JBO'C's Historical Reference |
Antiochus III |
Antiochus III
Antiochus III Seleucus III.
(226—223), surnamed Ceraunus, and Antiochus III. (q.v.),
'the Great," were his successors, the latter being
the first of the dynasty who came into collision with the
Romans.—Seleucus IV. (187—175), surnamed Philopator,
was eager to dispossess the king of Pergamas of the
provinces which he had taken from the Syrian monarchy,
but fear of the Romans prevented him from carrying out
his design.—Antiochus IV. (q. v.), Epiphanes (L)
('the Illustrious'), conquered Coele-Syria and "And
it is certain from Polybius (xi, 34) that when Antiochus
III appeared in the east at the head of an army, about
212 B.C., determined to reassert the Seleucid supremacy
over the revolted kingdoms, the Bactrian throne had for
some time been occupied by Euthydemus, a Greek from one
or other of the cities called Magnesia, who, in reply to
the challenge of Antiochus, explained that he did not
think it fair that he should be interfered with: ‘He
was not a rebel. Others, no doubt, had rebelled. He had
put the children of the rebels to death, and that was how
he happened to be king.' We may draw from this, not only
a confirmation of Justin's statement as to Diodotus I
having been succeeded by a son, but also the further
inference that Diodotus II came to a violent end. Our
authorities give us no hint as to who Euthydemus was, or
as to how he reached a position of such influence as to
be able to make a successful bid for the crown. The claim
of the Lydian city to be the Magnesia of his birth is
perhaps slightly stronger than that of the Ionian one;
for, when he came to strike money, he chose a remarkable
type whose selection can be most simply explained by
supposing that it had been familiar to him in his youth,
as it would be if he were brought up in the Hermus
valley. The first real glimpse we get of him is when he
comes into conflict with Antiochus the Great The Parthian
campaign of the latter had been arduous, to judge from
the picture which Polybius (x, 28 ff.) has preserved of
some of its incidents. But Arsaces III seems at length to
have been driven to yield upon terms, and by the year 208
Antiochus was at liberty to turn his arms against The reality of this peril was pressed home upon Antiochus by Teleas, a fellow-countryman of Euthydemus, whom the latter had empowered to use his good offices in working for a settlement. Antiochus, upon his part, was only too glad to welcome the prospect of an honorable escape from a situation that threatened to grow more and more embarrassing. Informal negotiations, conducted through Teleas, ultimately resulted in the dispatch of Demetrius, the son of Euthydemus, as a fully accredited envoy to the camp of Antiochus. Polybius is still our authority for details. He speaks (xi, 34) in glowing terms of the favorable impression which the handsome youth produced upon the Seleucid king, who offered him one of his own daughters in marriage and indicated his willingness to waive all objection to the use of the royal title by Euthydemus. A written agreement covering the disputed points was drawn up and signed, and a formal alliance concluded. Euthydemus had been the first to move towards peace, and therefore it may be regarded as certain that he too made concessions. Unfortunately we have to guess what they were. Not improbably they extended to an acknowledgment of the suzerainty of Antiochus, although all we are told is that the expeditionary army, which was now about to direct its march towards India, had its commissariat richly replenished by the Bactrians, receiving at the same time an important reinforcement in the shape of the whole of the war- elephants that had been at the command of Euthydemus." Euthydemia I and Demetrius I of Balkh |
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