Editing Seleucus VI Epiphanes (section)

===Struggle against Antiochus IX===
In Seleucia on the Calycadnus, Seleucus VI prepared for war against his uncle, whose forces probably occupied central Cilicia and confined his nephew to the western parts of the region.{{sfn|Houghton|1989|p= 98}} The king needed a harbor for Seleucia on the Calycadnus and probably founded the city of [[Elaiussa Sebaste|Elaiussa]] to serve that purpose.{{#tag:ref|The earliest Seleucid coins attributed to Elaiussa were struck by Seleucus VI.{{sfn|Equini Schneider|1999b|p= [https://books.google.com/books?id=pI6efHdZopcC&pg=PA34 34]}} The archaeologist [[Alfred Bellinger]] attributed rare issues of Antiochus VIII to Elaiussa, but this has not been widely accepted by scholars.{{sfn|Houghton|Moore|1988|pp= 67–68}}{{sfn|Houghton|1989|p= 78}} The earliest mention of the name "Elaiussa" comes from coins autonomously issued by the city after the demise of Seleucus VI.{{sfn|Equini Schneider|1999b|p= [https://books.google.com/books?id=pI6efHdZopcC&pg=PA34 34]}}|group=note}}{{sfn|Tempesta|2013|p= 31}} Seleucus VI gathered funds for his coming war from the cities of Cilicia, including [[Mopsuestia]], which seems to have been taxed on several occasions.{{sfn|Bellinger|1949|p= 73}} During his reign, it is estimated that Seleucus VI produced 1,200 [[Talent (measurement)|talents]] of coins to support his war effort, enough to pay ten thousand soldiers for two years.{{sfn|Aperghis|2004|p= [https://books.google.com/books?id=39aLI4nkDqUC&pg=PA239 239]}} On the reverse of bronze coins produced in a mint whose location is not known, coded uncertain mint 125, a motif depicting a [[chelys]] formed in the shape of a Macedonian shield appeared on the reverse. This motif was probably meant to rally the support of military Macedonian colonists in the region.{{sfn|Houghton|Lorber|Hoover|2008|p= 552}} Those coins were probably produced in Syria, in a city half the way between [[Tarsus, Mersin|Tarsus]] in Cilicia and Antioch; therefore, they were probably minted in the course of Seleucus VI's campaign against Antiochus IX.{{sfn|Houghton|Lorber|Hoover|2008|p= 560}}
[[File:Syria under the Seleucids 95 BC.svg|264px|thumb|alt=Map depicting the kingdom of Syria in the year 95 BC when it was divided between Seleucus VI in the north with his capital at Antioch; Demetrius III in the south with his capital at Damascus; and Antiochus X in the west with his base at Arwad.|Syria in 95 BC]]

Antiochus IX took note of Seleucus VI's preparations; after the latter started his march on Antioch in 95{{spaces}}BC,{{sfn|Downey|2015|p= [https://books.google.com/books?id=gTTWCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA133 133]}} Antiochus IX left the capital and moved against his nephew. Seleucus VI emerged victorious while his uncle lost his life, either by committing suicide according to the 3rd-century historian [[Eusebius]], or by being executed according to the 1st-century historian [[Josephus]].{{sfn|Bellinger|1949|pp= 72–73}} Soon afterwards, Seleucus VI entered the capital; Cleopatra Selene probably fled before his arrival.{{sfn|Dumitru|2016|p= 262}}