Seleucus II Callinicus

Successor of: Antiochus II Theos

Relatives

• Father: Antiochus II Theos
• Mother: Laodice I
• Wife: Laodice II
• Children:
  • Antiochis (married to Xerxes of Armenia),
  • Alexander (= Seleucus III Keraunos)
  • A son Lu-xxx^note[Mentioned in the Seleucus III Chronicle; BCHP 12.]
  • Antiochus III the Great
  • daughter

Main deeds

• Born c.265
• Early July 246: Antiochus II Theos dies, leaving a confused dynastic situation.
  • From his first marriage, with Laodice II, he had two sons Seleucus II Callinicus (immediately recognized as king) and Antiochus Hierax (co-ruler in Sardes); they live in Ephesus
  • From his second marriage, with the Ptolemaic princess Berenice Phernephorus, he had a five-year old son Antiochus; they live in Antioch
• Late summer 246: the child Antiochus is killed by partisans of Laodice
• September 246: King Ptolemy III Euergetes decides to avenge his relative: outbreak of the Laodicean War or Third Syrian War. He captures Seleucia and Antioch, but cannot prevent that Berenice is killed by the populace
• December 246: Ptolemy proceeds to Babylon; he is still there in February 245
• 245: The king's sister "Laodice" marries Mithridates II of Pontus; Phrygia is awarded to him as a marriage gift
• 245: Revolt of Andragoras in Parthia; raids of the Parni, led by Arsaces
• 243: Birth of Alexander (= Seleucus III Keraunos)
• 242/241: Unsuccesful Seleucid attack on Egypt
• 241: End of the Third Syrian War
• 240: War between king Seleucus II and Antiochus Hierax; the latter is successful but loses his territories to Attalus I Soter of Pergamon
• 239/238: The Seleucid princess Stratonice II, who had been queen of Macedonia (married to Demetrius II) returns; Seleucus refuses to marry her; she attempts an insurrection but is killed
• 238: The Parni overrun Astavene
• 235: The Parnian leader Tiridates settles in Parthia; Arsaced recognized as king; beginning of the Parthian Empire
• 230-227: Seleucus tries to suppress the revolt in Parthia, but instead loses Hyrcania; Diodotus declares himself independent in Bactria
• 229: Stay in Babylon
• 228: Unsuccessful insurrection of Antiochus Hierax in Mesopotamia
• The Macedonian king Antigonus III Doson intervenes in Caria
• December 225: Seleucus II dies after a fall from his horse

Succeeded by: Seleucus III Keraunos (or Soter)

Sources:

• Seleucid Accessions Chronicle (BCHP 10)
• Invasion of Ptolemy III chronicle (BCHP 11)
• Adoulis inscription (OGIS 54)
• Appian of Alexandria, Syrian Wars, 66
• Polyaenus, Stratagems, 4.17