TRIFONE (Τρύφων, Trypho). - Usurper of the Seleucid throne (141–138 B.C.). While I Maccabees prefers this name, classical authors call him Diodotus (Appian, Syriaca, 68; Strabo, XIV, 5,2). Born in Cassiane near Apamea on the Orontes (Strabo, XVI, 2, 10), T. held a high office in the time of Alessandro Bala ([v.] Diodorus, XXXIII, 3; Fl. Josephus, Antiq. Ind., XIII, 131).
He took advantage of the discontent among the soldiers of Demetrius II to seize power, presenting to the people the son of Alessandro Bala, who was living with the Arab Emalchuel (I Macc. 11, 38-40). At the beginning of the struggle against Demetrius, T. turned to Ionathan (v.), asking for recognition and support, offering him numerous concessions for Judaea and appointing Simone strategus of Palestine (ibid. 11, 54-59). He occupied Antioch and the regions to the west and south (145 B.C.), while Demetrius still controlled the northern and eastern provinces. Around 141 T., who aspired to replace the boy Antiochus VI directly, assuming the title of king, seized Ionathan by a stratagem (ibid. 12, 39-48) at Ptolemais; shortly thereafter, he marched against Simone, extorting him with the promise of the prisoner’s release; but, having obtained the money, he killed Ionathan (ibid. 13, 12-30).
Then T. proclaimed himself king (ibid. 13, 31 ff.; Appian, Syriaca, 68; Diodorus, XXXIII, 17; Justin, XXXVI, 1; Fl. Josephus, Antiq. Ind., XIII, 187, 218). But, opposed by Demetrius II and then by the latter’s brother Antiochus VII Sidetes, T. was defeated in 138 B.C. at Dora (I Macc. 15, 25) and then at Orthosia (ibid. 15, 37), between Tripoli and the Nahr el-Kebir. T. ended his life as leader of a band of pirates (Strabo, XIV, 5, 2). Angelo Penna