Seleucid Empire Diadochi kingdom ← 312 BC – 63 BC →   →   → Territories of the Seleucid Empire (in Blue). The Diadochi (plural of Latin Diadochus, from Greek Διάδοχοι, Diadokhoi, "successors" were the rival successors Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran Syria was a Roman province, conquered in 64 BC by Pompey, as a consequence of his military presence after pursing victory in the Third Mithridatic The Gr(aeco-Bactrian Kingdom was the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world covering Bactria and Sogdiana in Central Asia from 250 Capital Seleucia on the Tigris (305 BC-240 BC) Antioch (240 BC-64 BC) Language(s) Greek Syriac Religion Ancient Greek religion Zoroastrianism Government Monarchy King  - 305 BC-281 BC Seleucus I Nicator  - 65 BC-63 BC Philip II Philoromaeus Historical era Hellenistic  - Established 312 BC  - Antioch captured by Pompey 64 BC  - Last king overruled; Syria made Roman province 63 BC Area  - 301 BC[1] 3,000,000 km² (1,158,306 sq mi)  - 240 BC[1] 2,600,000 km² (1,003,866 sq mi)  - 175 BC[1] 800,000 km² (308,882 sq mi)  - 100 BC [1] 100,000 km² (38,610 sq mi)

The Seleucid Empire (312 - 60 BC) was a Hellenistic successor state of Alexander the Great's dominion, which at its height included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, Turkmenistan, Pamir and the Indus valley. Throughout the world there are many cities that were once national Capitals but no longer have that status because the country ceased to exist the capital was moved or the capital For the Syrian seaport of the same name that figures in the travels of Saint Paul see Seleucia Pieria. Antioch on the Orontes (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ Μεγάλη Antiochia ad Orontem also Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly See Syriac (disambiguation for other uses Syriac (syr ܠܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ leššānā Suryāyā) is an Eastern Aramaic language A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, i Philip II Philoromaeus ("Rome-lover" or Barypos ("heavy-foot" a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid kingdom, was son of the Seleucid This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. Antioch on the Orontes (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ Μεγάλη Antiochia ad Orontem also Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/ Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir ( Classical Latin abbreviation Year 64 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Servilius Rullus, Roman Tribune This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black See also Names of the Levant The Levant (lə'vænt is a geographical term that denotes a large area in Western Asia, roughly bounded on the north by the Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. The Pamir Mountains are located in Central Asia and are formed by the junction or Knot of the Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd

Contents 1 Partition of Alexander's empire 2 The rise of Seleucus 3 Westward expansion 4 An overextended domain 5 Revival (223 - 191 BC) 6 Renewed disintegration 7 Civil war and further decay 8 Collapse (100 - 63 BC) 9 Cultural exchanges 10 Seleucid Military 11 Seleucid rulers 12 Notes 13 See also 14 External links

Partition of Alexander's empire

Main article: Diadochi

Alexander had conquered the Achaemenid Empire within a short time-frame and died young, leaving an expansive empire of partly Hellenized culture without an adult heir. The Diadochi (plural of Latin Diadochus, from Greek Διάδοχοι, Diadokhoi, "successors" were the rival successors Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of The empire was put under the authority of a regent in the person of Perdiccas in 323 BC, and the territories were divided between Alexander's generals, who thereby became satraps, at the Partition of Babylon in 323 BC. Perdiccas ( Greek: Περδίκας, Perdikas; died 321 BC or 320 BC was one of Alexander the Great 's generals See also the related deity Satrapes. Satrap (Persian ساتراپ was the name given to the governors of the Provinces of ancient The Partition of Babylon designates the attribution of the territories by Alexander the Great between his generals soon after his death in 323 BCE.

The rise of Seleucus

Alexander's generals (the Diadochi) jostled for supremacy over parts of his empire, and Ptolemy, one of his generals and satrap of Egypt, was the first to challenge the new rule, leading to the demise of Perdiccas. The Diadochi (plural of Latin Diadochus, from Greek Διάδοχοι, Diadokhoi, "successors" were the rival successors For the astronomer see Ptolemy; for others named "Ptolemy" or "Ptolemaeus" see Ptolemy (disambiguation. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. His revolt led to a new partition of the empire with the Partition of Triparadisus in 320 BC. The Partition of Triparadisus was a power-sharing agreement passed at Triparadisus in 321 BCE between the generals ( Diadochi) of Alexander the Great Seleucus, who had been "Commander-in-Chief of the camp" under Perdiccas since 323 BC but helped to assassinate the latter, received Babylonia, and from that point continued to expand his dominions ruthlessly. Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, i Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital Seleucus established himself in Babylon in 312 BC, used as the foundation date of the Seleucid Empire. Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq He ruled over not only Babylonia, but the entire enormous eastern part of Alexander's empire:

