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100-726: The civil wars that characterized the later years of the Seleucid Empire had their origins in the defeat of Antiochus III the Great in the Roman–Seleucid War , under which the peace terms ensured that a representative of the Seleucid royal family was held in Rome as a hostage. Initially the future Antiochus IV Epiphanes was held hostage, but with the succession of his brother, Seleucus IV Philopator, in 187 and his apparent breaking of

200-419: A civil war. However, Sidetes was defeated soon after his brother's release and never met him. Phraates II sent people to pursue Demetrius, but he managed to safely return home to Syria and regained his throne and his queen as well. However, the Seleucid kingdom was now but a shadow of its former glory, and Demetrius had a hard time ruling. Notably, his first wife Cleopatra Thea detested her returned husband. He

300-451: A degree of neutrality in the civil war. Meanwhile Jonathan campaigned throughout the southern regions of the Seleucid kingdom. Ascalon submitted to him and he eventually besieged Gaza, it was at this point that Demetrius sent an expedition southward to counter him. The Demetrian army engaged Jonathan at Tell Hazor , south of the sea of Galilee . Jonathan fell into a trap, but his army fled before later rallying southwards. Despite this victory,

400-486: A disappointment. He disliked the Syrians as a people and became distant from his subjects, causing much resentment. Besides this, he attempted to reassert the Seleucid Empire once more as a major power and initiated several disastrous foreign adventures, which would ultimately lead his neighbouring rulers wishing to destabilise or even eliminate Demetrius. The rulers of Egypt, Cappadocia and Pergamon , among others, such as

500-617: A girl from Chalcis, whom he named "Euboea". They had no children. Laodice III may have fallen in disgrace; however, she clearly survived Antiochus III, and appears in Susa in 183 BC. Antiochus III resettled 2000 Jewish families from Babylonia into the Hellenistic Anatolian regions of Lydia and Phrygia . Josephus portrays him as friendly towards the Jews of Jerusalem and cognizant of their loyalty to him (see Antiquities of

600-469: A golden set of dice, thus hinting that Demetrius II was a restless child who needed toys. It was however for political reasons that the Parthians treated Demetrius II kindly. In 130 BC Antiochus Sidetes felt secure enough to march against Parthia, and scored massive initial successes. Now Phraates II made what he thought was a powerful move: he released Demetrius, hoping that the two brothers would start

700-621: A lasting peace but rather promoted competition between the Northern and Southern branches of the House of Seleucus. Tryphaena and Cleopatra IV shared their own rivalry and drove the competing brothers to constant but indecisive Civil War. For example Antiochus XI’s Egyptian army besieged and captured Antioch in 113BC. However Grypus rallied his forces to retake the capital and force the Southern Branch to retreat, during which Cleopatra IV

800-481: A liability for Alexander and so he kept Jonathan in the south, where he could counter the pro-Demetrius strongholds in Palestine – Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ptolemais. Both armies at this point were evenly matched, causing a stalemate. The Demetrian army under Lasthenes was professional and reliable, being composed mainly of mercenaries, but was relatively small and had the ever looming issue of their pay. A large army

900-615: A man called Lasthenes, while Alexander Balas was occupied with a revolt in Cilicia . In 145 BC Ptolemy VI Philometor , king of Egypt, marched with an army into Syria ostensibly in support of Alexander Balas, but he soon switched his support to Demetrius, perhaps after receiving an offer to formalize the Ptolemaic occupation of Coele-Syria . Ptolemy sealed the alliance by divorcing his daughter Cleopatra Thea from Alexander and remarrying her to Demetrius. Shortly after, Antioch surrendered to

1000-517: A man named Alexander II Zabinas , the alleged illegitimate son of Alexander Balas , to fight a civil war against Demetrius, backed by the Ptolemies. The remainder of Demetrius' reign would be spent fighting a slowly losing battle against Alexander II. He retained the loyalty of Coele-Syria and Cilica, but not the capital Antioch. In 126 BC, Demetrius was defeated in a battle at Damascus . He fled to Ptolemais but his wife Cleopatra Thea closed

1100-571: A minister of Antiochus VIII Grypus, Heraklion, attempted to overthrow his benefactor and take his place. He succeeded in slaying Grypus but the crown prince, now Seleucus VI, restored the dynasty and executed Heraklion for treason. Cleopatra V sensing an opportunity to end the Civil War offered a marriage pact between herself and Cyzicenus. This peace overture collapsed as Seleucus VI refused to surrender his birthright. In early 95BC Seleucus meets his uncle in battle. He defeats Antiochus IX, but again,

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1200-504: A rallying point for forces loyal to him, should he fall. It was the former Alexandrian commander and governor of Antioch, Diodotus , who would later convince the Arab leader to hand over custody of the child to him after having started a rebellion in Apamea . In the meantime, Demetrius II Nicator was still young and reliant on his mercenary forces to maintain control. However his rule, feeling

1300-448: A rival to their control of the regency, the former king's ‘Friend’ Philip who had travelled east with him, and attempted to exert control over the Jews led by Judas Maccabeus . Meanwhile, Demetrius in Rome yearned to return to the kingdom, but to Rome they saw the weak rule of the supposedly corrupt regency council and its boy-king as preferable to a strong-willed and energetic-minded ruler who may try to exert Seleucid control once more in

