Editing Antiochus II Theos

{{Short description|King of the Seleucid Empire, 261–246 BC}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Antiochus II Theos
| title        = [[Basileus]]
| image        = [[File:Antiochos II Theos portrait.jpg]]
| image_size   = 300px
| caption      = Silver tetradrachm of Antiochus II Theos, minted in Tarsus, featuring a portrait of Antiochus on the obverse. SC 561
| succession   = [[Basileus]] of the [[Seleucid Empire]]
| reign        = 2 June 261 – July 246 BC
| predecessor  = [[Antiochus I Soter]]
| successor    = [[Seleucus II Callinicus]]
| spouse       = [[Laodice I]]<br/>[[Berenice (Seleucid queen)|Berenice]]
| issue        = ''with Laodice'': <br/>[[Seleucus II Callinicus]]<br/>[[Antiochus Hierax]]<br/>Apama<br/>[[Stratonice of Cappadocia]]<br/>[[Laodice (wife of Mithridates II of Pontus)|Laodice]]<br/>''with Berenice'': <br/>Antiochus
| house        = [[List of Seleucid rulers|Seleucid dynasty]]
| house-type   = Dynasty
| father       = [[Antiochus I Soter]]
| mother       = [[Stratonice of Syria]]
| birth_date   = 286 BC
| birth_place  = [[Syria]]
| death_date   = early July 246 BC (aged 39–40)
| death_place  = [[Anatolia|Asia Minor]]<br />(modern-day [[Turkey]])
| religion     = [[Ancient Greek religion|Greek polytheism]]
}}
[[File:Siria,_seleucidi,_Antioco_II,_tetradracma_di_seleucia_sul_tigri,_261-146_ac_ca.JPG|thumb|300px|Coin of Antiochus II. The Greek inscription reads [[Basileus|ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ]] ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ, ''Basileōs Antiochou, "''of king Antiochus".]]
[[File:Amtiyako Yona Raja in Major Rock Edicts No2 in Girnar.jpg|thumb|"''Aṃtiyako [[Yona]] [[Raja|Rājā]]''" ([[Wikt:𑀅𑀁𑀢𑀺𑀬𑀓|𑀅𑀁𑀢𑀺𑀬𑀓𑁄]] [[Wikt:यवन|𑀬𑁄𑀦]] [[Wikt:𑀭𑀸𑀚𑀸|𑀭𑀸𑀚𑀸]], "The Greek king Antiochos"), mentioned in [[Major Rock Edict]] No.2 of [[Ashoka]], here at [[Girnar]], [[Gujarat]], [[India]]. [[Brahmi script]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Inscriptions of Asoka. New Edition by E. Hultzsch |date=1925 |page=3 |url=https://archive.org/stream/InscriptionsOfAsoka.NewEditionByE.Hultzsch/HultzschCorpusAsokaSearchable#page/n135/mode/2up |language=Sanskrit}}</ref>]]  
[[File:Belevi mausoleum in 2015 2630.jpg|thumb|Belevi mausoleum]]
[[File:Belevi mausoleum from S.jpg|thumb|Belevi mausoleum from the south]]

'''Antiochus II Theos''' ({{langx|grc|Ἀντίοχος ὁ Θεός}}, {{Transliteration|grc|Antíochos ho Theós}}, meaning "Antiochus the God"; 286 – July 246 BC) was a Greek king of the [[Hellenistic period|Hellenistic]] [[Seleucid Empire]] who reigned from 261 to 246 BC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.livius.org/articles/person/antiochus-ii-theos/?|title=Antiochus II Theos|work=Livius}}</ref> He succeeded his father [[Antiochus I Soter]] in the winter of 262–61 BC. He was the younger son of Antiochus I and princess [[Stratonice of Syria|Stratonice]], the daughter of [[Demetrius I of Macedon|Demetrius Poliorcetes]].<ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Seleucid Dynasty|display=Seleucid Dynasty s.v. Antiochus II. Theos|volume=24|page=604}}</ref>

Antiochus II was a forceful personality who in his lifetime largely succeeded to hold the sprawling Seleucid realm intact. However his fateful decision to repudiate his first wife [[Laodice I|Laodice]] and marry a [[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic]] princess [[Berenice (Seleucid queen)|Berenice]] as part of a peace treaty led to a succession struggle after his death that would shake the empire's foundations and cause large territorial losses.