"Always lying in wait for the neighboring nations, strong in arms and persuasive in council, he [Seleucus] acquired Mesopotamia, Armenia, 'Seleucid' Cappadocia, Persis, Parthia, Bactria, Arabia, Tapouria, Sogdia, Arachosia, Hyrcania, and other adjacent peoples that had been subdued by Alexander, as far as the river Indus, so that the boundaries of his empire were the most extensive in Asia after that of Alexander. The whole region from Phrygia to the Indus was subject to Seleucus. "^[2]

— Appian, The Syrian Wars

Seleucus went as far as India, where he reached an agreement with Chandragupta Maurya, in which he exchanged his eastern territories for a considerable force of 500 war elephants, which were to play a decisive role at Ipsus:

"The Indians occupy [in part] some of the countries situated along the Indus, which formerly belonged to the Persians: Alexander deprived the Ariani of them, and established there settlements of his own. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Chandragupta Maurya (चन्द्रगुप्त मौर्य sometimes known simply as Chandragupta (born c A war elephant is an Elephant trained and guided by humans for combat The Battle of Ipsus was fought between some of the Diadochi (the successors of Alexander the Great) in 301 BC near the village of that name in But Seleucus Nicator gave them to Sandrocottus in consequence of a marriage contract, and received in return five hundred elephants. Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, i Chandragupta Maurya (चन्द्रगुप्त मौर्य sometimes known simply as Chandragupta (born c "^[3]

—Strabo, Geographica

Westward expansion

Following his and Lysimachus' victory over Antigonus Monophthalmus at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC, Seleucus took control over eastern Anatolia and northern Syria. Strabo ( Greek: Στράβων 63/64 BC – ca AD 24 was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher. The Geographica ( Ancient Greek: Γεωγραφικά Geōgraphiká) or Geography, is a 17-volume encyclopedia of geographical knowledge written Lysimachus ( Greek: Λυσίμαχος Lysimachos; 360 BCE - 281 BCE was a Macedonian officer and diadochus (i Antigonus I Monophthalmus ("the One-eyed" (382 BC - 301 BC son of Philip from Elimeia, was a Macedonian nobleman general and Satrap The Battle of Ipsus was fought between some of the Diadochi (the successors of Alexander the Great) in 301 BC near the village of that name in Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية In the latter area he founded a new capital at Antioch on the Orontes, a city he named after his father. Antioch on the Orontes (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ Μεγάλη Antiochia ad Orontem also An alternative capital was established at Seleucia on the Tigris, north of Babylon. For the Syrian seaport of the same name that figures in the travels of Saint Paul see Seleucia Pieria. Seleucus' empire reached its greatest extent following his defeat of his erstwhile ally, Lysimachus, at Corupedion in 281 BC. The Battle of Corupedium (also called Corupedion is the name of the last battle of the Diadochi, the rival successors to Alexander the Great. Seleucus expanded his control to encompass western Anatolia. He hoped further to take control of Lysimachus' lands in Europe - primarily Thrace and even Macedonia itself, but was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus on landing in Europe. Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most Ptolemy Keraunos ( Greek Πτολεμαίος Κεραυνός - 279 BC was the King of Macedon from 281 BC to 279 BC His son and successor, Antiochus I Soter, was left with an enormous realm consisting of nearly all of the Asian portions of the Empire, but proved unable to pick up where his father had left off in conquering the European portions of Alexander's empire. SON DNA binding protein, also known as SON, is a human Gene. Antiochus I Soter (unknown - 261 BC was a king of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. His competitors were Antigonus II Gonatas in Macedonia and Ptolemy II Philadelphus in Egypt. Antigonus II Gonatas (lit "knock-knees" ( Greek Αντίγονος B΄ Γονατᾶς ca Ptolemy II Philadelphus ( Greek:, Ptolemaĩos Philádelphos, 309 BC&ndash246 BC was the king of Ptolemaic Egypt from 283 BC to 246 BC This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics.