1400-571: A statuette of the goddess of victory Nike which was held in the hand of a Zeus statue, saying "Zeus has given me Victory". Enraged by his impiety the Antiochenes cast Zabinas out of the city. He soon fell into the hands of robbers, who delivered him up to Antiochus, by whom he was put to death, in 122 BC. In 116 BC Antiochus IX , called Cyzicenus for his place of refuge, the son of the celebrated Antiochus Sidetes returned from his exile to reclaim his father’s throne. As Grypus and Cyzicenus were

1500-500: A supposed attempt on his life back in the south. Ptolemy blamed Alexander’s chief minister Ammonius and demanded that Alexander hand him over for punishment, which Alexander refused. Ptolemy, who had been in possession of his daughter Cleopatra Thea from Ptolemais onward, declared their marriage void and offered her to Demetrius. Denied support and with a large enemy force nearby, Alexander fled Antioch and moved north to raise troops. Demetrius and Ptolemy were now allies, and it seemed that

1600-512: A very large army. He was crushed by them; they took him alive and decreed that he and those who would reign after him should pay a heavy tribute and give hostages and surrender some of their best provinces, the countries of India , Media , and Lydia . These they took from him and gave to King Eumenes ." ( 1 Maccabees 8:6-8 ) Demetrius II Nicator Demetrius II ( Ancient Greek : Δημήτριος Β` , Dēmḗtrios B ; died 125 BC), called Nicator ( Ancient Greek : Νικάτωρ , Nikátōr , "Victor"),

1700-678: Is first mentioned in 1 Maccabees 1:10 , when Antiochus IV is introduced as "son of King Antiochus [Antiochus III]". Antiochus III is mentioned later in 1 Maccabees 8 , which describes Judas Maccabeus' knowledge of the deeds of the Roman Republic, including an allusion to the defeat of Antiochus III by the Romans . The NRSV says "They [the Romans] also had defeated Antiochus the Great, king of Asia , who went to fight against them with one hundred twenty elephants and with cavalry and chariots and

1800-588: The Battle of Magnesia . He died three years later on campaign in the east. Antiochus III was a member of the Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty . He was the son of king Seleucus II Callinicus and Laodice II , aunt of Seleucus, and was born around 242 BC near Susa in Persia . He may have initially borne a non-dynastic name (starting with Ly-), according to a Babylonian chronicle. He succeeded, under

1900-702: The Battle of Mount Labus . The Parthian king Arsaces II apparently successfully sued for peace. The year 209 BC saw Antiochus in Bactria , where the Greco-Bactrian king Euthydemus I had supplanted the original rebel. Antiochus again met with success. Euthydemus was defeated by Antiochus at the Battle of the Arius , but after resisting the Seleucid king in the Siege of Bactra , he obtained an honourable peace by which Antiochus promised Euthydemus's son Demetrius

2000-574: The Battle of Panium , near the sources of the Jordan , a battle which marks the end of Ptolemaic rule in Judea . Antiochus then moved to Asia Minor, by land and by sea, to secure the coast towns which belonged to the remnants of Ptolemaic overseas dominions and the independent Greek cities. This enterprise earned him the antagonism of the Roman Republic , since Smyrna and Lampsacus appealed to

2100-593: The Gerrhaeans of the Arabian coast (205 BC/204 BC). Antiochus seemed to have restored the Seleucid empire in the east, which earned him the title of "the Great" (Antiochos Megas). In 205/204 BC the infant Ptolemy V Epiphanes succeeded to the Egyptian throne, and Antiochus is said (notably by Polybius ) to have concluded a secret pact with Philip V of Macedon for the partition of the Ptolemaic possessions. Under

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2200-722: The Amanus into the plain of Syria, Alexander began to plunder the countryside surrounding Antioch. The armies of the three kings finally came to battle near Antioch at the River Oenoparos. Demetrius and Ptolemy routed Alexander who escaped, but Ptolemy was thrown from his horse, fracturing his skull. Alexander meanwhile had fled with five hundred picked men to Abae, in what Diodorus calls, Arabia to seek refuge with an allied Arab prince. However two of Alexander’s officers, Heliades and Casius, negotiated their own safety and volunteered to assassinate Alexander, which they did. Alexander’s head

2300-547: The Cavalry’, an elite cavalry unit of the Seleucid army , and was previously loyal to Alexander Balas. Diodotus could rely on these regions and on the dismissed troops from Antioch and elsewhere, enlisting them as new soldiers. It was probable that many of the troops of the standing army intended to desert from Demetrius anyway, but now they had a focal point – Diodotus. Not soon after declaring his rebellion, Diodotus proclaimed

2400-467: The Demetrian generals did not pursue him. In the meantime, Simon, with his own force forced the settlement of Beth Zur to surrender to him and later occupied Joppa . At this point the Demetrian army was recalled northward. By this point, in the middle of 142 BC, Antiochus VI died. It is said that Diodotus had the boy killed to fulfil his ambitions of becoming king himself and it is apparent that many of

