Antiochus ( gr, Ἀντίοχος; 180 – 170 BC) was a

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

monarch of the

Seleucid Empire The Seleucid Empire (; grc, Βασιλεία τῶν Σελευκιδῶν, ''Basileía tōn Seleukidōn'') was a Greek state in West Asia that existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucid Empire was founded by the ...

reigning between 175 and 170 BC.

Biography

Antiochus' year of birth is not specified by ancient historians, but his portrait known from his coins indicate that he was approximately five years old when he assumed the throne in 175 BC. He was the younger son of King

Seleucus IV Seleucus IV Philopator (Ancient Greek, Greek: Σέλευκος Φιλοπάτωρ; c. 218 – 3 September 175 BC), ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire, reigned from 187 BC to 175 BC over a realm consisting of Coele-Syria, Syria (now includi ...

and his wife Laodice IV. The Empire was obligated by the 188 BC

Treaty of Apamea The Treaty of Apamea was a peace treaty conducted in 188 BC between the Roman Republic and Antiochus III, ruler of the Seleucid Empire. It ended the Roman–Seleucid War. The treaty took place after Roman victories at the Battle of Thermopylae ( ...

, signed after King

Antiochus III Antiochus III the Great (; grc-gre, Ἀντίoχoς Μέγας ; c. 2413 July 187 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic king and the 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire, reigning from 222 to 187 BC. He ruled over the region of Syria and large parts of the res ...

lost a war against the Romans, to send a hostage to Rome; at first, Antiochus' uncle

Antiochus IV Antiochus IV Epiphanes (; grc, Ἀντίοχος ὁ Ἐπιφανής, ''Antíochos ho Epiphanḗs'', "God Manifest"; c. 215 BC – November/December 164 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic king who ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his deat ...

was sent as a hostage. After Antiochus III's death in 187 BC, Seleucus IV replaced his brother Antiochus IV with his own eldest son and heir Demetrius I, since Rome considered it important that a son of the reigning king be a hostage. The exchange took place before 178 BC. The death of Seleucus IV in 175 BC and the presence of Demetrius I in Rome led to the young Antiochus' proclamation as king, but the minister

Heliodorus Heliodorus is a Greek name meaning "Gift of the Sun". Several persons named Heliodorus are known to us from ancient times, the best known of which are: *Heliodorus (minister) a minister of Seleucus IV Philopator c. 175 BC * Heliodorus of Athen ...

who probably killed Seleucus IV held the real power. Antiochus IV soon arrived in Syria and proclaimed himself a co-ruler, in a succession that was illegal. Antiochus IV disposed of Heliodorus and kept his nephew in the shadow. The young Antiochus died in 170/169 BC (145 SE), possibly on the orders of Antiochus IV.

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* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Antiochus 180 BC births 170 BC deaths Seleucid rulers 2nd-century BC Seleucid rulers 2nd-century BC rulers in Asia 2nd-century BC Babylonian kings Kings of Syria