An overextended domain

Nevertheless, even before Seleucus' death, the vast eastern domains of the Seleucids were proving difficult to assert control over. The Diadochi (plural of Latin Diadochus, from Greek Διάδοχοι, Diadokhoi, "successors" were the rival successors Cassander ( Greek: Κάσσανδρος, Kassandros; ca 350 - 297 BC King of Macedon (305 - 297 BC was a son of Antipater Lysimachus ( Greek: Λυσίμαχος Lysimachos; 360 BCE - 281 BCE was a Macedonian officer and diadochus (i For the astronomer see Ptolemy; for others named "Ptolemy" or "Ptolemaeus" see Ptolemy (disambiguation. Epirus (from Ionic Greek Ήπειρος - Ēpeiros, Doric Greek: Ἅπειρος - Apeiros, in Albanian Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Colonies in antiquity were City-states founded from a mother- City Seleucus invaded India (modern Punjab Pakistan) in 305 BC, confronting Chandragupta Maurya (Sandrokottos), founder of the Maurya empire. This article is about the history of South Asia prior to the Partition of British India in 1947 Punjab ( ਪੰਜਾਬ پنجاب, पंजाब پنجاب also Panjab (پنجاب meaning "Land of the Five Rivers") (c The history of Pakistan as a modern nation began with independence from British India on 14 August 1947, although Chandragupta Maurya (चन्द्रगुप्त मौर्य sometimes known simply as Chandragupta (born c Chandragupta Maurya (चन्द्रगुप्त मौर्य sometimes known simply as Chandragupta (born c The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military It is said that Chandragupta fielded an army of 600,000 men and 9,000 war elephants. The two monarchs ultimately sealed a treaty, by which Seleucus ceded vast territories from the Indus to present-day Afghanistan. The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, In exchange Chandragupta gave him no less than 500 elephants, an addition to his army that was to play a prominent part in his victory at Ipsus. The Battle of Ipsus was fought between some of the Diadochi (the successors of Alexander the Great) in 301 BC near the village of that name in The peace was complemented by a "marriage alliance" (Epigamia in ancient sources), implying either a dynastic alliance (in which a Seleucid princess may have been betrothed to the Maurya dynasty) or the recognition of marriage between Greeks and Indians. In ancient Greece Epigamia (Greek language Επιγαμια designated the legal right to contract a marriage

Seleucus also sent an ambassador named Megasthenes to Chandragupta's court, who repeatedly visited Pataliputra (modern Patna in Bihar state), capital of Chandragupta. Megasthenes (Μεγασθένης ca 350 BC - 290 BC was a Greek traveller and Geographer. Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited Paṭnā ( Hindi: पटना is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited Megasthenes wrote detailed descriptions of India and Chandragupta's reign, which have been partly preserved to us through Diodorus Siculus. He also later sent Deimakos to the court of Chandragupta's son, Bindusara. Deimachus (3rd century BCE (Greek Δηιμάχος in four syllables was a Greek of the Seleucid Empire. Bindusara was the second Mauryan emperor (Born c 320 BC ruled 298 - c

Other territories lost before Seleucus' death were Gedrosia in the south-east of the Iranian plateau, and, to the north of this, Arachosia on the west bank of the Indus River. Gedrosia (dʒɨˈdroʊʒə Γεδρωσία is the ancient name of an area that corresponds to today's Balochistan Arachosia (ˌærəˈkoʊʒə, Arakhōsia) or Arachotae (əˈrækəˌtiː, Arakhōtai) is the latinized form of Greek name of an Achaemenid The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd

Antiochus I (reigned 281-261 BC) and his son and successor Antiochus II Theos (reigned 261-246 BC) were faced with challenges in the west, including repeated wars with Ptolemy II and a Celtic invasion of Asia Minor — distracting attention from holding the eastern portions of the Empire together. Antiochus II Theos (286 BC&ndash246 BC was a king of the Hellenistic Seleucid Kingdom who reigned 261 BC&ndash246 BC Ptolemy II Philadelphus ( Greek:, Ptolemaĩos Philádelphos, 309 BC&ndash246 BC was the king of Ptolemaic Egypt from 283 BC to 246 BC Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Towards the end of Antiochus II's reign, various provinces simultaneously asserted their independence, such as Bactria under Diodotus, Parthia under Arsaces, and Cappadocia under Ariarathes III. "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. Diodotus, Seleucid Satrap of Bactria, rebelled against Antiochus II (about 255 BC and became the founder of the Graeco-Bactrian kingdom Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran Cappadocia (or Capadocia, Turkish Kapadokya, from Greek: Καππαδοκία / Kappadokía which in turn is from the Persian: Ariarathes III (in Greek Aριαράθης; reigned 262 or 255 &ndash 220 BC) son of Ariamnes, ruler of Cappadocia