2500-744: The Demetrian invasion, but found the population discontented and irate. Alexander, though initially popular, had proven himself incompetent at the ruling of a kingdom and spent a considerable amount of his reign in pursuit of pleasure. As soon as Alexander turned his back to counter the invasion in the north, his governor in Palestine, Apollonius Taos , defected immediately to Demetrius – the Hellenized Philistine cities giving their support. Alexander appealed to his Judean ally, Jonathan Apphus, to intervene against Apollonius, which he did by mustering his army, besieging Joppa and then decisively defeating Apollonius near Azotus . Jonathan later sacked

2600-406: The Egyptian border. However, new troubles soon arose. Once he had expelled the Egyptian forces, he demobilised a large portion of his army. It appears that his financial situation led him to cut the soldiers' wages and debase the coinage. Demetrius had also punished the city of Antioch severely for having supported Alexander against his father and for speaking to him disrespectfully. He disarmed

2700-444: The Egyptian forces and offered the kingship to Ptolemy VI. However, he insisted Demetrius would become king, believing that Rome would not tolerate the unification of Egypt and Syria. Ptolemy pledged to serve as "a tutor in goodness and a guide" to Demetrius II. He probably intended for Demetrius to serve as a puppet ruler. Alexander returned from Cilicia with his army, but Ptolemy VI and Demetrius II defeated his forces at Battle of

2800-555: The Great Antiochus III the Great ( / æ n ˈ t aɪ ə k ə s / ; Greek : Ἀντίοχος ὁ Μέγας, Antíochos ho Mégas ; c.  241  – 3 July 187 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic king and the 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire , reigning from 223 to 187 BC. He ruled over the region of Syria and large parts of the rest of western Asia towards the end of the 3rd century BC. Rising to

2900-568: The Indians, and received more elephants, raising their number to a total of one hundred and fifty, and provisioned his army once more on the spot. He himself broke camp with his troops, leaving behind Androsthenes of Cyzicus to bring back the treasure which this king (Sophagasenus) had agreed to give him. From Seleucia on the Tigris he led a short expedition down the Persian Gulf against

3000-616: The Jews , Book XII, Chapter 3), in stark contrast to the attitude of his son. In fact, Antiochus III lowered taxes, granted subventions to the Temple, and let the Jews live, as Josephus puts it, "according to the law of their forefathers." Antiochus III is mentioned in the deuterocanonical Books of the Maccabees . The subject of Maccabees is the Maccabean Revolt against Antiochus' son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes . Antiochus III

3100-439: The Jews under Jonathan Apphus to serve the Seleucid throne and help defeat him. But Alexander also sent word to Jonathan, promised him more powers and appointed him High Priest of the Jews. At this point, Demetrius was threatened from the north by Pergamon and the pro-Alexander forces under Zenophanes in Cilicia and from the south by Alexander himself and Ptolemy VI. Nevertheless, at this stage both armies seemed to be generally

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3200-471: The Oenoparus river. Alexander then fled to Arabia, where he was killed. Ptolemy was wounded in the battle and died three days later. With both his rival and his self-appointed guardian gone, Demetrius took the opportunity to assert his control over his kingdom. By late 145, Demetrius II had expelled all Ptolemaic troops from Syria and reasserted Seleucid control by leading his own forces all the way down to

3300-603: The Palestinian and Phoenician coastline, placing garrisons as he advanced. He was met by Jonathan and his Judean army at Ptolemais, and both armies marched up to the Eleutheros River , where Ptolemy turned Jonathan back southward. Ptolemy then advanced to Seleucia. The Ptolemaic army was itself professional, large and experienced – a possibly decisive factor in the war at this point. But no sooner had Ptolemy arrived in northern Syria, than he broke with Alexander over

3400-541: The Parthians. As late as 140 vassal rulers of Persis , Elam , and even Bactria sent auxiliary troops (mostly persians and babylonians ) to support Demetrius II in his war against the Parthians. He was initially successful, but was defeated in the Iranian mountains and taken prisoner in July or August of 138 BC. Parthian control of Mesopotamia was thus reaffirmed. In Syria, Tryphon was briefly left as uncontested ruler of

3500-493: The Persian kings . A militarily active ruler, Antiochus restored much of the territory of the Seleucid Empire, before suffering a serious setback, towards the end of his reign, in his war against Rome. Declaring himself the "champion of Greek freedom against Roman domination", Antiochus III waged a four-year war against the Roman Republic beginning in mainland Greece in the autumn of 192 BC before being decisively defeated at

3600-606: The Republic, which at the time acted as a defender of Greek freedom. The tension grew when Antiochus in 196 BC established a footing in Thrace . The evacuation of Greece by the Romans gave Antiochus his opportunity, and he now had the fugitive Hannibal at his court to urge him on. In 192 BC Antiochus invaded Greece with a 10,000-man army, and was elected the commander in chief of the Aetolian League . In 191 BC, however,

3700-457: The Romans under Manius Acilius Glabrio routed him at Thermopylae , forcing him to withdraw to Asia Minor. The Romans followed up their success by invading Anatolia , and the decisive victory of Scipio Asiaticus at Magnesia ad Sipylum (190 BC), following the defeat of Hannibal at sea off Side , delivered Asia Minor into their hands. By the Treaty of Apamea (188 BC) Antiochus abandoned all

