Editing Seleucus IV Philopator

{{Short description|King of the Seleucid Empire from 187 to 175 BC}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Seleucus IV Philopator
| title        = [[Basileus]]
| titletext    = 
| more         = 
| type         = 
| image        = Seleukos IV tetradrachm obverse.jpg
| image_size   = 
| alt          = 
| caption      = Silver tetradrachm of Seleucus IV, minted in Ptolemais-Ake, featuring a portrait of Seleucus on the obverse. SC 1331a
| succession   = [[Basileus]] of the [[Seleucid Empire]]
| moretext     = 
| reign        = 3 July 187 – 3 September 175 BC
| reign-type   = 
| coronation   = 
| cor-type     = 
| predecessor  = [[Antiochus III the Great]]
| pre-type     = Predecessor
| successor    = [[Antiochus, son of Seleucus IV|Antiochus]]
| suc-type     = Successor
| regent       = 
| reg-type     = 
| birth_name   = 
| birth_date   = {{circa}} 218 BC  <!-- {{birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| birth_place  = 
| death_date   = 3 September 175 BC<br />(aged 42–43)
| death_place  = 
| burial_date  = 
| burial_place = 
| spouse       = [[Laodice IV]]
| consort      = <!-- yes or no -->
| issue        = [[Antiochus (son of Seleucus IV)|Antiochus]]<br/>[[Demetrius I Soter]]<br/>[[Laodice V]]<!--list children in order of birth-->
| issue-link   = 
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| full name    = 
| era name     = 
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| regnal name  = 
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| temple name  = 
| house        = [[Seleucid dynasty|Seleucid]]
| house-type   = Dynasty
| father       = [[Antiochus III the Great]]
| mother       = [[Laodice III]]
| occupation   = 
| signature_type = 
| signature    = 
}}
[[File:Seleukos IV Philopator, Tetradrachm, 187-175 BC, HGC 9-580g.jpg|thumb|320x320px|Coin of Seleucus IV Philopator. Reverse shows [[Apollo]] seated on [[omphalos]]. [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] legend reads: BΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΕΛΕΥΚΟΥ, "of king Seleucus."]]
'''Seleucus IV Philopator'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wordnik.com/words/philopator|title=Philopator — definition, examples, related words and more at Wordnik}}</ref> ([[Ancient Greek|Greek]]: Σέλευκος Φιλοπάτωρ, ''Séleukos philopátо̄r'', meaning "Seleucus the father-loving"; {{circa}} 218 – 3 September 175 BC),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.livius.org/articles/person/seleucus-iv-philopator/?|title=Seleucus IV Philopator|work=Livius.org}}</ref><ref>''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Vol. 20 (1973), p. 190</ref> ruler of the [[Hellenistic]] [[Seleucid Empire]], reigned from 187 BC to 175 BC over a realm consisting of [[Coele-Syria|Syria]] (now including [[Cilicia]] and [[Judea]]), [[Mesopotamia]], [[Babylonia]] and Nearer Iran (Media and Persia).

==Biography==
===Birth and family===
He was the second son and successor of [[Antiochus III the Great]] and [[Laodice III]]. He was made heir to his father after the death of his elder brother [[Antiochus (son of Antiochus III the Great)|Antiochus the young king]], in 193 BC.{{sfn|Grainger|2015|p=2–3}} Seleucus IV wed his sister [[Laodice IV]], by whom he had three children: two sons [[Demetrius I Soter]], [[Antiochus (son of Seleucus IV)|Antiochus]] and a daughter [[Laodice V]].

=== Seleucid conflict with Rome ===
During the prelude to the [[Roman–Seleucid War|Roman-Seleucid War]], Seleucus was put in charge of the re-established colony of [[Lysimachia (Thrace)|Lysimacheia]] by his father.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Livius|first=Titus|title=Ab Urbe Condita|volume=35|issue=15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Appian, The Syrian Wars 1 - Livius|url=https://www.livius.org/sources/content/appian/appian-the-syrian-wars/appian-the-syrian-wars-1/#1|access-date=6 November 2020|website=www.livius.org}}</ref> Upon the outbreak of war, Seleucus commanded his own force, unsuccessfully besieging [[Attalid dynasty|Pergamon]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Appian, The Syrian Wars 6 - Livius|url=https://www.livius.org/sources/content/appian/appian-the-syrian-wars/appian-the-syrian-wars-6/|access-date=6 November 2020|website=www.livius.org}}</ref> and taking the city of [[Phocaea]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Livius|first=Titus|title=Ab Urbe Condita|volume=37|issue=11}}</ref> before fighting in the [[Battle of Magnesia]] alongside his father.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Appian, The Syrian Wars 7 - Livius|url=https://www.livius.org/sources/content/appian/appian-the-syrian-wars/appian-the-syrian-wars-7/|access-date=6 November 2020|website=www.livius.org}}</ref> After their defeat at Magnesia, Seleucus was made co-regent in 189 BC<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last1=Hornblower|first1=Simon|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/779530090|title=The Oxford classical dictionary.|last2=Spawforth|first2=Antony|last3=Eidinow|first3=Esther|date=2012|isbn=978-0-19-954556-8|pages=1342|publisher=OUP Oxford |language=en|oclc=779530090}}</ref> and the Seleucids signed the [[Treaty of Apamea]] with [[Roman Republic|Rome]] in 188 BC.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last1=Hornblower|first1=Simon|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/779530090|title=The Oxford classical dictionary.|last2=Spawforth|first2=Antony|last3=Eidinow|first3=Esther|date=2012|isbn=978-0-19-954556-8|pages=105|publisher=OUP Oxford |language=en|oclc=779530090}}</ref> As part of the treaty, Seleucus oversaw the supply of grain and scouts to Roman and Pergamene forces during their [[Galatian War|campaign against the Galatians]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Reign ===
In 187 BC, Antiochus died<ref name=":2" /> after looting the Temple of [[Bel (mythology)|Bel]] in [[Elymais|Elymaïs]]<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|author=Diodorus Siculus|title=Bibliotheca Historica|volume=29.10.15}}</ref> and Seleucus took over as Basileus. He renewed an alliance with the [[Achaean League]],<ref name=":3" /> and almost joined in [[Pharnaces I of Pontus|Pharnaces]] I's invasion of [[Galatia]], before reconsidering and turning back.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> He also substituted his son Demetrius instead of his brother [[Antiochus IV Epiphanes|Antiochus IV]] as a hostage in Rome.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=Appian, The Syrian Wars 9 - Livius|url=https://www.livius.org/sources/content/appian/appian-the-syrian-wars/appian-the-syrian-wars-9/|access-date=6 November 2020|website=www.livius.org}}</ref>

