Outline for 3/19
The Seleucid Empire

I. Introduction to Seleucus and the Seleucid Empire

A. Overview of Development and Expansion (see Seleucid king list)

date (BC)	event	significance
320	Settlement at Triparadeisus	Seleucus received Babylonia
315-313	Seleucus flees to Egypt	Antigonus established in Mesopotamia
313	battle at Gaza	Seleucus recovered Babylon
308	end of Alexander's line	Seleucid dynasty reckoned from 312/311 BC
308-301	campaigns in the east	acquires eastern strapies and Indus valley
301	battle at Ipsus	acquires Antigonus' Asian holdings (Anatolia; Ionia)
281/280	battle at Corupedium	defeat of Lysimachus and assassination of Seleucus
279	agreement of Antiochus I and Antigonus Gonatas

B. Geographical Extent of the Empire (see map) = Achaemenid Persian Empire without Egypt
C. Construction of the Seleucid Dynasty

1. Antiochus and the "Dynastic Era"
2. dynastic mythology
3. use of co-regents

D. Achaemenid Features of Seleucid Kingship

II. Seleucid Empire in the 3rd Century BC

A. Antiochus I Soter (r. 281-261 BCE)

1. son of Seleucus and the Bactrian Apama
2. 270's

a. invasion by Gauls,(278 BC (Burstein nos. 16, 23 in Reader)
b. First Syrian War, 274-271 BC, against Ptolemy II (Austin no. 141)

3. 260's

a. Ptolemy II vs. Antigonus Gonatas for control of Greece (= Chremonidean War)
b. Antiochus consolidates his position (Borsippa cylinder, discussion section)

B. Antiochus II Theos (r. 261-246 BCE)

1. elder brother and crown prince Seleucus executed
2. first wife = Laodice
3. Second Syrian War, 260-253 BC

a. against Ptolemy II
b. Antiochus married Berenice, daughter of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe

C. Seleucus II (246-226 BCE)

1. son of Antiochus II and Laodice
2. Third Syrian (= Laodicean) War (246-241 BC)

a. Ptolemy III + Berenice vs. Seleucus II + Laodice
b. Greek cities support Seleucus (Austin no. 186)
c. Ptolemy III amplifies his success (Austin no. 221)
d. Parthian kingdom is established (Austin no. 145)

i. Parni: semi-nomadic people
ii. Parthia = Persian name of the strapy the parni come to settle
iii. foundation of the kingdom in 247 BC
iv. Arsaces I
v. capital at Ecbatana

III. Satrapies and Satraps

A. Satrapies

1. number
2. local governments

a. Lydia
b. Babylonia
c. Greater Phrygia

B. Satraps

IV. Seleucid Cities

A. Types

1. new foundations

a. Antioch

i. founded by Seleucus in 300 BC
ii. foundation myth

• altar of Antigonus at Antigoneia
• altar of Alexander in 333 BC

2. ancient Greek cities on coast of Asia Minor
3. native cities

B. Administration and Bureaucracy

V. Economy

A. Royal Taxes
B. Wartime Levies

VI. War Machine

A. Why
B. How

3. military colonies(katoikiai)