3800-597: The Sacaeans, but they mostly defected, and Phraates was killed in battle. The next Parthian king, Artabanus , also had a short and violent reign fighting in the east rather than to Parthia's west. This gave the Seleucid Empire a temporary reprieve from the Parthian threat. At the time in Ptolemaic Egypt , a power struggle developed between Queen Cleopatra II and her brother king Ptolemy VIII . Cleopatra had

3900-436: The Seleucid Empire in the interim between his two reigns. When he was a young boy, Demetrius' father Demetrius I fought Alexander Balas for control of the Seleucid throne. Somewhat surprisingly, Balas won, and Demetrius' father, mother, and older brother were all killed. The young Demetrius II fled to Crete , where he was raised by his guardians. About 147 BC he returned to Syria with a force of Cretan mercenaries led by

4000-557: The Seleucid Empire. A modern historian, John Grainger, defends it as a reasonable gamble: small forces had set off waves of defections before in recent history, so if Ptolemy VIII was truly as unpopular as reported, it might work. More generally, the geopolitical situation for both the Seleucids and Ptolemys was desperate enough that uniting the remaining great Greek states might be the only way for them to maintain their relevance, given that Antigonid Macedonia had been crushed by Rome in

4100-494: The Treaty of Apamea with Rome, Seleucus was forced to recall Antiochus to Syria and instead replace him with his son, the future Demetrius I Soter in 178 BC. When Seleucus was murdered by his minister Heliodorus in a power bid in 175, the legitimate heir was held hostage in Rome. With Demetrius so far from home and unable to claim the kingdom, his uncle Antiochus left Athens, where he had been residing for several years, and claimed

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4200-489: The ancient historians lay the blame of the boy’s death in surgery at the feet of Diodotus. Despite this Diodotus put himself forward as king under the new regal name of Tryphon, meaning ‘the magnificent’, he added as his official epithet ‘Autokrator’, a term that linked him back to the days of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great – it was this term that they were given by the Greek cities at commander of their armies. It

4300-433: The army of Demetrius, the first being a victory for Demetrius. However a decisive victory for Alexander was gained outside Antioch in 150. Demetrius’s left flank pushed aside Alexander’s right, even advancing far enough to loot the enemy camp, but on his right Demetrius was beaten by Alexander’s left. Demetrius, fighting on the right flank was caught in boggy terrain and unseated from his horse. He continued to fight on foot but

4400-685: The campaign and leadership was provided by Lasthenes. They landed in Cilicia, which would provide a good line of retreat should the expedition turn out badly, and the younger brother of Demetrius, Antiochus, was sent to the city of Side in Pamphylia – perhaps to provide the Demetrian forces with another claimant should Demetrius be caught or killed. Alexander, based primarily in Ptolemais, no doubt due to its close proximity to his benefactor and ally Ptolemy VI Philometor, moved north to Antioch to counter

4500-671: The capital, instead establishing himself in Seleucia Pieria . Antiochus VI died in 142 or 141, and Diodotus made himself king as Tryphon. The division of the kingdom between Demetrius in Seleucia and Diodotus in Antioch persisted. Initially, Diodotus succeeded in bringing the leader of the Jews, Jonathan Apphus , onto his side, but this relationship broke down; ultimately Diodotus captured and executed Jonathan. By means of adroit diplomacy and grants of extensive freedoms, Demetrios II

4600-499: The central part of Asia Minor (for the Seleucid government had perforce to tolerate the dynasties in Pergamon , Bithynia and Cappadocia ), Antiochus turned to recovering the outlying provinces of the north and east. He besieged Xerxes of Armenia in 212 BC, who had refused to pay tribute, and forced his capitulation. In 209 BC Antiochus invaded Parthia , occupied the capital Hecatompylos and pushed forward into Hyrcania , winning

4700-475: The child of Alexander Balas as King Antiochus VI Dionysus . Antiochus was only a child, and therefore a useful tool to control the loyalty of the disaffected Seleucid subjects. Diodotus established himself soon thereafter at Chalcis, to the east of Antioch. The rebellion was now at the point of open war, and the majority of the fighting was conducted in northern Syria for control of the major cities. In 143, Diodotus assaulted and captured Antioch, pushing Demetrius to

4800-532: The citizens and the Cretan mercenaries under Lasthenes slaughtered those who resisted, including women and children. This led the Antiochenes to rise up and besiege Demetrius in his palace. Jewish troops violently restored Demetrius' control, burning down a large portion of the city in the process. This left the city even more hostile to him. In order to secure his hold on power, Demetrius had eliminated officials associated with Alexander Balas. One of these officials,

4900-464: The city and the temple of Dagon . On hearing this, Alexander rewarded Jonathan with dominion over the city of Accaron ( Ekron ) Despite being in stalemate with Demetrius and having an obvious edge with the addition of Judean forces, Alexander was reluctant to bring them north – the Judeans had a bad reputation for their anti-Hellenism, especially their expelling of non-Jews etc. Such forces would prove

5000-563: The coast in pursuit, a great tidal wave wiped out the army, according to Athenaeus . Demetrius, meanwhile, had journeyed east to combat the encroachment of the Parthians, but in 139 BC was captured in Parthia. With the detested Demetrius gone, his brother, Antiochus VII Sidetes , left his home in Rhodes and married the wife of Demetrius, Cleopatra Thea , further legitimizing his position. Tryphon’s support began to deteriorate with Antiochus now