=== Death ===
On September 3, 175 BC (137 [[Seleucid era|SE]]), Seleucus was assassinated by [[Heliodorus (minister)|Heliodorus]], one of his leading bureaucrats.  The ancient sources do not record a motive for this act; possibly it was simple lust for power, or possibly the sources misattributed the death to the one who gained the most from it.<ref name="gera">{{cite book |last=Gera |first=Dov |author-link= |date=1998 |title= Judaea and Mediterranean Politics 219 to 161 B.C.E. |location=Leiden |publisher=Brill |page=110-113 |isbn=90-04-09441-5}}</ref>  Heliodorus took over as regent, ruling on behalf of Seleucus IV's young child Antiochus.  Heliodorus's reign as regent was brief, however; months later, he was replaced by Antiochus IV with support from Pergamon.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" />

== In the Judeo-Christian tradition ==
[[File:Monete ellenistiche, regno di siria, seleuco IV, tetradracma in argento.jpg|thumb|Portrait of Seleucus IV Philopator on the obverse of one of his silver coins.]]
The book [[2 Maccabees]] discusses Seleucus IV, a Jewish text later included as scripture by Christians.  In [[2 Maccabees 3]], Seleucus IV sends out Heliodorus on a tax-collecting mission after hearing an inflated report of the Temple's wealth.  Helidorus attempts to raid the treasury of the [[Second Temple]] in Jerusalem, but is repelled by angelic beings in a miracle.<ref>{{cite book |last=Scolnic |first=Benjamin |author-link=Benjamin Scolnic |date=2004 |title=Alcimus, Enemy of the Maccabees |publisher=University Press America, Inc. |page=5 |isbn=0-7618-3044-8}}</ref>  The incident is also referred to obliquely in the [[Book of Daniel]] which states that Seleucus "will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor";<ref>{{bibleverse||Daniel|11:20|NIV}}: [[New International Version]]</ref> the collector is also referred to as an "[[extortion]]er" ([[Jerusalem Bible]]) or an "exactor of [[tribute]]" ([[Revised Standard Version]]).

==Other ancient accounts==
In general, many (non-religious) ancient sources portray Seleucus IV as something of a weak ruler.  [[Lester L. Grabbe]] cautions that this hostility may be unwarranted from historians who expected skilled kings to go to war.  Seleucis IV appears to have run a fairly quiet period of rebuilding, but he managed relations with Rome astutely given the inferior position the Seleucid Empire found itself in after its defeat in the Roman–Seleucid War.  A decade of peace would give the Seleucid Empire time to recover its strength.<ref>{{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L.  |authorlink=Lester L. Grabbe |date=2008 |title=A History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period: The Coming of the Greeks: The Early Hellenistic Period (335&ndash;175 BCE) |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume=68 |series=Library of Second Temple Studies |page=319 |isbn=978-0-567-03396-3}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Asia}}
* [[List of Syrian monarchs]]
* [[Timeline of Syrian history]]

==References==
{{reflist|20em}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last=Grainger |first=John D. |title=The Seleukid Empire of Antiochus III (223–187 BC) |location=Barnsley |publisher=Pen and Sword |year=2015}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://virtualreligion.net/iho/seleucus_4.html Seleucus IV Philopator] entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[Seleucid Empire|Seleucid dynasty]]||c. 218||175 BC}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Antiochus III the Great]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of kings of Persia|Seleucid King]]<br /><small>([[King of Syria]])</small>|years=187&ndash;175 BC}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Antiochus, son of Seleucus IV|Antiochus]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Hellenistic rulers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seleucus 04 Philopator}}
[[Category:210s BC births]]
[[Category:175 BC deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]
[[Category:2nd-century BC Seleucid monarchs]]
[[Category:People in the books of the Maccabees]]