Kingdoms of Syria - Seleucids


Seleucid (Hellenic) Empire 305 - 63 BC Upon the death of Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, his generals divided the empire between them. Seleucus I gained a huge swathe of territory from Lydia in western Anatolia through the Middle East (including Syria, Phoenicia, and Mesopotamia), to Armenia, Media, Bactria and Persia. The initial capital was at Babylon, but the empire contained such a mix of races and languages that it was rarely a united entity, and gradual losses of territory drove the Seleucids westwards. Their later capital was at Antioch, founded and named after one of their kings. The empire eventually became bottled up in Syria, with enemies all around it.

ARGAED DYNASTY The Argead were the ruling family and founders of Macedonia who reached their greatest extent under Alexander the Great and his two successors before the kingdom broke up into several Hellenic sections. Alexander's successors held no real power, being mere figureheads for the generals who really held control of Alexander's empire.
332 - 323 BC	Alexander III the Great	King of Macedonia. Conquered Persia.
323 - 317 BC	Philip III Arrhidaeus	Feeble-minded half-brother of Alexander the Great.
317 - 310 BC	Alexander IV of Macedonia	Infant son of Alexander the Great and Roxana.
323 - 320 BC	Archon	Satrap of Babylonia (323-320 BC). Replaced by Seleucus Nicator.

SELEUCID DYNASTY Seleucus fought a number of wars as the Greek Empire fragmented in order to secure his own hold on power. In 311 BC he gained Babylon from the Empire of Antigonus and safely held it while Antigonus tried to retrieve it (until 309 BC). The final of these wars was the Fourth War of the Diadochi (generals), which followed the murder of Alexander IV and helped to finalise the empire's borders. When Antigonus proclaimed himself king in 306 BC, all the other surviving generals followed suite, confirming the dismantling of the empire into various regional domains.
305 - 281 BC	Seleucus I Nicator	General in Alexander's Army. Satrap 320-305 BC.
c.303 BC	Seleucus concedes India to Chandragupta Maurya.
280 - 261 BC	Antiochus I Soter	(pr. An-ty-o-kus).
261 - 247 BC	Antiochus II Theos (Anityoka)
248 BC	Parthia gains independence. The Arsacid (Parthian) Era begins in 248/247 BC. This results in a gradual diminution of the Seleucid control of Persia.
246 - 226 BC	Seleucus II Callinicus 246-226
239 BC	Parthian incursion into Central Persia cuts off the Seleucids from the province of Bactria, so the Macedonian satrap there declares a kingdom of his own.
226 - 223 BC	Seleucus III Ceraunus ("Thunderbolt")
223 - 187 BC	Antiochus III the Great	Indian Campaign 212-205. Took Ptolemaic Palestine 201-199.
217 BC	Fighting the Egyptian Ptolemy IV for control of their mutual border, Antiochus is fought to a draw at Raphia.
198 BC	The Seleucids gain Judah and Phoenicia from Hellenic Egypt.
190 - 188 BC	Rome defeats the Seleucids in the Seleucid War, taking Asia Minor as a province in 188 BC. Lydia is probably lost to Pergamum at the same time.
187 - 175 BC	Seleucus IV Philopator	Lost eastern Persia to Parthian expansion in 185 BC.
175 - 164 BC	Antiochus IV Epiphanes	Egyptian expedition 170-168 BC.
165 BC	Antiochus IV tries to introduce Hellenic culture into Jerusalem. The resulting Maccabaean revolt splits Judea away from Seleucid control, and the Jews recreate their own independent state based around Jerusalem.
164 - 162 BC	Antiochus V Eupator
162 - 150 BC	Demetrius I Soter
159 - 147 BC	[Alexander Balas]
146 - 140 BC	Demetrius II Nicator	Deposed.
142 - 141 BC	The Maccabees are uncontested in Judea in 142 BC. The Parthians take Media in 141 BC.
140 BC	The city of Beirut is taken and destroyed by Diodotus Tryphon in his contest with Antiochus VII for the throne.
145 - 142 BC	Antiochus VI Ephiphanes Dionysus
139 - 129 BC	Antiochus VII Eugergetes	Killed.
139 - 130 BC	The Parthians take Persia. Antiochus is the last Seleucid emperor of the east.
129 - 126 BC	Demetrius II Nicator	Restored. Killed by Parthians.
126 BC	The Parthians take Babylonia, killing Demetrius in the process. The Seleucids are left with nothing but Syria.
126 - 121 BC	Cleopatra Thea
126 - 125 BC	Seleucus V
125 - 96 BC	Antiochus VIII Philometer Grypus
116 - 95 BC	Antiochus IX Philopator Cyzicenus
96 - 95 BC	Seleucus VI Epiphanes Nicator
95 - 83 BC	Antiochus X Eusebes Philopator
95 BC	Antiochus XI Epiphanes Philadelphus
95 - 83 BC	Philip I Epiphanes Philadelphus
95 - 88 BC	Demetrius III Philopator Soter Eucairus
87 - 84 BC	Antiochus XII Dionysus
83 - 69 BC	[Tigranes of Armenia]	Artashesid King of Armenia.
69 BC	Armenia and Rome go to war, and the former's defeat frees Syria of its control. The following year, Byblos is lost to Rome.
69 - 64 BC	Antiochus XIII Asiaticus
66 - 63 BC	Philip II Philorhomaeus
63 BC	Virtually crushed out of existence by the Romans on one side and the Parthians on the other, the Seleucids fall to Rome and Syria becomes a Roman Province.

Middle East Kingdoms

Syria