1. A., son of Menestheus, military governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia under Seleucus IV Philopator (187–175 B.C.); he is identical with A. of Tarsus or Thrason (of Tarsus). He advised his king to plunder the treasures of the temple in Jerusalem and took part in the ill-fated expedition of Heliodorus. Under Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–163 B.C.) he was sent as ambassador to Ptolemy IV Philometor of Egypt. He was killed in 166 B.C. by Judas Maccabaeus (1 Macc. 3:4–12; 2 Macc. 4:4–21).
2. A., “chief of the tribute” (1 Macc. 1:30), invited by Antiochus IV Epiphanes to Jerusalem to enforce Hellenization by terrorism. With an army of 22,000 men he treacherously defeated the Jews, attacking them on the Sabbath (2 Macc. 5:24–26). He may be identical with the preceding A.
3. A., governor of Coele-Syria under Alexander Bala; later siding with Demetrius II Nicator, he waged war against Jonathan Maccabaeus, partisan of Alexander, and was defeated near Azotus in 147 B.C. (1 Macc. 10:67–87). Flavius Josephus (Antiq. Iud., XIII, 4, 3) calls him A. Daus, a member of the Sogdian tribe of the Dai.
4. A., son of Genneus (2 Macc. 12:2), general of Antiochus V Eupator (163–162 B.C.), attacked the Maccabees during a time of peace.