5100-523: The coastal city of Seleucia. At their highest point, in about 143/142 BC, Diodotus and Antiochus VI occupied most of inner Syria (including Antioch , Apamea , Chalcis and Larissa); Tarsus, Mallus and Coracesium in Cilicia ; and the southern coastal cities of Aradus, Orthosia, Byblos , Berytus , Ptolemais and Dora . In comparison, Demetrius controlled the rest of the Syrian and Phoenician coasts including Seleucia, Laodicea , Tyre and Sidon as well as

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5200-685: The confines of the Ptolemaic Kingdom , but in 217 BC Ptolemy IV defeated Antiochus at the Battle of Raphia . This defeat nullified all Antiochus's successes and compelled him to withdraw north of Lebanon . In 216 BC his army marched into western Anatolia to suppress the local rebellion led by Antiochus's own cousin Achaeus , and had by 214 BC driven him from the field into Sardis . Capturing Achaeus, Antiochus had him executed. The citadel managed to hold out until 213 BC under Achaeus's widow Laodice who surrendered later. Having thus recovered

5300-585: The country north and west of the Taurus Mountains , most of which the Roman Republic gave either to Rhodes or to the Attalid ruler Eumenes II , its allies (many Greek cities were left free). As a consequence of this blow to the Seleucid power, the outlying provinces of the empire, recovered by Antiochus, reasserted their independence. Antiochus mounted a fresh eastern expedition in Luristan , where he

5400-442: The east Alexander Balas, his ships, mercenaries and auxiliaries provided by Ptolemy VI Philometor and from Pergamon, began his insurrection against Demetrius Soter. In 152 BC, he landed at Ptolemais to make his bid for power. Ptolemais was chosen, most likely, due to its proximity to Ptolemaic Egypt and the support that would come from Ptolemy VI. With Alexander established in the south at Ptolemais, Demetrius attempted to persuade

5500-406: The east. Eventually Demetrius was able to escape from Rome and return to Syria via Tripolis, where he quickly established himself and was made king with little fighting – the army and people flocked to support him. His cousin, the boy Antiochus V, and his regent, Lysias, were put to death by order of Demetrius before they could be physically brought to him from Antioch. As a ruler, however, he proved

5600-752: The empire was not reunited: the son of Antiochus IX, Antiochus X Eusebes Philopator, ascended as leader of the southern branch and continued the struggle between the North and South. In the Summer of 94: Antiochus X besieged Seleucus VI at Mopsuestia in Cilicia, and executed his cousin, who was burned alive. The Northern cause was renewed by the younger sons of Antiochus Grypus. These being Demetrius III, Antiochus XI and Philip I in direct opposition to their cousin Antiochus X. Northern Faction (Line of Grypus) Damascus Faction (Line of Grypus) Antiochus III

5700-445: The former finance minister of Antiochus IV, Heracleides , conspired to dispose of Demetrius. Heracleides put forward a potential candidate for the Seleucid throne, the supposed son of Antiochus IV, and brother of Antiochus V, Alexander Balas . Whether or not he was truly the son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes is uncertain, but this did not matter to the ruler of Pergamon, either Eumenes II or his heir Attalus II Philadelphus depending on

5800-492: The gates against him. He was captured and then killed on a ship near Tyre , after his wife had deserted him and he was denied temple asylum. He was succeeded by the victorious usurper, Alexander II, while his queen, Cleopatra Thea, ruled in Ptolemais Akko in co-regency with two of their sons, Seleucus V Philometor and Antiochus VIII Grypus . Incidents from the life of Demetrius II Nicator and Cleopatra Thea are

5900-478: The general Diodotus , fled into Arabia, where he secured the infant son of Alexander Balas and proclaimed him king as Antiochus VI Dionysus . Many of Demetrius' soldiers defected to Diodotus, out of anger at his conduct or the cuts to their pay. Demetrius was defeated in battle and lost control of Apamea and Antioch to Diodotus. Numismatic evidence indicates that Apamea was lost in early 144 and Antioch in late 144 or early 143. Demetrius proved unable to retake

6000-529: The hand of Laodice, his daughter, and allowed Euthydemus himself to keep his royal title. Antiochus next, following in the steps of Alexander, crossed into the Kabul valley, reaching the realm of Indian king Sophagasenus and returned west by way of Seistan and Kerman (206/5). According to Polybius : He crossed the Caucasus and descended into India, renewed his friendship with Sophagasenus , king of

6100-668: The king's cousin, Achaeus , represented the Seleucid cause, did its prestige recover, driving the Pergamene power back to its earlier limits. In 221 BC Antiochus at last went far east, and the rebellion of Molon and Alexander collapsed which Polybius attributes in part to his following the advice of Zeuxis rather than Hermeias. The submission of Lesser Media, which had asserted its independence under Artabazanes , followed. Antiochus conspired with his physician and allies to have Hermeias assassinated, and then returned to Syria (220 BC). Meanwhile, Achaeus himself had revolted and assumed

