DEMETRIO. — Alexandrian chronographer, a Hellenistic Jew of the time of Ptolemy IV (222–205 B.C.). He wrote a chronography from Moses to his own time, entitled On the Kings [who reigned] in Judea (Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, I, 21: PG 8, 878), based on complicated combinations exploiting hints from the Bible. He is among the sources of Josephus, especially for the Jewish Antiquities.
He establishes, for example, the date of birth of each of Jacob’s sons. In addition to this, three other fragments of D. have been preserved by Eusebius, Praeparatio evangelica, IX, 21: the history of Jacob, from his journey to Mesopotamia until his death; 29, 1–3: the genealogy of Sephora, wife of Moses, from Abraham and Cetura; 29, 15: the story of the bitter water (Ex. 15, 22 ff.); PG 21, 714–22, 738 ff., 746. Eusebius derives them from the collection of Alexander Polyhistor (80–40 B.C.). D. already uses the Greek version of the Pentateuch, known as that of the Septuagint.
Francesco Spadafora
DEMETRIO. — Three kings of Syria from the Seleucid dynasty (v.).
D. I, SOTER. - Son of Seleucus IV; he reigned from 162 to 150 B.C. (Seleucid era: 151-162).
A hostage of the Romans from 175, in place of his uncle Antiochus IV, he fled at the age of twenty-three, also with the support of Polybius, with an escort of sixteen men; he reached Tripoli in Syria, seized Antioch, and had Antiochus V, his cousin, who was then on the throne, killed, together with his tutor Lysias (162). He subdued Babylonia, receiving the title of Σωτήρ (“saviour”) for his victory over the rebellious satrap Timarchus.
He intervened successfully, at least temporarily, in Cappadocia. In Judaea he supported the Hellenizers, imposing the high priesthood of Alcimus by force of arms. He sent Bacchides, then Nicanor, and thereafter Bacchides again against Judas Maccabaeus, who, after defeating and killing Nicanor, met a heroic end, and against Jonathan, who had succeeded his brother Judas. When D. found himself threatened by the usurper Alexander Balas, he sought the support of the Jews, granting Jonathan—who was the effective leader after the death of Alcimus and the withdrawal of Bacchides—the right to enlist armed men and free the hostages held by the Syrians. Jonathan took advantage of these concessions, but joined Balas, who offered him the high priesthood, the purple, and the diadem, rightly judging the subsequent offers made by D. to be insincere. He died fighting bravely against Alexander Balas (150). Cf. I Mach. 9, 9-10, 50; II Mach. 14-15.
In 146 he confirmed Gionata in his dignity as high priest and exempted the Jews from tribute (I Mach. 11, 10–37), although Gionata had been loyal to Bala and had fought against Apollonius, D.’s general (I Mach. 10, 77–87). During Trifone’s revolt, D. was supported by the Jews, who saved him from the insurgent crowd in Antioch (I Mach. 11, 44–51). But D. failed to keep the promises he had made, and Gionata began to support Antioco VI and Trifone; he fought against D.’s generals (I Mach. 11, 52–74; 12, 24–34). But after Gionata was betrayed and killed by Trifone, Simone, the last of the Maccabee brothers, again supported D., who granted Judea the fullest autonomy (142). Cf. I Mach. 13, 34–43; 14, 38 ff. In 138, D. was taken prisoner by the Parthians (I Mach. 14, 1–3), while his brother Antioco VII drove out Trifone and seized the throne. In 130 the latter died fighting against the Parthians, and D. resumed the throne. He ended by being assassinated (125) while attempting to embark at Tiro in order to escape the usurper Alexander Zebina.