Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/216

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
loc cit.
loc cit.

198 ANTIOCIIUS. Joseph. Ant. xii. 3. § 3; Diod. Eac. pp. 573— 575, ed. Wess. ; Sti-ab. xvi. p. 744 ; Frohlich, Annales, p. 39 ; Etkhel, iii. p. 220, &c.) Apollo is represented on the reverse of the foregoing coin. ANTI'OCHUS IV. {'Avrioxos), king of Syria, sumamed EPIPHANES CETTi^aiajs), and on coins Theos (0eJs) also, was the son of Antiochus III., and was given as a hostage to the Romans in B. c. 188. He was released from captivity in B. c. 175 through his brother Seleucus Philopator, who gave his own son Demetrius in his stead. While Antiochus was at Athens on his return to Sj'rla in this year, Seleucus was murdered by Heliodo- nis, who seized upon the crown. Antiochus, however, with the assistance of Attalus easily expelled the usurper, and ascended the throne in the same year. (b. c. 175.) Demetrius remained at Rome. Cleopatra, the sister of Antiochus, who had been betrothed to Ptolemy Epiphanes, was now dead, and Antiochus therefore claimed the pro- vinces of Coele-Syria and Palestine, which had been given as her dowry. As the Ronicins were at this time engaged in a war with Perseus, king of Macedonia, Antiochus thought it a favourable opportunity to prosecute his claims, and accord- ingly declared war against Egypt In four cam- paigns (b. c. 171 — 168), he not only obtained possession of the countries to which he laid claim, but .ilmost completed the conquest of Egypt, and, was preparing to lay siege to Alexandria, when a Roman embassy commanded him to retire from the country. This command he thought it most prudent to obey, but he still retained possession of Coele-Syria and Palestine. The cruelties which Antiochus perpetrated against the Jews during this war, are recorded in the books of the Macca- bees, and have rendered his name infamous. He took Jerusalem on his return from his second campaign into Egypt (b. c. 170), and again at the end of the fourth campaign (b. c. 168), and en- deavoured to root out the Jewish religion and introduce the worship of the Greek divinities ; but this attempt led to a rising of the Jewish people, under Mattiithias and his heroic sons the Macca- bees, which Antiochus was unable to put down, liysias, who was sent against them with a large army, was defeated ; and Antiochus, who was in the eastern provinces at the time, hastened his re- turn in order to avenge the disgrace which had liefallen his arms. On his return he attempted to plunder a temple in Elj'mais, probably the same as his father had attacked, but was repulsed, and shortly afterwards died at Tabae in Persia, in a state of raving madness, which the Jews and Greeks equally attributed to his sacrilegious crimes. His subjects gave him the name of Epimanes {'Eirifxayi^s) in parody of Epiphanes {'EirKpauTJs). COIN OK ANTIOCHUS IV. ANTIOCHUS. He died in b. c. 164, after a reign of 11 years. He left a son, Antiochus Eupator, who succeeded him, and a daughter, Laodice. (Liv. lib. xli. — xlv. ; Polyb. lib. xxvi. — xxxi. ; Justin, xxiv. 3 ; Diod. Em. pp. 579, 583, &c., ed. Wess.; Appian, Si/r. 45, 66 ; Maccab. lib. i. ii. ; Joseph. Aiit. xii. 5 ; Hieronym. ad Dan. ell; Eckhel. iii. p. 222, &c.) On the reverse of the foregoing coin Jupiter is represented, holding a small figure of Victoiy in his right hand, and a spear in his left. ANTI'OCHUS V. ('Ai/Ti'oxos), king of Syria, sumamed EUPATOR {EvwaTup), was nine years old at his father's death, and reigned nominally for two years, (b. c. 164 — 162.) Lysias assumed the guardianship of the young king, though An- tiochus IV. had appointed Philip to this office. Lysias, accompanied by the young king, continued the war against the Jews, and laid siege to Jeru- salem ; but hearing that Philip was marching against him from Persis, he concluded a peace with the Jews. He then proceeded against Philip, whom he conquered and put to death. The Ro- mans, availing themselves of the distracted state of Syria, sent an embassy to enforce the tenns of the peace which had been concluded with Antiochus the Great ; but an insurrection was excited in con- sequence of these commands, in which Octavius, the chief of the embassy, was slain. About the same time Demetrius Soter, the son of Seleucus Philopator, who had remained in Rome up to this time [see Antiochus IV.], appeared in Syria and laid claim to the throne. Lysias and the young king fell into his hands, and were immediately put to death by him, B.C. 162. (Polyb. xxxi. 12, 19 ; Appian, Si/r. 46, 66 ; Joseph. A7it. xii. 10 ; 1 Mac- ca/j. vi., &c. ; 2 Maccab. xiii., &c. ; Cic. Phil. ix. 2.) Apollo is represented on the reverse of the annexed coin, as in those of Antiochus I. and III. The in- scription at the foot, ETnAT0P02, is partly cut olf. coin of antiochus v. ANTI'OCHUS VI. ('A..Ti'oxos), king of Syria, sumamed THEOS (Oeos), and on coins Epiphanes Dionysus {'EirKpavris AiSwcros), was the son of Alexander Balas, king of Syria [see p. 114, b.], and remained in Arabia after his father's death in B. c. 146. Two years afterwards (b. c. 144), while he was still a youth, he was brought forward as a claimant to the crown against Demetrius Nicator by Tryphon, or Diodotus, who had been one of his father's chief ministers. Tryphon met with great success ; Jonathan and Simon, the leaders of the Jews, joined his party ; and Antio- chus was acknowledged as king by the greater part of Syria. But Tryphon, who had all along intended to secure the royal power for himself, and had brought forward Antiochus only for this pur- pose, now put the young prince to death and ascended the throne, B. c. 142. (1 Maccab. xi., &c. ; Joseph. Antiq. xiii. 6, &c. ; Strab. xvi. p. 752 ; Justin, xxxvi. 1 ; Liv. Epit. 55.) The re-