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6200-403: The kingship for himself. He ruled the empire from 175 until his death whilst on a campaign in the east in 164 BC. A strong and energetic ruler Antiochus left an heir, but he was too young to claim the throne. Before Antiochus had set out on his eastern campaign, he had placed Lysias as his regent in the west and to take charge of his son, Antiochus V Eupator . Lysias and his colleagues fought off

6300-414: The latter Hellenistic dynasties. Zabinas managed to defeat Demetrius II, who fled to Tyre and was killed there, and thereafter ruled parts of Syria (128–123 BC), but soon he ran out of Egyptian support and was in turn defeated by Demetrius' son Antiochus VIII Grypus . Zabinas fled to the Seleucid capital Antiochia , where he plundered several temples. He is said to have joked about melting down

6400-410: The leader of the Seleucid dynastic faction in the empire. Antiochus successfully pushed back Tryphon’s forces and besieged him in the fortress-city of Dor on the coast. Tryphon escaped by sea to Orthosia and made his way to his home-region of Apamea, where, being chased by Antiochus, he was either put to death or committed suicide. Diodotus Tryphon was unique in the history of the Seleucid empire to be

6500-453: The local populations to expel them with force should need be. Demetrius was now in full control of the kingdom but his rule would ultimately be troubled by civil strife and further civil war. Alexander Balas, much like Demetrius I Soter before him, feared for the safety of his heirs in the event of an enemy victory. According to Diodorus , Alexander therefore sent his son Antiochus to an allied Arab chieftain, named Iamblichus, for safety and as

6600-489: The loyalists to the legitimate branch of the royal family. Demetrius was sent to Crete, to raise a mercenary army from Crete itself and the Greek islands under the captain Lasthenes. Within two years a sufficient force had been raised to begin their campaign. By 148/147 BC Lasthenes and Demetrius were ready to begin their attempt to reclaim the kingdom. Demetrius was still very young, aged at about fourteen years, so in reality

6700-508: The majority of Cilicia. The periphery of the empire was generally loyal to Demetrius, but in some parts, like Babylonia , it wavered for some time at one point supporting Antiochus, but ultimately reverted to support for Demetrius. It was at this point that the importance of the semi-independent states, like Judea, became apparent. Jonathan Apphus, as a former friend of Alexander Balas, and despite his brief alliance with Demetrius, eventually joined Diodotus to battle against Demetrius II. Jonathan

6800-523: The mercenaries, especially the Cretans under Lasthenes, to keep him in control and the Ptolemaic forces still occupying much of the Syrian and Phoenician coast. Lasthenes, with his new-found power, was made in effect minister of finance and given absolute rule of Antioch, which would have dire consequences for the young king Demetrius. The Ptolemaic garrisons disintegrated and chose to retreat back to Egypt, Demetrius having ordered them to leave and compelling

6900-596: The name Antiochus, his brother Seleucus III Ceraunus , upon the latter's murder in Anatolia; he was in Babylon at the time. Antiochus III inherited a disorganized state. Not only had Asia Minor become detached, but the easternmost provinces had broken away, Bactria under the Seleucid Diodotus of Bactria , and Parthia under the rebel satrap Andragoras in 247–245 BC, who was himself later vanquished by

7000-578: The nomad chieftain Arsaces . In 222 BC, soon after Antiochus's accession, Media and Persis revolted under their governors, the brothers Molon and Alexander . The young king, under the influence of the minister Hermeias , headed an attack on Ptolemaic Syria instead of going in person to face the rebels. The attack against the Ptolemaic empire proved a fiasco, and the generals sent against Molon and Alexander met with disaster. Only in Asia Minor, where

7100-472: The only major rebel to actively claim the throne for the whole kingdom, as opposed to the rebels Molon and Timarchus who had launched regional bids for power and had not desired to rule the whole kingdom. In addition, Tryphon’s rebellion was one of the longest lasting – beginning in 145 and ending with his death in 138 BC. Usurper Faction Zabinas was a false Seleucid who claimed to be an adoptive son of Antiochus VII Sidetes , but in fact seems to have been

7200-453: The opinion of Rome to this, he declined. In turn he convinced them to accept Demetrius as their rightful king, stating that he would rule benevolently and not seek revenge against those who had overthrown his father in 150 BC. In the summer of 145 BC, with enough forces raised in the north of the kingdom, which Josephus called a ‘numerous and great army’, Alexander felt confident enough to march south to confront Demetrius and Ptolemy. Crossing

7300-418: The preceding decades. Regardless, the gamble backfired. Demetrius II camped outside the fortress of Pelusium , the gateway to Egypt, but Ptolemy VIII's troops remained loyal; there was no mass defection. It was Demetrius' own troops that mutinied in the dry desert. King Ptolemy VIII reacted by finding another potential Seleucid royal claimant to undermine the obviously hostile Demetrius II. He found and sent

7400-450: The price for Ptolemy’s intervention was the reintegration of Coele-Syria and Palestine back into Egypt. The governors of Antioch , Hierax and Diodotus Tryphon , despairing of Alexander and fearing Demetrius offered the Seleucid crown to Ptolemy VI Philometor and convinced the populace to push for this outcome too. Ptolemy certainly considered the prospect and took at least a month to decide, but after careful consideration, especially on

