The younger son of Seleucus
II succeeded his assassinated brother, Seleucus
III in 223
BCE.
Though barely 19, he immediately set out to regain the territory that his
father & brother had lost. By a show of force & skillful
diplomacy he formed alliances with neighboring rulers from Pergamum to
northern India, often allowing opponents to retain their thrones in
exchange for tribute. By 205
BCE
he had formed such an extensive system of vassal kingdoms to the East that
he adopted the ancient Persian title of "the great
king" & promoted a royal cult in which he was worshipped as
a god. His Greek subjects compared him to Alexander the Great.
Turning his attention to
western territories he formed an alliance with Philip
V of Macedon against
Ptolemy V of Egypt. In 200
BCE
he defeated the Egyptian forces at Panias
(Lebanon) and claimed control of Palestine & Phoenicia. The Jewish
temple state of Jerusalem
was granted special privileges for recognizing his suzerainty. Pressing
his military advantage, Antiochus invaded Egypt itself, forcing a peace
treaty (195
BCE)
that finally formalized Ptolemaic recognition of Seleucid control of Syria
& Palestine, territory that had been claimed by Seleucus
I a century earlier.
But Antiochus did not rest on
that victory. When Philip was defeated by the Romans, Antiochus led his
forces to regain the cities of western Asia minor that his father had
lost. Not content with having extended Seleucid control over more
territory than any of his predecessors, he defied Roman warnings by
crossing into Europe. Conflict with Rome became unavoidable when
Antiochus gave refuge to Hannibal of Carthage & made him his military
advisor. He was routed by the Romans & their allies at
Thermopylae in Greece & Magnesia, Asia Minor (191-190
BCE).
To conclude a peace treaty he had to abandon western Asia Minor &
allow his youngest son, (who later ruled as
Antiochus IV), to be taken to
Rome as a hostage.
He was killed at a temple of Ba'al in Susa
a few years later, while exacting tribute to replenish the depleted royal
treasury.
References: Josephus,
Antiquities
12.129-154, 223, 414.
Appian,
History of Rome: Syrian Wars 1-44
Cassius Dio, Roman
History 19.18-20
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