Diodotus, governor for the Bactrian territory, asserted independence in around 245 BC, although the exact date is far from certain, to form the Greco-Bactrian kingdom. Diodotus, Seleucid Satrap of Bactria, rebelled against Antiochus II (about 255 BC and became the founder of the Graeco-Bactrian kingdom "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. The Gr(aeco-Bactrian Kingdom was the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world covering Bactria and Sogdiana in Central Asia from 250 This kingdom was characterized by a rich Hellenistic culture, and was to continue its domination of Bactria until around 125 BC, when it was overrun by the invasion of northern nomads. This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. One of the Greco-Bactrian kings, Demetrius I of Bactria, invaded India around 180 BC to form the Greco-Indian kingdom, lasting until around AD 20. Demetrius I (ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣ was a Greco-Bactrian king (reigned circa 200-180 BC The Indo-Greek Kingdom (or sometimes Graeco-Indian Kingdom) covered various parts of the northwest and northern Indian subcontinent during the last two centuries

The Seleucid satrap of Parthia, named Andragoras, first claimed independence, in a parallel to the secession of his Bactrian neighbour. Not to be mistaken for Andragoras, a satrap of Alexander from 331 BCE also in the area of Parthia Soon after however, a Parthian tribal chief called Arsaces took over the Parthian territory around 238 BC to form the Arsacid Dynasty — the starting point of the powerful Parthian Empire. Arsaces I of Parthia (B ??? BC R ca 250 BC - 246 or 211 BC D 246 or 211 BC was the leader of the Parni, who became the King of Parthia and founded the Arsacid Dynasty Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran

By the time Antiochus II's son Seleucus II Callinicus came to the throne around 246 BC, the Seleucids seemed to be at a low ebb indeed. Seleucus II Callinicus or Pogon (the epithets meaning "beautiful victor" and "bearded" respectively was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucus II was soon dramatically defeated in the Third Syrian War against Ptolemy III of Egypt and then had to fight a civil war against his own brother Antiochus Hierax. Syrian Wars were a series of six wars between the Seleucid Empire and the Ptolemaic Kingdom during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC over the region of Coele-Syria Ptolemy III Euergetes, ( Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Εὐεργέτης, Ptolemaĩos Euergétēs, reigned 246 BC&ndash222 BC was the third ruler Antiochus Hierax (in Greek Aντιoχoς Ιεραξ; killed 226 BC so called from his grasping and ambitious character was a separatist ruler of the Greek Taking advantage of this distraction, Bactria and Parthia seceded from the empire. In Asia Minor too, the Seleucid dynasty seemed to be losing control — Gauls had fully established themselves in Galatia, semi-independent semi-Hellenized kingdoms had sprung up in Bithynia, Pontus, and Cappadocia, and the city of Pergamum in the west was asserting its independence under the Attalid Dynasty. Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey. Description Several major cities sat on the fertile shores of the Propontis (which is now known as Sea of Marmara) Nicomedia, Chalcedon, Cius Geography The Black Sea region loosely called Pontus by various scholars has a steep rocky coast with rivers that cascade through the gorges of the coastal ranges Cappadocia (or Capadocia, Turkish Kapadokya, from Greek: Καππαδοκία / Kappadokía which in turn is from the Persian: The Attalid dynasty was a Hellenistic dynasty that ruled the city of Pergamon after the death of Lysimachus, a general of Alexander the Great

Revival (223 - 191 BC)

But a revival would begin when Seleucus II's younger son, Antiochus III the Great, took the throne in 223 BC. Antiochus III the Great, ( Greek; ca 241&ndash187 BC ruled 222&ndash187 BC younger son of Seleucus II Callinicus Although initially unsuccessful in the Fourth Syrian War against Egypt, which led to an embarrassing defeat at the Battle of Raphia (217 BC), Antiochus would prove himself to be the greatest of the Seleucid rulers after Seleucus I himself. Syrian Wars were a series of six wars between the Seleucid Empire and the Ptolemaic Kingdom during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC over the region of Coele-Syria The Battle of Raphia, also known as the Battle of Gaza, was a battle of the Syrian Wars fought on 22 June 217 BC near modern Rafah Following his defeat at Raphia, he spent the next ten years on his Anabasis through the eastern parts of his domain — restoring rebellious vassals like Parthia and Greco-Bactria to at least nominal obedience, and even emulating Alexander with an expedition into India where he met with king Sophagasenus. The Gr(aeco-Bactrian Kingdom was the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world covering Bactria and Sogdiana in Central Asia from 250 Sophagasenos or Sophagasenus ( Sanskrit: Subhagasena) was a local Indian king ruling in Kabul and Kapisa valley ( Paropamisade

When he returned to the west in 205 BC, Antiochus found that with the death of Ptolemy IV, the situation now looked propitious for another western campaign. Ptolemy IV Philopator ( Greek:, Ptolemaĩos Philopátōr, reigned 221-205 BC son of Ptolemy III and Berenice II of Egypt was

