Alexander I Balas

Successor of: Demetrius I Soter

Relatives:

• Father: Antiochus IV Epiphanes (spurious)
• Mother: Laodice IV (spurious)
• Wife: Cleopatra Thea (daughter of Ptolemy VI Philometor)
• Son: Antiochus VI Dionysus (or Epiphanes); perhaps Alexander II Zabinas

Main deeds

• 

  Summer 152: Insurrection against Demetrius I Soter, supported by Rome, the Seleucid princess Laodice VI, Attalus II Philadelphus, Ariarathes V Philopator of Cappadocia, and Ptolemy VI Philometor
• In Judaea, the Hasmonaean leader Jonathan also supports Alexander and is recognized as high priest; Judaean troops play a role in this civil war
• June 150: Demetrius is defeated near Antioch; one of his officers, Diodotus, makes sure that Alexander can capture the capital; the victorious king starts to call himself Epiphanes, "manifestation of the god", like his (presumed) father Antiochus IV
• 150: Marriage to Cleopatra Thea (daughter of Ptolemy VI Philometor) in Ptolemais
• 147: Cleopatra gives birth to Alexander's son Antiochus VI Dionysus
• 146: Revolt of Demetrius II Nicator; Jonathan defeats Demetrius' general Apollonius
• 146: Cilician revolt
• 146: Ptolemy supports Demetrius' claim to the throne; Cleopatra leaves her husband and remarries with Demetrius; her father captures Antioch, but is killed
• Beginning of August 145: Alexander Balas flees but is killed by the Nabataean Arabs
• Alexander's supporter Diodotus saves Alexander's son Antiochus, who is now two years old

Succeeded by: Demetrius II Nicator, who inherits a civil war against Diodotus and Alexander' son Antiochus VI Dionysus

Contemporary events

• The reign of Alexander Balas created a great disturbance, which resulted in the take-over of the eastern part of the empire by the Parthians and the rise of Cilician pirates

Sources

• 1 Maccabees 10-11
• Diodorus of Sicily, Library of World History, 31-33
• Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, 13.35ff
• Livy, Periochae 52.10
• Polybius of Megalopolis, World History, 33.15, 18