Editing Demetrius I Soter (section)

===Early confinement and escape===
Demetrius was born around 185 BC. He was sent to [[Rome]] as a [[hostage]] at a young age during the reign of his father [[Seleucus IV Philopator]]<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=1 |wstitle=Demetrius (Syrian kings) |display=Demetrius s.v. Demetrius I |volume=7 |page=983}}</ref> and his mother [[Laodice IV]].<ref name="ReferenceA">Appian, ''Roman History: Syrian Wars'' 8.46</ref>  Rome taking prominent Seleucid family members hostage was one of the terms of the [[Treaty of Apamea]] that had ended the [[Roman-Seleucid War]].  His father was likely murdered by his finance minister [[Heliodorus (minister)|Heliodorus]] in 175 BC;<ref>{{Bibleverse|1 Maccabees|1:10|NRSV}} (312 - [A.S.] 137 = 175 [B.C.])</ref><ref>[[Appian]], [https://www.livius.org/sources/content/appian/appian-the-syrian-wars/appian-the-syrian-wars-9/ ''Syrian Wars'' 9.45]</ref> his uncle [[Antiochus IV Epiphanes]] overthrew Heliodorus and took the throne himself.  While the throne should have gone to Demetrius, he was both too young and also still held as a hostage in Rome.  Antiochus IV died around October–November 164 BC while on campaign in Babylonia and Persia.  His 9-year-old son [[Antiochus V Eupator]] became king, although real power rested in the regent Antiochus IV had left in Antioch, [[Lysias (Syrian chancellor)|Lysias]].  Demetrius was then 22 years old.  He requested the Roman Senate to restore the Syrian throne to him, but was rejected, since the Romans preferred a weak Syria and would rather it be ruled by a boy rather than a man.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Two years later, [[Antiochus V]] was greatly weakened because Rome sent an emissary to sink his ships and hamstring his elephants using the terms of the Treaty of Apamea as cause.  Demetrius again petitioned the Senate on the grounds that his captivity would do little to inspire Antiochus V to heed Rome, but the appeal was again unsuccessful, as Rome preferred the perceived weak child over him.  With the help of the Greek historian [[Polybius]], Demetrius escaped from confinement and made his way to the Seleucid capital Antioch.  There he successfully gained the support of the local aristocracy and was welcomed back on the Syrian throne around November 162 BC.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bar-Kochva |first=Bezalel |authorlink=Bezalel Bar-Kochva |date=1989 |title=Judas Maccabaeus: The Jewish Struggle Against the Seleucids |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0521323525 |page=544}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Schürer |first=Emil |author-link=Emil Schürer |title=A History of the Jewish People in the Times of Jesus Christ  |translator1-last=MacPherson |translator1-first=John |date=1896 |publisher=Hendrickson Publishers |origyear=1890 |isbn=1565630491   |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oMPbZz90EeoC |access-date=October 8, 2021 |page=226}}</ref> He immediately executed Antiochus V and Lysias.

This phase of Demetrius's life is unusually well-chronicled, as Polybius was an active participant and advisor to Demetrius, and his book ''[[The Histories (Polybius)|The Histories]]'' survived out of antiquity rather than being a lost book.