Antiochus and Philip V of Macedon then made a compact to divide the Ptolemaic possessions outside of Egypt, and in the Fifth Syrian War, the Seleucids ousted Ptolemy V from control of Coele-Syria. Philip V ( Greek Φίλιππος Ε΄) (238 BC - 179 BC was King of Macedon from 221 BC to 179 BC Syrian Wars were a series of six wars between the Seleucid Empire and the Ptolemaic Kingdom during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC over the region of Coele-Syria Ptolemy V Epiphanes ( Greek:, Ptolemaĩos Epiphanḗs, reigned 204 – 181 BCE) son of Ptolemy IV Philopator and Arsinoe Coele-Syria, meaning 'hollow' Syria was the region of southern Syria disputed between the Seleucid dynasty and the Ptolemaic dynasty. The Battle of Panium (198 BC) definitively transferred these holdings from the Ptolemies to the Seleucids. The Battle of Panium was fought in 198 BC between Seleucid and Ptolemaic forces as part of the Syrian Wars. Antiochus appeared, at the least, to have restored the Seleucid Kingdom to glory.

Renewed disintegration

But Antiochus' glory was not to last for long. Following his erstwhile ally Philip's defeat at the hands of Rome in 197 BC, Antiochus now saw the opportunity for expansion into Greece. Encouraged by the exiled Carthaginian general Hannibal, and making an alliance with the disgruntled Aetolian League, Antiochus invaded Greece. Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers Hannibal (Pronounced in Phoenician: Hanniba'al means " Ba'al is my grace " or " Ba'al has given me grace " 247 BC &ndash The Aetolian League was a confederation of states in Ancient Greece centered on the cities of Aetolia in central Greece Unfortunately, this decision led to his downfall: he was defeated by the Romans at the Battle of Thermopylae (191 BC) and Magnesia (190 BC), and was forced to make peace with the Romans by the embarrassing Treaty of Apamea (188 BC) — which forced him to abandon all European territories, ceded all of Asia Minor north of the Taurus Mountains to Pergamum, and set a large indemnity to be paid. The Battle of Thermopylae was fought in 191 BC between a Roman army led by consul Manius Acilius Glabrio and a Seleucid force led by King The Battle of Magnesia was fought in 190 BC near Magnesia ad Sipylum, on the plains of Lydia (modern Turkey) between the Romans The Treaty of Apamea of 188 BC, was Peace treaty between the Roman Republic and Antiochus III (the Great ruler of the Seleucid Empire For the Taurus Mountains on the moon see Montes Taurus. For Mount Taurus outside Cold Spring New York, see Bull Hill. Antiochus died in 187 BC on another expedition to the east, where he sought to extract money to pay the indemnity.

The reign of his son and successor Seleucus IV Philopator (187-175 BC) was largely spent in attempts to pay the large indemnity, and Seleucus was ultimately assassinated by his minister Heliodorus. Seleucus IV Philopator, ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire, reigned from 187 BC to 175 BC over a realm consisting of Syria (now including Cilicia Heliodorus was a minister of Seleucus IV Philopator ca 175 BC, and is said to have assassinated(by poison Seleucus who hoped to succeed to his dominions Seleucus' younger brother, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, now seized the throne. Another Antiochus IV Epiphanes was king in Commagene under Caligula and Claudius. He attempted to restore Seleucid prestige with a successful war against Egypt; but despite driving the Egyptian army back to Alexandria itself, he was forced to withdraw by the Roman envoy Gaius Popillius Laenas, who famously drew a circle in the sand around the king and told him he had to decide whether or not to withdraw from Egypt before leaving the circle. Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια See also Popilius for other Romans with the same name For more information on the Laenas family see Laenas. Antiochus chose to withdraw.

The latter part of his reign saw the further disintegration of the Empire. The Eastern areas remained nearly uncontrollable, as Parthians began to take over the Persian lands; and Antiochus' aggressive Hellenizing (or de-Judaizing) activities led to armed rebellion in Judea — the Maccabee revolt (see the story of Chanukah, Shabbat 21b, Babylonian Talmud). Judea or Judæa ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised Efforts to deal with both the Parthians and the Jews proved fruitless, and Antiochus himself died during an expedition against the Parthians in 164 BC.

