Editing Antiochus IV Epiphanes (section)

===Rise to power===
Born around 215 BC, Antiochus was a son of the [[List of Seleucid rulers|Seleucid]] king [[Antiochus III the Great]].<ref name="Nelson 2014">{{cite book |last=Nelson |first=Thomas |title=NIV, The Chronological Study Bible, eBook |publisher=Thomas Nelson Incorporated |year=2014 |isbn=9781401680138 |page=1078 |quote=Antiochus IV—Epiphanes or Epimanes? (da 11:21–31) Thirteen kings of the Greek Seleucid dynasty from Syria bore the name of Antiochus. Antiochus III (223–187 B.C.), the great conqueror …}}</ref><ref name="Samuels 1967">{{cite book |title=Pathways through Jewish history |last= Samuels |first= Ruth |year=1967 |publisher= Ktav Pub. House|oclc =899113 |quote= Antiochus IV spared no pains to defend his empire against the growing power of Rome. Proud of his Greek ancestry and determined to unite all the peoples of the ancient world under his rule, he had sought to force his subjects to follow the Greek way of life to the exclusion of all others.   |page=98 }}</ref> Antiochus appears to have been originally named Mithridates, although this name would be changed either after the death of his elder brother Antiochus or when he eventually ascended the throne.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mittag|first=Peter|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah09032|title=''"Antiochos IV Epiphanes",'' The Encyclopedia of Ancient History|date=26 October 2012|publisher=Blackwell Publishing Ltd.|doi=10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah09032 |isbn=9781405179355 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mittag|first=Peter|title=Antiochos IV. Epiphanes: Eine politische Biographie|date=2006|publisher=Akademie Verlag|isbn=978-3-05-004205-3 |page=34-37}}</ref> As a potential successor to the throne, he became a political [[hostage]] of the [[Roman Republic]] under the terms of the [[Treaty of Apamea]], concluded in 188 BC. After his older brother [[Seleucus IV Philopator]] succeeded their father onto the throne in 187 BC, Antiochus was exchanged for his nephew [[Demetrius I Soter|Demetrius]], the son and heir of Seleucus. After this Antiochus lived in Athens and was there when his brother was assassinated in 175 BC by the government minister [[Heliodorus (minister)|Heliodorus]].

Heliodorus proclaimed himself regent afterward, essentially giving himself control of the government. This arrangement did not last long. With the help of king [[Eumenes II]] of Pergamum, Antiochus IV traveled from Athens through Asia Minor and reached Syria by November 175 BC. Seleucus' legitimate heir Demetrius was still a hostage in Rome, so Antiochus seized the throne for himself, proclaiming himself co-regent with another son of Seleucus, an infant named [[Antiochus, son of Seleucus IV|Antiochus]]. (Antiochus, son of Seleucus IV would later die in 170 BC, possibly murdered by Antiochus IV).<ref>M. Zambelli, "L'ascesa al trono di Antioco IV Epifane di Siria," ''[[Rivista di Filologia e di Istruzione Classica]]'' 38 (1960), pp. 363–389</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Grainger |first=John D. |title=The Syrian Wars |date=2010 |publisher=Brill |isbn=9789004180505 |pages=292&ndash;293}}  The claim that Antiochus was murdered by his uncle Antiochus IV is from the [[Babylonian astronomical diaries]], although should be taken with some skepticism.</ref>