APOLLONIO. - Four (or three) officials of the Seleucid kings, mentioned in I and II Mach.
1. A., son of Mnesteo, military governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia under Seleuco IV Filopatore (187–175 B.C.); he is identical with A. Tarseo or Traseo (of Tarseo). He advised his king to plunder the riches of the Temple of Jerusalem and took part in Eliodoro’s ill-fated undertaking. He was sent by Antioco IV Epifane (175–163) as ambassador to Tolomeo IV Filometore of Egypt. He was killed in 166 B.C. by Giuda Maccabeo (I Mach. 3, 4–12; II Mach. 4, 4–21).
2. A., “chief of the exactions” (I Mach. 1, 30), sent by Antioco IV Epifane to Jerusalem to impose Hellenization through terror. With an army of 22,000 men he treacherously defeated the Jews, attacking them on the Sabbath (II Mach. 5, 24–26). He may be identical with the preceding A.
3. A., governor of Coelesyria under Alessandro Bala; having subsequently sided with Demetrio II Nicanore, he waged war against Gionata Maccabeo, a partisan of Alessandro, and was defeated near Azoto in 147 B.C. (I Mach. 10, 67–87). Flavio Giuseppe (Antiq. Iud., XIII, 4, 3) calls him A. Dans, a member of the Sogdian tribe of the Dai.
4. A., son of Genneo (II Mach. 12, 2), general of Antioco V Eupatore (163–162 B.C.), attacked the Maccabees in time of peace.