Editing 168 BC (section)

==== Seleucid Empire ====
* The fleet of the [[Seleucid]] king [[Antiochus IV Epiphanes|Antiochus IV]] wins a victory off [[Cyprus]], whose governor then surrenders the island to him.
* Antiochus IV then invades Egypt again and occupies Lower Egypt and his forces camp outside [[Alexandria]]. However, the Roman ambassador in Alexandria, [[Gaius Popillius Laenas]], intervenes. He presents Antiochus IV with an ultimatum that he evacuate Egypt and Cyprus immediately. Antiochus, taken by surprise, asks for time to consider. Popillius, however, draws a circle in the earth (i.e. "a line in the sand") around the king with his walking stick and demands an unequivocal answer before Antiochus leaves the circle. Fearing the consequences of a war with Rome, the king agrees to comply with the ambassador's demands. In return, the Romans agree that Antiochus IV can retain southern [[Syria]], to which Egypt has laid claim, thus enabling Antiochus IV to preserve the territorial integrity of his realm.
* [[Jason (high priest)|Jason]] removes [[Menelaus (High Priest)|Menelaus]] as High Priest in [[Jerusalem]], which Antiochus IV regards as an affront to his majesty.
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