Antiŏchus

, surnamed Soter , was son of Seleucus, and king of Syria in Asia. He made a treaty of alliance with Ptolemy Philadelphus king of Egypt. He fell into a lingering disease, which none of his father’s physicians could cure for some time, till it was discovered that his pulse was more irregular than usual when Str a to nice his stepmother entered his room, and that love for her was the cause of his illne . This was told to the father, who willingly gave Str a to nice to his son, that his immoderate love might not cause his death. He died 291 B.C., after a reign of 19 years. Justin , bk. 17 , ch. 2 , . — Valerius Maximus , bk. 5 .— Polybius , bk. 4 .— Appian. ――The second of that name, surnamed Theos ( God ) by the Miles i ans, because he put to death their tyrant Timarchus, was son and succe or to Antiochus Soter. He put an end to the war which had been begun with Ptolemy; and, to strengthen the peace, he married Berenice, the daughter of the Ægyptian king. This so offended his former wife Laodice, by whom he had two sons, that she poisoned him, and suborned Artemon, whose features were similar to his, to represent him as king. Artemon, subservient to her will, pretended to be indisposed, and as king, called all the ministers, and recommended to them Seleucus, surnamed Callinicus, son of Laodice, as his succe or. After this ridiculous imposture, it was made public that the king had died a natural death, and Laodice placed her son on the throne, and despatched Berenice and her son, 246 years before the christian era. Appian. ――The third of that name, surnamed the Great , brother to Seleucus Ceraunus, was king of Syria and Asia, and reigned 36 years. He was defeated by Ptolemy Philopater at Rapeia, after which he made war against Persia, and took Sardes. After the death of Philopater, he endeavoured to crush his infant son Epiphanes: but his guardians solicited the aid of the Romans, and Antiochus was compelled to resign his pretensions. He conquered the greatest part of Greece, of which some cities implored the aid of Rome; and Annibal, who had taken refuge at his court, encouraged him to make war against Italy. He was glad to find himself supported by the abilities of such a general; but his measures were dilatory, and not agreeable to the advice of Annibal, and he was conquered and obliged to retire beyond mount Taurus, and pay a yearly fine of 2000 talents to the Romans. His revenues being unable to pay the fine, he attempted to plunder the temple of Belus in Susiana, which so incensed the inhabitants, that they killed him with his followers, 187 years before the christian era. In his character of king, Antiochus was humane and liberal, the patron of learning, and the friend of merit; and he published an edict, ordering his subjects never to obey except his commands were consistent with the laws of the country. He had three sons, Seleucus Philopater, Antiochus Epiphanes, and Demetrius. The first succeeded him, and the two others were kept as hostages by the Romans. Justin , bks. 31 & 32.— Strabo , bk. 16 .— Livy , bk. 34 , ch. 59 .— Florus , bk. 2 , ch. 1 .— Appian , Syrian Wars .――The fourth Antiochus, surnamed Epiphanes or Illustrious , was king of Syria, after the death of his brother Seleucus, and reigned 11 years. He destroyed Jerusalem, and was so cruel to the Jews, that they called him Epimanes , or Furious , and not Epiphanes . He attempted to plunder Perse polis without effect. He was of a voracious appetite, and fond of childish diversions; he used for his pleasure to empty bags of money into the streets, to see the people’s eagerne to gather it; he bathed in the public baths with the populace, and was fond of perfuming himself to exce . He invited all the Greeks he could at Antioch, and waited upon them as a servant, and danced with such indecency among the stage players, that even the most di ipate and shamele blushed at the sight. Polybius. — Justin , bk. 34 , ch. 3 .――The fifth, surnamed Eupator , succeeded his father Epiphanes on the throne of Syria, 164 B.C. He made a peace with the Jews, and in the second year of his reign was a a inated by his uncle Demetrius, who said that the crown was lawfully his own, and that it had been seized from his father. Justin , bk. 34 .