Anti'ochus

Anti'ochus, the name of thirteen kings of Syria of the Seleucid dynasty. ANTIOCHUS I., surnamed Soter (reigned 281–261 B.C.), the first of the Syrian dynasty of the Seleucidae, was the son of Seleucus, one of the generals and successors of Alexander. The murder of his father in 281 gave him the whole Syrian empire, but left him too weak to assert his right to Macedonia. Antiochus gained the name of Soter ('Saviour') for a victory over the Gauls, but fell in a subsequent battle with them in 261.—ANTIOCHUS II. (261–246), surnamed Theos ('God') by the Milesians, whom he freed from their tyrant Timarchus. On the death of Ptolemy, whose daughter Berenice he had been compelled to marry, Antiochus recalled his former wife Laodice; but she, in revenge for the insult which she had received, caused Antiochus to be murdered, along with Berenice and her son. Antiochus lost the provinces of Parthia and Bactria.—ANTIOCHUS III., surnamed the Great, the son and successor of Seleucus Callinicus, and grandson of the preceding, was the most distinguished of the Seleucidae. He reigned from 223 to 187. He failed in his attempts to recover Parthia and Bactria, and waged war with success against Ptolemy Philopater, and though defeated in a great battle fought at Raphia near Gaza (217), he afterwards obtained entire possession of Palestine and Coele-Syria (198). In this war he was assisted by the Jews, to whom he granted many privileges. Fearing the power of the Romans, Antiochus at length concluded a peace with Egypt, betrothed his daughter Cleopatra to the young king Ptolemy, and gave her Coele-Syria and Palestine as a dowry. He afterwards became involved in war with the Romans, who had conquered Macedonia; but he declined to invade Italy at the instigation of Hannibal, who had come to his court for refuge. He crossed over into Greece, but was defeated in 191 at Thermopylæ, and in 190 by Scipio at Magnesia. Peace was granted him only on condition of his yielding all his dominions east of Mount Taurus, and paying a heavy tribute. In order to raise the money, he attacked a wealthy temple in Elymais, when the people rose against him, and killed him (187 B.C.).—ANTIOCHUS IV. (175–164 B.C.), surnamed Epiphanes, fought against Egypt and conquered great part of it. He twice took Jerusalem; and, endeavouring there to establish the worship of Greek gods, he by his tyranny and sacrilege excited the Jews to a successful insurrection under their leaders Mattathias and his heroic sons, the Maccabees.—The last of the Seleucidae, ANTIOCHUS XIII., surnamed Asiaticus, was deprived of his kingdom by Pompey, who reduced Syria to a Roman province (65 B.C.).