Civil war and further decay

After the death of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid Empire became increasingly unstable. Another Antiochus IV Epiphanes was king in Commagene under Caligula and Claudius. Frequent civil wars made central authority tenuous at best. Epiphanes' young son, Antiochus V Eupator, was first overthrown by Seleucus IV's son, Demetrius I Soter in 161 BC. Antiochus V Eupator (ca 173 BC - 162 BC was a ruler of the Greek Seleucid Empire who reigned 164-162 BC Demetrius I (r 162 BC - 150 BC surnamed Soter, was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. Demetrius I attempted to restore Seleucid power in Judea particularly, but was overthrown in 150 BC by Alexander Balas — an impostor who (with Egyptian backing) claimed to be the son of Epiphanes. Judea or Judæa ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised Alexander Balas ( Greek) ruler of the Greek Seleucid kingdom 150-146 BC was a native of Smyrna of humble origin but gave himself Alexander Balas reigned until 145 BC, when he was overthrown by Demetrius I's son, Demetrius II Nicator. For the similarly named Macedonian ruler see Demetrius II of Macedon. Demetrius II proved unable to control the whole of the kingdom, however. While he ruled Babylonia and eastern Syria from Damascus, the remnants of Balas' supporters — first supporting Balas' son Antiochus VI, then the usurping general Diodotus Tryphon — held out in Antioch. Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria. Antiochus VI Dionysus (ca 148&ndash138 BC king of the Hellenistic Seleucid kingdom, was the son of Alexander Balas and Cleopatra Thea Diodotus Tryphon was king of the Hellenistic Seleucid kingdom. Antioch on the Orontes (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ Μεγάλη Antiochia ad Orontem also

Meanwhile, the decay of the Empire's territorial possessions continued apace. By 143 BC, the Jews in form of the Maccabees had fully established their independence. The history of Ancient Israel and Judah is known to us from classical sources including Judaism 's Tanakh or Hebrew Bible (known The Maccabees ( Hebrew: מכבים or מקבים, Makabim or Maqabim; Greek Μακκαβαῖοι, /makav'εï/ were Parthian expansion continued as well. Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran In 139 BC, Demetrius II was defeated in battle by the Parthians and was captured. By this time, the entire Iranian Plateau had been lost to Parthian control. Demetrius Nicator's brother, Antiochus VII, was ultimately able to restore a fleeting unity and vigour to the Seleucid domains, but he too proved unequal to the Parthian threat: he was killed in battle with the Parthians in 129 BC, leading to the final collapse of the Seleucid hold on Babylonia. Antiochus VII Euergetes, nicknamed Sidetes (from Sidon) ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire, reigned from 138 to 129 BC After the death of Antiochus VII, all effective Seleucid rule collapsed, as multiple claimants contested control of what was left of the Seleucid realm in almost unending civil war.

Collapse (100 - 63 BC)

By 100 BC, the once formidable Seleucid Empire encompassed little more than Antioch and some Syrian cities. Antioch on the Orontes (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ Μεγάλη Antiochia ad Orontem also Despite the clear collapse of their power, and the decline of their kingdom around them, nobles continued to play kingmakers on a regular basis, with occasional intervention from Ptolemaic Egypt and other outside powers. Ptolemaic Egypt began when Ptolemy I Soter declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt in 305 BC and ended with the death of queen Cleopatra The Seleucids existed solely because no other nation wished to absorb them — seeing as they constituted a useful buffer between their other neighbours. In the wars in Anatolia between Mithridates VI of Pontus and Sulla of Rome, the Seleucids were largely left alone by both major combatants. See Mithridates for people and concepts with the same name Mithridates VI (Μιθριδάτης 132&ndash63 BC also known as Mithridates Geography The Black Sea region loosely called Pontus by various scholars has a steep rocky coast with rivers that cascade through the gorges of the coastal ranges Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix ( Latin: L•CORNELIVS•L•F•P•N•SVLLA•FELIX (c

Mithridates' ambitious son-in-law, Tigranes the Great, king of Armenia, however, saw opportunity for expansion in the constant civil strife to the south. This article is about a king of Armenia in the 1st century BCE. The Kingdom of Armenia (or Greater Armenia) was an independent kingdom from 190 BC to AD 387 and a client state of the Roman and Persian empires until In 83 BC, at the invitation of one of the factions in the interminable civil wars, he invaded Syria, and soon established himself as ruler of Syria, putting Seleucid rule virtually at an end.

