Seleucus VII Kybiosaktes
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Seleucus VII Philometor ( grc-gre, Φιλομήτωρ) or Kybiosactes ( grc-gre, Κυβιοσάκτης), was a ruler of the Seleucid kingdom based in Syria. But his existence is disputed.


Biography


King of Syria

The last members of the once mighty
Seleucid dynasty The Seleucid dynasty or the Seleucidae (from el, Σελευκίδαι, ') was a Macedonian Greeks (ancient), Macedonian Greek royal family, founded by Seleucus I Nicator, which ruled the Seleucid Empire centered in the Near East and regions o ...
are shadowy figures; local dynasts with complicated family ties whose identities are hard to ascertain: many of them also bore the same names. Seleucus was unknown until recently. From coins issued by him and his mother,
Ptolemaic Ptolemaic is the adjective formed from the name Ptolemy, and may refer to: Pertaining to the Ptolemaic dynasty * Ptolemaic dynasty, the Macedonian Greek dynasty that ruled Egypt founded in 305 BC by Ptolemy I Soter * Ptolemaic Kingdom Pertaining ...
princess Cleopatra Selene, it is presumed that he was her son by king Antiochus X Eusebes, and a brother of later king Antiochus XIII Asiaticus. He appears to have "reigned" during the occupation of
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
by Armenian king Tigranes (83-69 BC). In reality, only a few cities were loyal to the Seleucids during this period. Some time after Tigranes had conquered Syria (83 BC), his mother travelled to Rome to have her sons recognized as kings of Egypt, but to no avail. They were there between at least 75 BC and 73 BC; recognized as "Kings of Syria", and "maintained a royal state".


Co-regent of Egypt

The young boy-king is probably the same Seleucus who later went to marry a Ptolemaic princess called
Berenice IV Berenice IV Epiphaneia ( grc-gre, Βερενίκη; 77–55 BC, born and died in Alexandria, Egypt) was a Greek princess and Queen of the Ptolemaic dynasty. From 58–55 BC, Berenice IV ruled Egypt during the political exile of her father Ptolemy ...
on an unknown date (a sister of the famous
Cleopatra VII of Egypt Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...
) to become co-regent of Egypt, but allegedly was murdered by the discontented bride for his lack of manners. He bore the derogatory name ''Kybiosaktes'', the term for the foul-smelling work of cutting tuna fish.


Controversy

In 2002, the numismatist Brian Kritt announced the discovery and decipherment of a coin bearing the portrait of Cleopatra Selene and a co-ruler. Kritt read the name of the ruler as Seleucus Philometor and, based on the epithet, identified him with Cleopatra Selene's son, unnamed by Cicero. Kritt gave the newly discovered ruler the regnal name Seleucus VII, and considered it very likely that he is identical with Kybiosaktes. But Hoover rejected Kritt's reading, noting that the coin was badly damaged and some letters were unreadable. Hoover read the king's name as Antiochus and identified him with Antiochus XIII.


See also

* List of Syrian monarchs * Timeline of Syrian history


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Seleucus 07 1st-century BC rulers in Asia 1st-century BC Seleucid rulers Ancient Egyptian royal consorts Kings of Syria People whose existence is disputed Seleucid rulers