Stratonice or Stratonica of Syria ( grc, Στρατoνίκη, c. 320 BC - 254 BC) was Queen 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 ...

from 300 BC until 294 BC and from 281 BC until 261 BC.

Biography

Stratonice of Syria was the daughter of king

Demetrius Poliorcetes Demetrius I (; grc, Δημήτριος; 337–283 BC), also called Poliorcetes (; el, Πολιορκητής, "The Besieger"), was a Macedonian nobleman, military leader, and king of Macedon (294–288 BC). He belonged to the Antigonid dynasty ...

and

Phila Phila may refer to a shortened name for the City of Philadelphia, U.S. It may also refer to: * Phila of Elimeia, sister of Derdas and wife of Philip II of Macedon *Phila (daughter of Antipater), wife of Balacrus, Craterus and Demetrius Poliorcete ...

, the daughter of

Antipater Antipater (; grc, , translit=Antipatros, lit=like the father; c. 400 BC319 BC) was a Macedonian general and statesman under the subsequent kingships of Philip II of Macedon and his son, Alexander the Great. In the wake of the collaps ...

. In 300 BC, at which time she could not have been more than seventeen years of age, her hand in marriage was sought by Seleucus, king of the

. She was accompanied by her father Demetrius to Rhosus (on the

Pierian In Greek mythology, the Pierian Spring of Macedonia was sacred to the Pierides and the Muses. As the metaphorical source of knowledge of art and science, it was popularized by a couplet in Alexander Pope's 1711 poem "An Essay on Criticism": "A li ...

coast in

Macedon Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled ...

ia) where the nuptials were celebrated. Notwithstanding the disparity of their ages, she appears to have lived in perfect harmony with the old king for some years. Seleucus and Stratonice had one child, a daughter

, when it was discovered that her stepson Antiochus was deeply enamoured of her. In order to save the life of his son (which was supposedly endangered by the violence of his passion), Seleucus gave up Stratonice in marriage to him in 294 BC. At the same time Seleucus announced that Antiochus would be king of the eastern provinces. It is believed that the union, which produced five children, was a prosperous one. Antiochus named the city of Stratonikeia in

Caria Caria (; from Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; tr, Karya) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid- Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Ionian and Dorian Greeks colonized the west of it and joine ...

after Stratonice. In Babylonian texts, she is referred to as 'Astartanikku', a transliteration of her Greek name that seems to have been designed in order to draw a parallel with the goddess

Astarte Astarte (; , ) is the Hellenized form of the Ancient Near Eastern goddess Ashtart or Athtart ( Northwest Semitic), a deity closely related to Ishtar ( East Semitic), who was worshipped from the Bronze Age through classical antiquity. The name ...

. She is also given titles that were otherwise reserved for Babylonian goddesses. Stratonice's death at

Sardis Sardis () or Sardes (; Lydian: 𐤳𐤱𐤠𐤭𐤣 ''Sfard''; el, Σάρδεις ''Sardeis''; peo, Sparda; hbo, ספרד ''Sfarad'') was an ancient city at the location of modern ''Sart'' (Sartmahmut before 19 October 2005), near Salihli, ...

is mentioned in the ''

Astronomical Diaries The Babylonian astronomical diaries are a collection of Babylonian cuneiform texts that contain systematic records of astronomical observations and political events as well as predictions, based on astronomical observations. They also include oth ...

'' in September or October 254 BC.Sachs, A. J. & H. Hunger, ''Astronomical Diaries and Related Texts from Babylonia.'' I, no.-253 A₁ 10; A₂ 3

Stratonice's children

By Seleucus I Nicator: *

, who later married her uncle

Antigonus II Gonatas Antigonus II Gonatas ( grc-gre, Ἀντίγονος Γονατᾶς, ; – 239 BC) was a Macedonian ruler who solidified the position of the Antigonid dynasty in Macedon after a long period defined by anarchy and chaos and acquired fame for hi ...

. By Antiochus I Soter: * Seleucus, who was executed for rebellion. * Laodice * Apama II, who married

Magas of Cyrene Magas of Cyrene ( el, Μάγας ὁ Κυρηναῖος; born before 317 BC – 250 BC, ruled 276 BC – 250 BC) was a Greek King of Cyrenaica. Through his mother’s second marriage to Ptolemy I he became a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty. He ...

and was mother of

Berenice II of Egypt Berenice II Euergetis (267 or 266 BC – 221 BC; , '' Berenikē Euergetis'', "Berenice the Benefactress") was queen regnant of Cyrenaica from 258 BC to 246 BC and co-regent queen of Ptolemaic Egypt from 246 BC to 222 BC as the wife of Ptolemy II ...

. * Stratonice II, who married her nephew/cousin Demetrius II Aetolicus (Phila's son by Antigonus II). *

Antiochus II Theos Antiochus II Theos ( grc-gre, Ἀντίοχος Θεός, ; 286 – July 246 BC) was a Greek king of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire who reigned from 261 to 246 BC. He succeeded his father Antiochus I Soter in the winter of 262–61 BC. He wa ...

, who succeeded his father as king.

References

Bibliography

* Smith, William (editor); ''

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1849, originally published 1844 under a slightly different title) is an encyclopedia/ biographical dictionary. Edited by William Smith, the dictionary spans three volumes and 3,700 ...

''
"Stratonice (3)"
,

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, (1867) *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stratonice Of Syria 4th-century BC women 3rd-century BC women Seleucid royal consorts 4th-century BC births 3rd-century BC deaths Remarried royal consorts Ancient Pieria Ancient Macedonian princesses