Seleucid rule was not entirely over, however. Following the Roman general Lucullus' defeat of both Mithridates and Tigranes in 69 BC, a rump Seleucid kingdom was restored under Antiochus XIII. For his grandfather and namesake see Lucius Licinius Lucullus. Antiochus XIII Dionysus Philopator Kallinikos, known as Asiaticus was one of the last rulers of the Greek Seleucid kingdom. Even now, civil wars could not be prevented, as another Seleucid, Philip II, contested rule with Antiochus. Philip II Philoromaeus ("Rome-lover" or Barypos ("heavy-foot" a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid kingdom, was son of the Seleucid After the Roman conquest of Pontus, the Romans became increasingly alarmed at the constant source of instability in Syria under the Seleucids. Once Mithridates was defeated by Pompey in 63 BC, Pompey set about the task of remaking the Hellenistic East, by creating new client kingdoms and establishing provinces. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/ Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir ( Classical Latin abbreviation While client nations like Armenia and Judea were allowed to continue some degree of autonomy under local kings, Pompey saw the Seleucids as too troublesome to continue; and doing away with both rival Seleucid princes, he made Syria into a Roman province. Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Judea or Judæa ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised

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The Armenian troops quickly advanced and took the city of Acre [Ptolemais] in Phoenicia. Tigran's Army successfully besieged the onetime seat of the Seleucid capital -- Seleucia-on-Tigris. Josephus in his Antiquities wrote that Queen Alexandra "presented Tigranes, with many valuable gifts, and also ambassadors…" The Queen pledged her loyalty by offering all of Phoenicia to the King of Kings. [4]

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Cultural exchanges

The Seleucid empire's geographic span, from the Aegean Sea to Afghanistan, created a melting pot of various peoples, such as Greeks, Armenians, Persians, Medes, Jews. Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. This article is about the history of the area that has became known as Afghanistan, a territory whose current boundaries were mostly determined in the 19th Century The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox The Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The immense size of the empire, followed by its encompassing nature, made the Seleucid rulers have a governing interest in implementing a policy of racial unity initiated by Alexander. The Hellenization of the Seleucid empire was achieved by the establishment of Greek cities throughout the empire. Hellenization (or Hellenisation) is a term used to describe the spread of Greek culture. Historically significant towns and cities, such as Antioch, were created or renamed with more appropriate Greek names. Antioch on the Orontes (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ Μεγάλη Antiochia ad Orontem also Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The creation of new Greek cities and towns was aided by the fact that the Greek mainland was overpopulated and therefore made the vast Seleucid empire ripe for colonization. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Colonization was used to further Greek interest while facilitating the assimilation of many native groups. Socially, this led to the adoption of Greek practices and customs by the educated native classes in order to further themselves in public life and the ruling Macedonian class gradually adopted some of the local traditions. The Ancient Macedonians (Μακεδόνες Makedónes were an ancient tribe which inhabited the alluvial plain around the rivers Haliacmon and lower Axius, north By 313 BC, Hellenic ideas had begun their almost 250-year expansion into the Near East, Middle East, and Central Asian cultures. It was the empire's governmental framework to rule by establishing hundreds of cities for trade and occupational purposes. Many of the existing cities began — or were compelled by force — to adopt Hellenized philosophic thought, religious sentiments, and politics. Synthesizing Hellenic and indigenous cultural, religious, and philosophical ideas met with varying degrees of success — resulting in times of simultaneous peace and rebellion in various parts of the empire. Such was the case with the Jewish population of the Seleucid empire because the Jews posed a significant problem which eventually led to war. Contrary to the accepting nature of the Ptolemaic empire towards native religions and customs, the Seleucids gradually tried to force Hellenization upon the Jewish people in their territory by outlawing Judaism. This eventually led to the revolt of the Jews under Seleucid control, which would later lead to the Jews achieving independence.

Seleucid Military

As with many of the Hellenistic states that formed after the death of Alexander the Great, the Seleucid armies were based on the Macedonian model and its troops were primarily of Greco-Macedonian origin. Since the Seleucid realm covered much of the eastern portions of the former Persian Empire, its kings had to rely on Eastern people to man its army. They relied on troops that used the Macedonian phalanx, archers from the Eastern peoples and cavalry. Also, the Seleucids had a supply of Indian war elephants which was used to cause fear amongst their enemies. Like the Ptolemies with their wealth, the Seleucid kings had managed to recruit all kinds of people as mercenaries from the Indians living on the Indus to the people of Crete and Galatia. With their wars against Rome, the Seleucids attempted to create units of troops that copied the Roman legions. By 63 BC, the Seleucid Empire along with its army had disbanded. Many of the heavy cavalry was rumored to join the Roman armies in Asia.

