Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Successor of: his elder brother Seleucus IV Philopator

Relatives:

• Father: Antiochus III the Great
• Mother: Laodice III (daughter of Mithradates II of Pontus)
• Wife: his sister Laodice IV (widow of Seleucus IV Philopator?)
  • Son: Antiochus V Eupator
  • Daughter: Laodice VI
  • Son: Alexander I Balas (spurious)
• Concubine: Antiochis

Main deeds:

• Original name: Mithradates
• 188: After the Syrian War, Rome and the Seleucid Empire conclude the Peace of Apemea; the Seleucids are to pay an indemnity and Antiochus is held captive in Rome
• 187: Accession of Seleucus IV Philopator
• 178: Antiochus is replaced as hostage by Seleucus' son Demetrius
• 3 September 175: the Seleucid commander Heliodorus kills Seleucus IV, who is succeeded by his son Antiochus, who is too young to rule
• With support of king Eumenes II Soter of Pergamon, Antiochus becomes king; Heliodorus killed
• 174: Jason appointed as high priest in Jerusalem
• 173 Refoundation of Babylon as a Greek comunity
• 173 or 172: visit to Jerusalem
• 172/171: Antiochus' stepdaughter (from his wife's first marriage) Nysa marries Pharnaces of Pontus
• 171: Revolt in Cilicia
• 171: Jason replaced as high priest by Menelaus
• 170: On behalf of Antiochus IV, Andronicus kills the young king Antiochus
• 170-168: Sixth Syrian War: Ptolemy VI Philometor -who is too young to rule- attacks the Seleucid Empire. Antiochus IV builds a navy (against the terms of the Peace of Apamea) and conquers Cyprus and large parts of Egypt and presents himself as protector of Ptolemy VI against his relatives Ptolemy VIII Euergetes Physcon and Cleopatra II
• 168: Roman pressure forces Antiochus to retire from Alexandria in Egypt
• 167: Unsuccessful attempt of general Eucratides to reconquer Parthia (Mithradates I the Great, r.165-132)) and Aria, which have been occupied by the Parni
• 167: Intervention in Judah (6 December: rededication of the temple in Jerusalem)
• 166: Outbreak of the Maccabaean Revolt
• 165: Antiochus goes to the east; he captures Artaxata, capital of Armenia, and accepts the surrender of king Artaxias I.
• 164: Antiochus in Babylonia and Elam
• 15 December 164: Judas defeats Gorgias, captures Jerusalem, and restores the Jewish cult in the temple
• November/December 164: failed attack on Susa; death

Buildings: in Antioch a temple to the Roman Jupiter Capitolinus (Livy, Periochae 41.6.)

Succeeded by: Antiochus V Eupator

Sources:

• Politai Chronicle (BCHP 13)
• Greek Community Chronicle (BCHP 14)
• 1 Maccabees 1-6
• 2 Maccabees 3-10
• alluded to in the visions of Daniel (7.8-25; 8.9-25)
• Appian of Alexandria, Syrian Wars, 39, 45, 66
• Cassius Dio, Roman History, 20
• Diodorus of Sicily, Library of World History, 29.32, 30.2, 30.14-18, 31.1-2, 31.16-18, 34/35.1
• Flavius Josephus, Jewish War, 1.31-40
• Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, 12.234ff, 15.41
• Flavius Josephus, Against the Greeks, 2.80ff
• Livy, History of Rome since the Foundation 41.24-25, 42.6, 45.11-13
• Polybius of Megalopolis, World History, 3.3, 26, 27.19, 28.1, 28.17-23, 29.2, 29.23-27, 30.25-27