— Joseph us , bk. 12 .――The sixth king of Syria was surnamed Entheus or Noble . His father, Alexander Bala, entrusted him to the care of Malcus, an Arabian; and he received the crown from Tryphon, in opposition to his brother Demetrius, whom the people hated. Before he had been a year on the throne, Tryphon murdered him, 143 B.C., and reigned in his place for three years. Joseph us , bk. 13 .――The seventh, called Sidetes , reigned nine years. In the beginning of his reign he was afraid of Tryphon, and concealed himself, but he soon obtained the means of destroying his enemy. He made war against Phraates king of Parthia, and he fell in the battle which was soon after fought, about 130 years before the christian era. Justin , bk. 36 , ch. 1 .— Appian , Syrian Wars .――The eighth, surnamed Grypus , from his aquiline nose, was son of Demetrius Nicanor by Cleopatra. His brother Seleucus was destroyed by Cleopatra, and he himself would have shared the same fate, had he not discovered his mother’s artifice, and compelled her to drink the poison which was prepared for himself. He killed Alexander Zebina, whom Ptolemy had set to oppose him on the throne of Syria, and was at last a a inated, B.C. 112, after a reign of 11 years. Justin , bk. 39 , . — Joseph us. — Appian. ――The ninth, surnamed Cyzenicus , from the city of Cyzicus, where he received his education, was son of Antiochus Sidetes by Cleopatra. He disputed the kingdom with his brother Grypus, who ceded to him Cœlosyria, part of his patrimony, He was at last conquered by his nephew Seleucus near Antioch, and rather than to continue longer in his hands, he killed himself, B.C. 93. While a private man, he seemed worthy to reign; but when on the throne, he was di olute and tyrannical. He was fond of mechanics, and invented some useful military engines. Appian. — Joseph us. ――The tenth was ironically surnamed Pius , because he married Selena, the wife of his father and of his uncle. He was the son of Antiochus  IX. , and he expelled Seleucus the son of Grypus from Syria, and was killed in a battle which he fought against the Parthians, in the cause of the Galatians. Joseph us. — Appian. After his death the kingdom of Syria was torn to pieces by the faction of the royal family, or usurpers, who, under a good or false title, under the name of Antiochus or his relations, established themselves for a little time as sovereigns either of Syria, or Damascus, or other dependent provinces. At last Antiochus, surnamed Asiaticus , the son of Antiochus  IX. , was restored to his paternal throne by the influence of Lucullus the Roman general, on the expulsion of Tigranes king of Armenia from the Syrian dominions; but four years after, Pompey deposed him, and observed, that he who had hid himself while a usurper sat upon his throne, ought not to be a king. From that time, B.C. 65, Syria became a Roman province, and the race of Antiochus was extinguished. Justin , bk. 40 .――A philosopher of Ascalon, famous for his writings, and the respect with which he was treated by his pupils, Lucullus, Cicero, and Brutus.— Plutarch , Lucullus .――An historian of Syracuse, son of Xenophanes, who wrote, besides other works, a history of Sicily, in nine books, in which he began at the age of king Cocalus. Strabo. — Diodorus , bk. 12 .――A rich king, tributary to the Romans in the age of Vespas i an. Tacitus , Histories , bk. 2 , ch. 81 .――A sophist who refused to take upon himself the government of a state, on account of the vehemence of his pa ions.――A king conquered by Antony, . Cæsar , bk. 3 , Civil War , bk. 4 .――A king of Me enia. Pausanias , bk. 4 .――A commander of the A then i an fleet, under Alcibiades, conquered by Lysander. Xenophon , Hellenica .――A writer of Alexandria, who published a treatise on comic poets. Athenæus. ――A sceptic of Laodicea. Diogenes Laërtius , Pyrrhus .――A learned sophist. Phi lost ratus. ――A servant of Atticus. Cicero , Letters to Atticus , bk. 3 , ltr. 33 .――A hair-dre er mentioned by Martial , bk. 11 , ltr. 85 .――A son of Hercules by Medea. Apollo dor us , bk. 2 , ch. 7 .――A stage player. Juvenal , satire 3, li. 98 .――A sculptor, said to have made the famous statue of Pallas, preserved in the Ludovisi gardens at Rome.