s stripling force and marched back to Judea (Alma 56:57).