==Early life==
Antiochus II was the younger son of [[Antiochus I Soter]] and his famous queen [[Stratonice of Syria|Stratonice]]. Antiochus was initially not expected to inherit the throne, but in 267 BC his father had his elder brother Seleucus executed on charges of rebellion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.attalus.org/translate/malalas.html|title=Johannes Malalas - translation|last=Smith|first=Andrew|website=www.attalus.org|access-date=9 October 2021}}</ref>

==Reign==
He inherited lasting tensions with [[Ptolemaic Kingdom|Ptolemaic Egypt]] and soon initiated the [[Syrian Wars|Second Syrian War]] in alliance with [[Antigonus II]] of the [[Antigonid Macedon|Antigonid dynasty]]. The war was largely fought along the coasts of [[Anatolia|Asia Minor]] and  conflated with the constant intrigues of petty despots and restless city-states in Asia Minor. Antiochus II made some gains in Asia Minor and acquired direct access to Aegean Sea by capturing [[Miletus]] and [[Ephesus]]. During the war he assumed the title ''Theos'' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: {{lang|grc|Θεός}}, "God"), being such to the Milesians in slaying the tyrant [[Timarchus of Miletus|Timarchus]].<ref>[[Appianus]], ''Syriaca'', 65.</ref> At around the same time Antiochus II also made some attempt to get a footing in [[Thrace]] which details are largely unknown and a mint in the city of [[Byzantium]] briefly issued coins in his name.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.historystudies.net/Makaleler/1269663898_12-Jordan%20Il%C4%B1ev..pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307220332/http://www.historystudies.net/Makaleler/1269663898_12-Jordan%20Il%C4%B1ev..pdf|url-status=dead|title=Dr. Jordan Iliev. "The Campaign of Antiochus II Theos in Thrace" - ''History Studies. International Journal of History'', 2013, 5/1, pp. 211-222.|archivedate=7 March 2014}}</ref>

In the end the war did little to alter the general balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean. [[Coele-Syria]] in particular, the main disputed territory between the Seleucid empire and the Ptolemaic Kingdom, remained firmly in the hands of the Ptolemies. In 257 BC, the Ptolemaic [[pharaoh]] [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus]] even invaded the Seleucid-held part of Syria, though the outcome of this invasion is unknown. In 253 BC, with his Antigonid allies knocked out of the war by rebellions, Antiochus II made peace with Ptolemy II. As part of the settlement, Antiochus II divorced [[Laodice I|Laodice]] and married Ptolemy II's daughter [[Berenice (Seleucid queen)|Berenice]], with the understanding that any children born from their union would inherit the Seleucid throne.<ref name=Bromiley>Bromiley, ''International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: A-D'' p.144</ref> Laodice was well provided for in the divorce arrangement. Antiochus II gave her various land grants throughout Anatolia which are known through inscriptions;<ref>Billows, ''Kings and colonists: aspects of Macedonian imperialism'' p.126</ref> such as large estates in the [[Dardanelles|Hellespont]],<ref name=GraingerP47>Grainger, ''A Seleukid prosopography and gazetteer'' p.47</ref> other properties near [[Cyzicus]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livius.org/la-ld/laodice/laodice_i.html|title=Laodice I article at Livius.org|access-date=26 March 2020|archive-date=27 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027114816/http://www.livius.org/la-ld/laodice/laodice_i.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Troy|Ilion]] and in [[Caria]].<ref name=GraingerP47/> She was also granted revenues from various territories and tax exemptions.<ref>Aperghis,''The Seleukid royal economy: the finances and financial administration of the Seleukid empire'' p.144</ref> According to a royal record at [[Sardis]], her land titles were to be treated as in royal possession.<ref>Billows, ''Kings and colonists: aspects of Macedonian imperialism'' p.p.114-5</ref>