Seleucid rulers

History of Iran  Empires of Persia · Kings of Persia BCE Proto-Elamite civilization 3200–2800 Elamite dynasties 2800–550 Mitanni 16th–14th cent. See Also Persian Empire History of Iran and Greater Iran (also referred to as the " Iranian Cultural Continent The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The following is a comprehensive list of kings of Persia, which includes all of the empires ruling over geographical Iran The Proto-Elamite period is the time of ca 3200 BC to 2700 BC when Susa, the later capital of the Elamites began to receive influence from the Elam is the name of an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. Mitanni ( Hittite cuneiform, also Mittani) or Hanigalbat ( Assyrian Hanigalbat Khanigalbat cuneiform) Kassites 16th–12th cent. The Kassites were an Ancient Near Eastern tribe who gained control of Babylonia after the fall of the Old Babylonian Empire after ca Kingdom of Mannai 10th–7th cent. The Mannaeans (country name usually Mannea; Akkadian: Mannai, possibly Biblical Minni, מנּי were an ancient people of unknown origin Median Empire 728–550 Achaemenid Empire 550–330 Seleucid Empire 330–150 Parthian Empire 248–CE 226 CE Sassanid Empire 226–651 Patriarchal Caliphate 637–651 Umayyad Caliphate 661–750 Abbasid Caliphate 750–1258 Tahirid dynasty 821–873 Alavid dynasty 864–928 Sajid dynasty 889/890–929 Saffarid dynasty 861–1003 Samanid dynasty 875–999 Ziyarid dynasty 928–1043 Buwayhid dynasty 934–1055 Sallarids 942–979 Ghaznavid Empire 963–1187 Ghori dynasty 1149–1212 Seljukid Empire 1037–1194 Khwarezmid dynasty 1077–1231 Ilkhanate 1256–1353 Muzaffarid dynasty 1314–1393 Chupanid dyansty 1337–1357 Jalayerid dynasty 1339–1432 Timurid Empire 1370–1506 Qara Qoyunlu Turcomans 1407–1468 Aq Qoyunlu Turcomans 1378–1508 Safavid dynasty 1501–1722* Hotaki Ghilzai dynasty 1722–1729 Afsharid dynasty 1736–1802 Zand dynasty 1750–1794 Qajar dynasty 1781–1925 Pahlavi dynasty 1925–1979 Islamic Revolution 1979 Provisional Government 1979–1980 Islamic Republic of Iran since 1980 * or 1736 Timeline edit

• Seleucus I Nicator (Satrap 311–305 BC, King 305 BC–281 BC)
• Antiochus I Soter (co-ruler from 291, ruled 281–261 BC)
• Antiochus II Theos (261–246 BC)
• Seleucus II Callinicus (246–225 BC)
• Seleucus III Ceraunus (or Soter) (225–223 BC)
• Antiochus III the Great (223–187 BC)
• Seleucus IV Philopator (187–175 BC)
• Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 BC)
• Antiochus V Eupator (164–162 BC)
• Demetrius I Soter (161–150 BC)
• Alexander I Balas (150–145 BC)
• Demetrius II Nicator (first reign, 145–138 BC)
• Antiochus VI Dionysus (or Epiphanes) (145–140 BC?)
• Diodotus Tryphon (140?–138 BC)
• Antiochus VII Sidetes (or Euergetes) (138–129 BC)
• Demetrius II Nicator (second reign, 129–126 BC)
• Alexander II Zabinas (129–123 BC)
• Cleopatra Thea (126–123 BC)
• Seleucus V Philometor (126/125 BC)
• Antiochus VIII Grypus (125–96 BC)
• Antiochus IX Cyzicenus (114–96 BC)
• Seleucus VI Epiphanes Nicator (96–95 BC)
• Antiochus X Eusebes Philopator (95–92 BC or 83 BC)
• Demetrius III Eucaerus (or Philopator) (95–87 BC)
• Antiochus XI Epiphanes Philadelphus (95–92 BC)
• Philip I Philadelphus (95–84/83 BC)
• Antiochus XII Dionysus (87–84 BC)
• (Tigranes I of Armenia) (83–69 BC)
• Seleucus VII Kybiosaktes or Philometor (70s BC–60s BC?)
• Antiochus XIII Asiaticus (69–64 BC)
• Philip II Philoromaeus (65–63 BC)

Notes

See also

• Hellenistic Greece
• Parthian Empire
• Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
• Indo-Greek Kingdom
• Hasmonean Dynasty

External links

• Livius, The Seleucid Empire by Jona Lendering
• Genealogy of the Seleucids

The Hellenistic period of European history was the period between the death of Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon in 323 BC and the annexation Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran The Gr(aeco-Bactrian Kingdom was the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world covering Bactria and Sogdiana in Central Asia from 250 The Indo-Greek Kingdom (or sometimes Graeco-Indian Kingdom) covered various parts of the northwest and northern Indian subcontinent during the last two centuries The Hasmoneans (/hæzməˡniən/ חשמונאים Hashmonaiym, Audio were the ruling dynasty of the Hasmonean Kingdom ( 140 &ndash 37 BCE

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