7500-466: The remaining Seleucid territories, but the Seleucid dynasty's grip was reestablished under Antiochus VII Sidetes , the younger brother of Demetrius, who also married Cleopatra Thea. King Mithridates had kept Demetrius II alive and even married him to a Parthian princess named Rhodogune , with whom he had children. However, Demetrius was restless and twice tried to escape from his exile in Hyrcania on

7600-399: The same disdain and contempt for the Syrian people that his father felt, was one epitomised by terror and repression. A great purge of the supporters of Alexander Balas was followed by forceful collection of wealth by his mercenary forces, no doubt to pay their wages for the war they had successfully concluded. His mercenary commander and chief minister Lasthenes convinced Demetrius to discharge

7700-545: The same size, leading to a stalemate. However, in 151/0 Alexander began to extend his control up the Phoenician coast, taking Tyre, Sidon and Berytus – perhaps assisted by naval support provided from the Seleucid fleet based at Ptolemais and from Ptolemy. By this time, Alexander was militarily strong enough to march north to confront Demetrius properly, reinforced by further mercenaries and defectors from Demetrius. Alexander’s march north in 150 BC lead to two confrontations with

7800-479: The shores of the Caspian Sea , once with the help of his friend Kallimander, who had gone to great lengths to rescue the king: he had travelled incognito through Babylonia and Parthia. When the two friends were captured, the Parthian king did not punish Kallimander but rewarded him for his fidelity to Demetrius. The second time Demetrius was captured when he tried to escape, Mithridates humiliated him by giving him

7900-486: The son of an Egyptian merchant named Protarchus. Antioch , Apamea , and several other cities, disgusted with the tyranny of Demetrius, acknowledged the authority of Alexander. He was used as a pawn by the Egyptian king Ptolemy VIII Physcon , who introduced Zabinas as a means of getting to the legitimate Seleucid king Demetrius II , who supported his sister Cleopatra II against him in the complicated dynastic feuds of

8000-490: The sons of Cleopatra Thea their civil war renewed the Ptolemaic interest in the diminished Seleucid kingdom. Antiochus VIII ruled from the city of Antioch whilst Antiochus IX based himself in Ptolemais. He soon forged a new alliance with Egypt by taking the Princess Cleopatra IV, the sister of Grypos’ Queen, Tryphaena, as his wife. The brothers eventually agreed to partition the kingdom but this did not create

8100-587: The sources, who initially interviewed him. Having been recognized by the conspiring kings as the rightful heir to the Seleucid throne, Alexander was sent to the hills of Cilicia under the watchful eye of the Cilician chieftain Zenophanes. Building up his reputation and gathering forces, Alexander was quickly sent with Heracleides to Rome, where they accepted him as the true king and gave their vocal support, albeit without any real material assistance. Returning to

8200-492: The standing garrison of Antioch, and perhaps the garrisons of other cities, and reduce the pay of the militia. The standing army in Syria was, due to the recent events, deemed unreliable by Demetrius – many had supported, no doubt, Alexander Balas. This made Demetrius even more unpopular and caused great degrees of civil unrest and even rioting in Antioch. The Cretan mercenaries, reinforced by Jewish troops sent by Jonathan Apphus, who

8300-474: The summer of 148, his victory being commemorated by a triumphal statue of Herakles erected in the Bisitun Pass . It was due to this stalemate that Alexander eventually convinced his Egyptian ally and father-in-law, Ptolemy Philometor, to intervene decisively in 147 BC. Ptolemy, seeing an opportunity to keep his influence in Syria and perhaps reclaim Coele-Syria as a reward, marched north occupying much of

8400-520: The support of the Greek administration in the capital Alexandria, while Ptolemy VIII had the support of the countryside and native Egyptians. Cleopatra II might have sent out a request for aid to Demetrius II, or he might have gotten an impression from travelers and spies that Ptolemy VIII's government was weak. Around 128 BC, Demetrius II mounted a military expedition to Egypt to "save" Cleopatra II. Ancient sources roundly condemn Demetrius II for this action as foolish when so many problems were on-going for

8500-546: The terms of this pact, Macedon was to receive the Ptolemaic possessions around the Aegean Sea and Cyrene , while Antiochus would annex Cyprus and Egypt. Once more Antiochus attacked the Ptolemaic province of Coele Syria and Phoenicia, and by 199 BC he seems to have had possession of it before the Aetolian leader Scopas recovered it for Ptolemy. But that recovery proved brief, for in 198 BC Antiochus defeated Scopas at

8600-478: The throne at the age of eighteen in April/June 223 BC, his early campaigns against the Ptolemaic Kingdom were unsuccessful, but in the following years Antiochus gained several military victories and substantially expanded the empire's territory. His traditional designation, the Great , reflects an epithet he assumed. He also assumed the title Basileus Megas (Greek for " Great King "), the traditional title of

8700-416: The title of king in Asia Minor. Though, due to the brewing mutiny of his troops arising from their dissatisfaction over his rebellion against their king, Achaeus desisted from his attempted coup and retreated. While sending additional threats to Achaeus, Antiochus left him for the time being and renewed his attempts on Ptolemaic Syria. The campaigns of 219 BC and 218 BC carried the Seleucid armies almost to