Laodice remained a very powerful and political influential figure and continued numerous intrigues to become queen again. By 246 BC, possibly at the news of Ptolemy II's death, Antiochus II had left Berenice and their infant son Antiochus in [[Antioch]] to live again with Laodice in Asia Minor.<ref name="EB1911"/> Antiochus II soon suddenly died and Laodice was widely accused of having him poisoned. Antiochus was buried in the [[Belevi Mausoleum]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livius.org/be-bm/belevi/belevi.html|title=The Mausoleum of Antiochus II Theos|access-date=26 March 2020|archive-date=27 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627045330/http://www.livius.org/be-bm/belevi/belevi.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A succession struggle erupted almost immediately. Berenice initially had the advantage by holding Antioch but her son Antiochus was but an infant. Meanwhile, Laodice proclaimed her eldest son Seleucus as king [[Seleucus II]] and moved in from Asia Minor, claiming that on his deathbed Antiochus II reversed his earlier decision and named Seleucus as his successor.<ref name=Bromiley/> The then-reigning brother of Berenice [[Ptolemy III]] marched from Egypt to support his sister, only to find her and her son murdered by partisans of Laodice. Enraged Ptolemy continued the war, dubbed the [[Syrian Wars#Third Syrian War (246–241 BC)|Third Syrian War]] which proved to be a disaster for the Seleucid empire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Africa/Egypt/_Texts/BEVHOP/6*.html|title=E. R. Bevan: The House of Ptolemy • Chap. VI|website=penelope.uchicago.edu}}</ref>

==Eastern affairs==
Very little is known about any Antiochus II's activities in regards to the eastern [[Upper Satrapies]] such as [[Media (region)|Media]], [[Parthia]], [[Bactria]] or [[Persis]]. Chiefly preoccupied with conflicts in the Eastern Mediterranean and with family issues, Antiochus II seems to resorted to appointing independent-minded men such like [[Diodotus I|Diodotus]] and [[Andragoras (Seleucid satrap)|Andragoras]] as satraps in the area. These two appointments eventually resulted in the creation of the independent [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom]] and the [[Parthian Empire]] respectively. There is also a marked decline in quantity of Antiochus II's coinage in Bactria when compared to that of his father, which had been interpreted variously in scholarship. It has been claimed that ambitious satraps may have taken advantage of Antiochus II's absenteeism to gradually weaken their ties with the central government even in Antiochus II's lifetime without outwardly proclaiming independence. However, posthumous coinage of a popular king was a relatively common practice in the [[Hellenistic Age]] and Antiochus II may have minted coins in the name of his half-[[Sogdia]]n father in order to legitimize both himself and his dynasty.<ref>F. L. Holt 1999, Thundering Zeus, Berkeley.</ref>

==Possible relations with India==
An uncertain Antiochus is mentioned<ref name="Charpentier"/> in the [[Edicts of Ashoka]], as one of the recipients of the Indian Emperor [[Ashoka]]'s [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] [[proselytism]]. A majority opinion however holds that the Greek king mentioned there is in fact be Antiochus II's father, [[Antiochus I Soter]], who arguably had more proximity with the East.<ref>Translation of Jarl Charpentier 1931:303-321.</ref><!--this is not relevant to Antiochus II:"Likewise in the south among the [[Chola]]s, the [[Pandya]]s, and as far as [[Tamraparni]] ([[Sri Lanka]])." ([[Edicts of Ashoka]], 13th Rock Edict, S. Dhammika.)--><ref name="Charpentier">Jarl Charpentier, "Antiochus, King of the Yavanas" ''Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London'' '''6'''.2  (1931: 303-321) argues that the Antiochus mentioned was unlikely to be Antiochus II, during whose time relations with India were broken by the Parthian intrusion and the independence of Diodotus in Bactria, and suggests instead the half-Iranian [[Antiochus I]], with stronger connections in the East.</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Antiochus II}}
*[http://www.seleucid-genealogy.com/Antiochus_II.html Antiochus II entry in 'Seleucid Genealogy'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815050412/http://seleucid-genealogy.com/Antiochus_II.html |date=15 August 2016 }}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[Seleucid Empire|Seleucid dynasty]]||286 BC||246 BC}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Antiochus I Soter]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of kings of Persia|Seleucid King]]|years=261–246 BC}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Seleucus II Callinicus]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Hellenistic rulers}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Antiochus 02}}
[[Category:286 BC births]]
[[Category:246 BC deaths]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC Seleucid monarchs]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC murdered monarchs]]
[[Category:Deified male monarchs]]
[[Category:Deified Greek people]]