The Fall of the Seleukid Empire, 187-75 BC by John D. Grainger

Author:John D. Grainger [Grainger, John D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: new
ISBN: 9781473874190
Goodreads: 28205082
Publisher: Pen & Sword
Published: 2016-02-28T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Dynastic Conflict (129–121 BC)

There was a formidable range of potential Seleukid kings – and a queen – when Demetrios II returned to Syria. There was Demetrios himself, who naturally reclaimed the kingship of which he had been deprived for a decade. There was his wife, Kleopatra Thea, who had acted as a monarch in disposing of the kingship to Demetrios’ brother, and who had ruled in Syria twice, for two years each time, while her successive husbands were campaigning in the east. There were the children of Demetrios II and Kleopatra Thea – Seleukos and Antiochos – and those of Antiochos VII and Kleopatra Thea – two Antiochoi and a Seleukos. Of these last, Seleukos was in Parthian captivity; also probably held by the Parthians was Laodike, the daughter of Demetrios and Kleopatra, now said to be married to Phraates II. The daughters of Antiochos and Kleopatra, also both called Laodike, were also alive. Then there were at least two children born to Rhodogune in her marriage with Demetrios II, whose names are not known, and in future any children born to Phraates and Laodike. In addition there proved to be another element, not known to anyone as yet.

Demetrios II reached Antioch during the Seleukid year 183, which is 130–129 BC. Since it was in the spring of that year that he had been released, he presumably arrived in Syria in the late spring of 129. (He had been released before Antiochos was killed, which happened while his army was still in winter quarters, which were probably intended to break up about March.) We do not have the precise timings and dates provided earlier by the Babylonian Diarist, whose tablets are missing at this point, but the coins issued by several cities are dated and can provide clues as to the sequence of events. Once again the historians have dealt with Syrian and Babylonian events separately, whereas the coins show a timing overlap.

Antiochos VII was killed in the spring of 129, according to the accounts in Justin and Diodoros.1 By then Demetrios had been set free, and escaped from his Parthian handlers about the same time. It took some time for the news of Antiochos’ death to spread, and to be verified, and the mint at Seleukeia-on-the-Tigris coined for him into the next Seleukid year, 184.2 By that time Sidon, Tyre and Ptolemais-Ake were already coining for Demetrios II, and indeed Tyre and Damascus had done so in 183, having begun by coining in Antiochos’ name earlier in that year.3 So Demetrios reached Syria in time for mints to design and produce new coins in his name before the end of 183 SE, while Seleukeia-on-the-Tigris had still produced coins for Antiochos into 184. It would therefore seem that Demetrios had been released by Phraates well before his brother’s death, as is only to be expected, and had made his best speed back to Syria.

It is surprising, given that conclusion, that no coins in Demetrios’ name were produced by the mints of the great north Syrian cities, in particular Antioch.

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