Editing Seleucus III Ceraunus

{{Short description|Ruler of the Seleucid Kingdom from 225 to 223 BC}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Seleucus III Ceraunus
| title        = [[Basileus]]
| titletext    = 
| more         = 
| type         = 
| image        = Seleukos III Keraunos, Tetradrachm, 226-223 BC, HGC 3-414c Obverse.jpg
| image_size   = 
| alt          = 
| caption      = Silver tetradrachm of Seleukos III Keraunos, minted in Antioch, featuring a portrait of Seleukos on the obverse. SC 921.1
| succession   = [[Basileus]] of the [[Seleucid Empire]]
| moretext     = 
| reign        = December 225 – April/June 223 BC
| reign-type   = 
| coronation   = 
| cor-type     = 
| predecessor  = [[Seleucus II Callinicus]]
| pre-type     = Predecessor
| successor    = [[Antiochus III the Great]]
| suc-type     = Successors
| regent       = 
| reg-type     = 
| birth_name   = Alexander
| birth_date   = {{circa}} 243 BC<!-- {{birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| birth_place  = 
| death_date   = April/June 223 BC<br>(aged 20)
| death_place  = 
| burial_date  = 
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| spouse       = 
| consort      = <!-- yes or no -->
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| full name    = 
| era name     = 
| era dates    = 
| regnal name  = 
| posthumous name = 
| temple name  = 
| house        = [[Seleucid dynasty|Seleucid]]
| house-type   = Dynasty
| father       = [[Seleucus II Callinicus]]
| mother       = [[Laodice II]]
| occupation   = 
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}}

'''Seleucus III [[Soter]]''', called '''Seleucus Ceraunus''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: {{lang|grc|Σέλευκος Γ΄ ὁ Σωτήρ, ὁ Κεραυνός}}, ''Séleukos ho Sōtḗr ho Keraunós''; c. 243 BC – April/June 223 BC, ruled December 225 – April/June 223 BC),<ref name="livius">{{cite web|url=https://www.livius.org/articles/person/seleucus-iii-keraunos/?|title=Seleucus III Keraunos|work=Livius.org}}</ref> was a ruler of the Hellenistic [[Seleucid Empire|Seleucid Kingdom]], the eldest son of [[Seleucus II Callinicus]] and [[Laodice II]].

==Biography==
His birth name was Alexander and he was named after his great uncle the Seleucid official [[Alexander (grandson of Seleucus I Nicator)|Alexander]]. Alexander changed his name to Seleucus after he succeeded his father as King. Seleucus's rule was troubled & unstable, during his tenure he unsuccessfully continued his father's war in Asia Minor against [[Attalus I|Attalus I of Pergamon]]. Seleucus was seen as being energetic & full of ambition like his father was. However he lacked character & was usually very sickly, making him mostly unable to fulfil his ambitious ideas. He however, in the eyes of many did not suite his position. He was not very well liked by many as he did not fit their definition of a proper King, as much as he did try to prove the opposite. After a brief reign of less than two years (225–223&nbsp;BC), he was assassinated in [[Anatolia]] by members of his army, possibly at the instigation of his powerful minister [[Hermeias]].<ref name="livius"/> His official byname ''Soter'' means "Saviour", while his nickname ''Ceraunus'' means "Thunderbolt".

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="240" heights="140" perrow="4">
File:SeleucusIII.jpg|Silver coin of Seleucus III. Reverse shows seated [[Apollo]] holding bow and arrow. Greek legend reads: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΕΛΕΥΚΟΥ, ''Basileōs Seleukou'', "of king Seleucus".
File:Seleukos III Keraunos, Tetradrachm, 226-223 BC, HGC 3-414c.jpg|Tetradrachm of Seleucus III, from the [[Antioch]] mint, c. 226-223 BC. Reverse shows nude Apollo seated on [[omphalos]], holding bow and arrow.

</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[Seleucid Empire|Seleucid dynasty]]||c. 243 BC||223 BC}}
{{s-bef
| before = [[Seleucus II Callinicus]]
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = [[List of kings of Persia|Seleucid King]]
| years = 225&ndash;223 BC
}}
{{s-aft
| after = [[Antiochus III the Great]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Hellenistic rulers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seleucus 03 Ceraunus}}
[[Category:240s BC births]]
[[Category:223 BC deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC Seleucid monarchs]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC murdered monarchs]]

{{AncientGreece-royal-stub}}