8800-505: Was able to secure Jonathan's brother Simon Thassi as a close ally. These grants were later seen by the Hasmonean Jewish state as the moment when they achieved full independence. Mithridates I , king of Parthia had taken advantage of the conflict between Demetrius and Tryphon to seize control of Susa and Elymais in 144 and of Mesopotamia in mid-141 BC. In 139/8, Demetrius journeyed east to reclaim these territories from

8900-472: Was apparently unpopular, perhaps from memories of his humiliating defeat and general discontent with the decline of the Empire, and perhaps from resentment that he had lived while so many Seleucid soldiers and family members sent to Parthia had died. To the good luck of Demetrius, however, Phraates II was faced by an invasion from Sacaen nomads to his east. The Parthians attempted to use captured Greeks against

9000-420: Was brought to Ptolemy, who had briefly regained consciousness following his fracture. Some days later he died at the hands of his surgeons who were operating on him. With Alexander murdered and Ptolemy dead, Demetrius was undisputed ruler of the Seleucid kingdom. However, Demetrius faced major problems with his victory – a costly victory in terms of manpower, the loyalty of his newly won kingdom, his dependence on

9100-537: Was dramatically captured and executed outside the Daphne palace near Antioch. The Civil War continued the next year when Antiochus XI sought out Queen Tryphaena and executed her as retribution for the murdered Cleopatra. Both of the Seleucid dynasts courted Egyptian support with Ptolemy VIII marrying his daughter Cleopatra V to Grypus. This marriage produced the final generation of Seleucid princes of any politically relevant stature. The conflict shifted again in 96BC when

9200-574: Was either at Antioch or Apamea that he was ‘elected’ by the Greco-Macedonian soldiery as king, and to show his links to the soldiery his emblem shown on coins was that of a helmet, a composite of the popular Boeotian and Konos helmet styles. The boldness of the Jewish offensives against the loyalists of Demetrius led Diodotus to fear an ever-increasing Jewish independence, and as such began to plot against Jonathan – this being whilst Antiochus VI

9300-452: Was given leave by Diodotus and Antiochus to raise an army and campaign against the generals of Demetrius in Palestine. Simon Thassi , Jonathan’s brother, was made Strategos, or governor, of the territories from the Egyptian border up to Tyre, though most of the non-Jewish Palestinian cities remained loyal to Demetrius. Gaza which had initially declared for Demetrius at some point defected, but ultimately joined neither side, attempting to exert

9400-432: Was killed while pillaging a temple of Bel at Elymaïs , Persia, in 187 BC. In 222 BC, Antiochus III married Princess Laodice of Pontus , a daughter of King Mithridates II of Pontus and Princess Laodice of the Seleucid Empire . The couple were first cousins through their mutual grandfather, Antiochus II Theos . Antiochus and Laodice had eight children (three sons and five daughters): In 191 BC, Antiochus III married

9500-480: Was not affordable for the Demetrian insurgents. In comparison Alexander had to gather troops from considerable distances away, but had to ensure that he left enough men in the peripheral provinces to deter foreign invasions from enemies such as the Parthians or other eastern kingdoms. In fact a possible rebellion or Parthian excursion was defeated decisively by the viceroy of the Upper Satrapies , Kleomenes, in

9600-438: Was now allied to Demetrius at the death of Alexander Balas, put the rebellion down brutally. A grand fire broke out destroying much of the city of Antioch. With the kingdom greatly discontented and ripe for insurrection, Diodotus made his move against Demetrius II in early 144. Starting his rebellion in his home province of Apamea, he gathered supporters, no doubt gaining great strength from the actual city of Apamea. Apamea, which

9700-471: Was once named Pella, was the major military centre of the kingdom. It was the seat of the royal stud, housed the elephant corps, the War Office (Stratiotikon Logisterion) and the military training school. The city and its neighbouring settlements at, for example, Larissa, had a Greco-Macedonian population larger than Antioch and Cyrrhestica . In fact Larissa was the headquarters of the ‘First Agema of

9800-454: Was one of the sons of Demetrius I Soter . His mother may have been Laodice V , as was the case with his brother Antiochus VII Sidetes . Demetrius ruled the Seleucid Empire for two periods, separated by a number of years of captivity in Hyrcania in Parthia , first from September 145 BC to July/August 138 BC, and again from 129 BC until his death in 125 BC. His brother Antiochus VII ruled

9900-458: Was still alive. Luring Jonathan to Ptolemais with a small guard, Diodotus kidnapped him and unsuccessfully held him for ransom. He eventually had Jonathan executed and initiated an invasion of Judea , which failed due to either weather conditions or Jewish garrisons blocking the suitable pathways into Judea. In the same year an army of Tryphon’s routed a pro-Demetrius force under Sarpedon in between Ptolemais and Tyre, but as they were marching along

10000-408: Was surrounded and killed by a great number of enemy troops. With Demetrius dead, Alexander was now undisputed king of the Seleucid kingdom. But he faced one major problem – the sons of Demetrius. Though young, both Demetrius II Nicator and Antiochus VII Sidetes were sent abroad by their father, as he feared that they would be put to death as rival claimants, and to hopefully be a rallying point for

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