SELEUCUS I, Monophthalmus Nicator (312-280 B.C.), who under Alexander the Great (v.) commanded the cavalry, received the government of Babylonia. He took part in a great many of the numerous wars among the Diadochi, especially against Antigonus Monophthalmus, remaining always an ally of Ptolemy. After the victory of Issus (summer 301 B.C.) over Antigonus, Seleucus received Armenia, Cappadocia and Syria, in which Coele-Syria (v.) with Palestine was also included by right, but which in fact remained under the sovereignty of Ptolemy son
(Int. Alinari)
SELEUCIDS - Bust of Antiochus III the Great - Paris, Louvre.
by Lago. Having eliminated the diadochus Lysimachus with the victory of Corupedium (282-281 B.C.), Seleucus obtained a large part of his territory on this side of the Taurus. He was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus in 280.
He was succeeded by his son ANTIOCHUS I (v.) Soter (280-261), who left power to his second-born son ANTIOCHUS II (v.) Theos; the latter, before dying, declared as heir his first-born son Seleucus, whom he had already removed along with his mother Laodice, by marrying Berenice, daughter of Ptolemy II.
SELEUCUS II, called Callinicus (247-266 B.C.), had to endure the "Third Syrian War," or that "of Laodice," named after his mother (246-241). Ptolemy III Euergetes I (246-221) obtained a complete success, managing to conquer a large part of the Seleucid Kingdom, including the capital.
In the peace Seleucus not only had to recognize Lagid dominion in Palestine and Coele-Syria, but was forced to abandon very many strategic points along the coast, among them also Seleucia (v.). Once the Syrian War was over, Seleucus was engaged against his own brother Antiochus Hierax, who with the help of his mother Laodice aspired to the establishment of an independent kingdom in Babylonia.
Seleucus II was succeeded by his son SELEUCUS III Ceraunus, who reigned barely three years (226-223) without accomplishing anything noteworthy. He was succeeded by his younger brother ANTIOCHUS III the Great (v.), who reigned from 223 to 187; defeated by the Romans (191) at Magnesia, he left a kingdom impoverished and reduced in its extent.
SELEUCUS IV Philopator (187-175) inherited these conditions from his father and neither knew how nor was able to change them. Already St. Jerome (PL 25, 564 ff.), following the Greek text of Dan. 11:20, defined his reign as insignificant. To him is owed the mission of Heliodorus to plunder the Temple of Jerusalem (2 Macc. 3:7 ff.). The initiative is explained by his financial difficulties; but personally S. showed himself rather benevolent toward the Jews (ibid. 3:3).
Seleucus was succeeded by his brother ANTIOCHUS IV (v.) Epiphanes, who in his reign (175-163) adopted a hostile policy against the Jews. Against the latter's son, ANTIOCHUS V Eupator (163-162), rose the legitimate DEMETRIUS I (v.), son of Seleucus IV, surnamed Soter (162-150), who died fighting against the usurper Alexander Balas, proclaimed king in 153 after landing at Ptolemais. The latter in turn was overthrown by the son of Demetrius I, called DEMETRIUS II (v.) Nicator, who reigned twice (145-138 and 129-125), always beset by rivals and by irredentist movements in various parts of the Kingdom; the first time he had to divide his dominion with TRYPHON (v.), who reigned first as tutor of the young ANTIOCHUS VI Dionysus (145-141) and then directly in his own name (141-38); Tryphon was defeated by ANTIOCHUS VII (v.) Sidetes, brother of Demetrius II, who in that year fell prisoner to the Parthians. These continuous civil struggles allowed the rebellion of the Maccabees (166 ff.) to establish itself, and in the time of Simon (141 B.C.) Judea achieved complete independence.
Antiochus VII (138-129) was followed by the second reign of Demetrius II, against whom, at the instigation of Ptolemy VII, rose a supposed son of Alexander Balas, namely Alexander Zabinas (125-123), while Cleopatra Thea killed her own second-born son SELEUCUS V, son of Demetrius II. The latter's brother, ANTIOCHUS VIII Grypus, defeated Alexander Zabinas and proclaimed himself king together with his mother; his reign (125-96) was interrupted by a revolt of his half-brother ANTIOCHUS IX Cyzicenus, who resisted for a couple of years in Antioch (113-112) and even after he was driven from the capital exercised a sovereign authority (112-96) in Coele-Syria and Phoenicia from Damascus, proclaimed the center of the new Kingdom. Amid continuous struggles, intrigues and divisions the Kingdom grew ever weaker. Antiochus VIII too was killed by the courtier Heracleon, who proclaimed as king the son of the slain man, SELEUCUS VI, and defeated Antiochus IX, who believed he could unify the Kingdom. Both Seleucus VI Epiphanes and Antiochus IX Cyzicenus had successors in continuous war among themselves. ANTIOCHUS X Eusebes (95-83), son of the Cyzicenus, struggled with the various successors of Seleucus VI, namely ANTIOCHUS XI Epiphanes Philadelphus, PHILIP I Epiphanes, DEMETRIUS III Eucaerus, ANTIOCHUS XII Dionysus. This throng of pretenders, always ready to tear each other apart, but inert in opposing the successes of foreign kings and local lords, ended in 65 B.C., when Pompey the Great eliminated the last Seleucid, namely ANTIOCHUS XIII Asiaticus, son of Antiochus X, declaring Syria a Roman province.
Bibliography6 works
Angelo Penna