BACCHIDES (“son of Bacchus”). — A Syrian general of the Seleucid kingdom, who took part on three occasions in the struggle against the Maccabees in Palestine. Sent by Demetrius I Soter to Jerusalem to install the high priest Alcimus (v.) and to support the Hellenist party (161 B.C.), he killed many faithful Jews and succeeded in part, by cunning, in dissolving the party of Judas Maccabaeus (I Mach. 7, 8–25). Having returned to Judaea with an army to avenge the defeat of Nicanor, at Elasa (perhaps near el-Birèh) he defeated the few (800) soldiers of Judas, who was killed in the battle (I Mach. 9, 1–18). After Syrian rule had been restored, B. was obliged for a long time to withstand an exhausting guerrilla war against the nationalists gathered in the southern mountains around Jonathan Maccabaeus. Upon the death of Alcimus he returned to Antioch, leaving many garrisons in fortified strongholds; but in 157 B.C. he was again in Judaea, where, being unable to overcome Jonathan, who always eluded him, he came to an agreement (I Mach. 9, 37–73).
Perhaps distinct from him is the B., a general of Antiochus IV, mentioned in II Mach. 8, 30. Angelo Penna