Ancient Syria by Bryce Trevor

Author:Bryce, Trevor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Published: 2014-09-07T16:00:00+00:00

Antiochus ‘the Great’

That left Antiochus free to turn his attention eastwards once more. The famous series of campaigns on which he now embarked, from 212 to 205/4 BC, are known as the king’s anabasis or ‘ascent’.16 They began with Antiochus’ assertion of his control over the lands of Commagene and Armenia in eastern Anatolia, after which he marched his troops across Mesopotamia and the Iranian plateau deep into central Asia. Seleucid authority was reimposed over all the countries through which he passed, including the rebel lands Parthia, Bactria, and Gandhara. The king had now reached the frontier-territories of India. Here, he reaffirmed the links which his great-grandfather Seleucus I had established with the Mauryan ruler Chandragupta, by renewing the old Seleucid alliance with the current Indian king Sophagasenus. This provided an appropriate finale to Antiochus’ eastern enterprises. It was now time for him to return home. On the way, he decided to attack and plunder the wealthy Arab city of Gerrha on the Persian Gulf (in the north-east of modern Saudi Arabia). But before the attack began, the Gerrhaeans sent a delegation to him, begging him ‘not to abolish the gifts of perpetual peace and freedom that the gods had bestowed upon them’.17 Their plea proved persuasive, especially when they sweetened it with a substantial bribe: 500 talents of silver topped up with spices from the Persian Gulf, consisting of 1,000 talents of frankincense and 200 of stacte (oil of myrrh or cinnamon). Such a gift was worth a king’s mercy. Antiochus left the city intact and set sail from the Gulf along the Tigris for his royal capital Seleuceia.

His anabasis restored to Seleucid control virtually all the territories won by Seleucus I, and in recognition of his achievement, he was called Megas, ‘the Great’. ‘He put his kingdom in a position of safety,’ comments Polybius, ‘overawing all subject to him by his courage and industry. It was this expedition, in fact, which made him appear worthy of his throne, not only to the inhabitants of Asia, but to those of Europe likewise.’18 Modern scholars have rather mixed views on what Antiochus actually accomplished by his anabasis. One sees real substance in his achievement, with the firm re-imposition of Seleucid control over formerly held Seleucid territories, and perhaps new territories added, another sees it as something of a mirage, with the eastern lands quickly settling back down to doing their own thing after Antiochus and his army left.19

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