Brief History:
I have included only a few items concerning the history of this empire. A good source for more details can be
found on Wikipedia or in history books.
RISE OF SELEUCUS:
In 323 BC, general Perdiccas became regent upon the death of Alexander.
He was commander of the Macedonian phalanx and later arranged murders of
various royal family members and opponents, particularly other members of the "Diadochi" (Successors). While attacking general
Ptolemy, who formed an empire in
Egypt, disgusted officers murdered Perdiccas.
General Seleucus, "Commander-in-Chief of the Camp", succeeded to the Babylonia
satrap. He later expanded control over the greatest portion of Alexander's empire, including a two-year war against
the Mauryan empire. He made an agreement with
Chandragupta Maurya to cede eastern territory
in exchange for 500 war elephants.
Seleucus used the elephants, along with help from Lysimachos (Diadochus ruler
of Thrace), to defeat Antigonus Monophthalmus
at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC. He then annexed lands in western
Anatolia. His attempt to seize more territory from
Lysimachos ended when Ptolemy Keraunos (King of Macedon) had
Seleucus assassinated upon landing in Europe.
DECLINE AND EXPANSION:
Successors to Seleucus maintained relations with Mauryan rulers, including the great
Ashoka. During the reign of
Antiochus II, the Seleucids faced a
Celtic invasion in the west and numerous wars with
Ptolemy II. In 245 BC,
Diodotus I declared independence and formed the
Greco-Bactrian kingdom. During this
period, Andragoras broke away, however, circa
238 BC Arsaces I of the Parni killed Andragoras and
started the Parthian empire.
The Seleucids also lost western lands to the Gauls in Galatia and through local rebellions.
In 223 BC, Antiochus III ascended the throne
and embarked on a series of conquests that expanded the empire.
Antiochus recovered Greco-Bactria and Persia. He also received tribute and 150 elephants from
an Indian king named Sophagasenus. In 196 BC, Seleucid forces gained a foothold in Thrace and
invaded Greece in 192 BC. The following year,
a Roman army defeated Antiochus in battle at
Thermopylae. They
invaded Asia Minor and forced Antiochus to cede much territory. Antiochus died in 187 BC while
pillaging the temple of Bel at Elymais, Persia.
Between 167 and 160 BC, a Maccabean Revolt
resulted in a briefly independent Jewish kingdom. A priest named
Mattathias ben Johanan instigated the revolt
by refusing to worship Greek gods. The revolt succeeded through the use of guerrilla tactics.
COLLAPSE OF THE EMPIRE:
A Treaty of Apamea (188 BC) with Rome contributed to the eventual collapse of the Seleucid empire.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted to
expand the empire by invading Ptolmaic Egypt.
Despite leading his army to Alexandria,
Antiochus withdrew after Rome threatened war with the Seleucids. Civil war broke out after his death.
The empire encompassed little more than Antioch and a few
cities in Syria by 100 BC. The end came in 63 BC,
when the Roman general, Pompey annexed the area.