Editing Demetrius II Nicator (section)

====Parthian war and captivity (139–130 BC)====
[[File:Demetrius Nicator, King of Syria, Killed as He Attempts to Land at Tyre - Google Art Project.jpg|thumbnail|Demetrius Nicator, King of Syria, Killed as He Attempts to Land at Tyre]]
[[File:Parthian conquest of Babylonia, defeat of the Seleucid king Demetrius II Nicator by the Parthian ruler Mithradates I in 141 BCE. From Babylon, Iraq. British Museum.jpg|thumb|Parthian conquest of Babylonia, the defeat of the Seleucid king Demetrius II Nicator by the Parthian ruler Mithradates I in 141 BCE. From Babylon, Iraq. British Museum]]
[[Mithridates I of Parthia|Mithridates I]], king of [[Parthian Empire|Parthia]] had taken advantage of the conflict between Demetrius and Tryphon to seize control of [[Susa]] and [[Elymais]] in 144 and of Mesopotamia in mid-141 BC.<ref>{{harvnb|Chrubasik|2016|p=137 n. 50 & 51}}</ref> In 139/8, Demetrius journeyed east to reclaim these territories from the Parthians. As late as 140 vassal rulers of [[Persis]], [[Elam]], and even [[Bactria]] sent auxiliary troops (mostly [[persians]] and [[Babylonia|babylonians]]) to support Demetrius II in his war against the Parthians.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Encyclopaedia Iranica |title=SELEUCID EMPIRE |url=https://iranicaonline.org/ |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=iranicaonline.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

He was initially successful, but was defeated in the Iranian mountains and taken prisoner in July or August of 138 BC. Parthian control of Mesopotamia was thus reaffirmed. In Syria, Tryphon was briefly left as uncontested ruler of the remaining Seleucid territories, but the Seleucid dynasty's grip was reestablished under [[Antiochus VII Sidetes]], the younger brother of Demetrius, who also married Cleopatra Thea.<ref>''Astronomical Diaries'' III 137 A rev. 8–11; I Maccabees 14.1-3; Josephus ''AJ'' 13.186; [[Porphyry (Historian)|Porphyry]] ''[[FGrH]]'' 260 F32.16; {{cite journal |last1=van der Spek |first1=Robertus |date=August 1997 |title=New Evidence from the Babylonian Astronomical Diaries Concerning Seleucid and Asarcid Chronology |url=https://www.academia.edu/826620 |journal=Archiv für Orientforschung |volume=44/45 |page=172}}; {{harvnb|Chrubasik|2016|p=140}}</ref>

King Mithridates had kept Demetrius II alive and even married him to a Parthian princess named [[Rhodogune of Parthia|Rhodogune]], with whom he had children. However, Demetrius was restless and twice tried to escape from his exile in [[Hyrcania]] on the shores of the [[Caspian Sea]], once with the help of his friend Kallimander, who had gone to great lengths to rescue the king: he had travelled incognito through Babylonia and Parthia. When the two friends were captured, the Parthian king did not punish Kallimander but rewarded him for his fidelity to Demetrius. The second time Demetrius was captured when he tried to escape, Mithridates humiliated him by giving him a golden set of dice, thus hinting that Demetrius II was a restless child who needed toys. It was however for political reasons that the Parthians treated Demetrius II kindly.

In 130 BC Antiochus Sidetes felt secure enough to march against Parthia, and scored massive initial successes. Now [[Phraates II of Parthia|Phraates II]] made what he thought was a powerful move: he released Demetrius, hoping that the two brothers would start a civil war. However, Sidetes was defeated soon after his brother's release and never met him. Phraates II sent people to pursue Demetrius, but he managed to safely return home to Syria and regained his throne and his queen as well.