Irlandos at 11:24, April 17, 2006

2006-04-17T11:24:49Z

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'''Seleucus I''' (surnamed for later generations '''Nicator''', [[Greek]]:'''Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ''') (''c.'' [[358 BC]]–[[281 BC]]), was a [[Macedon|Macedonian]] officer of [[Alexander the Great]]. In the [[wars of the Diadochi]] that took place after Alexander's death, Seleucus established the Seleucid dynasty and the [[Seleucid Empire]].

==Early career & ascent to power==

Seleucus was the son of ''Antiochus'', one of [[Philip II of Macedon|Philip]]'s generals, and of [[Laodice of Macedonia|Laodice]]. In [[333 BC]], as a young man of about twenty-three, he accompanied [[Alexander the Great|Alexander]] into Asia and won distinction in the Indian campaign of [[326 BC]]. When the Macedonian empire was divided in [[323 BC]] (the "[[Partition of Babylon]]"), Seleucus was given the office of ''chiliarch'', which attached him closely to the regent [[Perdiccas]]. Subsequently, Seleucus had a hand in the murder of Perdiccas during the latter's unsuccessful invasion of Egypt in [[321 BC]].

At the second partition, at [[Treaty of Triparadisus|Triparadisus]] ([[321 BC]]), Seleucus was given the government of the Babylonian [[satrap]]y. In [[316 BC]], when [[Antigonus I Monophthalmus|Antigonus]] had made himself master of the eastern provinces, Seleucus felt himself threatened and fled to Egypt. In the war which followed between Antigonus and the other Macedonian chiefs, Seleucus actively cooperated with [[Ptolemy I of Egypt|Ptolemy]] and commanded Egyptian squadrons in the [[Aegean Sea]].

The victory won by Ptolemy at the [[battle of Gaza (312 BC)|battle of Gaza]] in [[312 BC]] opened the way for Seleucus to return to the east. His return to Babylon was afterwards officially regarded as the beginning of the Seleucid Empire and that year as the first of the [[Seleucid era]]. Master of Babylonia, Seleucus at once proceeded to wrest the neighbouring provinces of Persia, Susiana and Media from the nominees of Antigonus. A raid into Babylonia conducted in [[311 BC]] by Demetrius, son of Antigonus, did not seriously check Seleucus' progress. Over the course of nine years ([[311 BC|311]]-[[302 BC]]), while Antigonus was occupied in the west, Seleucus brought the whole eastern part of Alexander's empire as far as the Jaxartes and Indus Rivers under his authority.

In [[305 BC]], after the extinction of the old royal line of Macedonia, Seleucus, like the other four principal Macedonian chiefs, assumed the title and style of King. He established [[Seleucia on the Tigris]] as his capital.

==Establishing the Seleucid state==

His attempt to restore Macedonian rule beyond the Indus, where Chandragupta Maurya had established himself, was not successful. Greek sources are curiously silent on this topic leading historians to believe that Seleucus was defeated; nevertheless, a peace treaty signed between the two kings in [[302 BC]]. Seleucus ceded what is now Pakistan and southern Afghanistan but received 500 elephants, which were to play a key role in the battles that were to come. To cement the treaty, there was either some sort of marriage alliance involving Seleucus' daughter or the diplomatic recognition of intermarriage between Indians and Greeks. Seleucus himself took as wife Apama, whom he had three children with: two daughter, Apama and Laodice and sons [[Antiochus I Soter|Antiochus]] & [[Achaeus]]. After the death of Apama, Seleucus married [[Stratonice]], daughter of [[Demetrius Poliorcetes]], Seleucus had a daughter by Stratonice, who was called Phila.[http://www.attalus.org/translate/malalas.html]

In [[301 BC]] he joined [[Lysimachus]] in Asia Minor, and at [[battle of Ipsus|Ipsus]] Antigonus fell before their combined power. A new partition of the empire followed, by which Seleucus added to his kingdom Syria, and perhaps some regions of Asia Minor.

The possession of Syria gave him an opening to the Mediterranean, and he immediately founded the new city of [[Antioch on the Orontes]] as his chief seat of government. Seleucia on the Tigris continued to be the capital for the eastern satrapies. About [[293 BC]], he installed his son [[Antiochus I Soter|Antiochus]] there as viceroy, the vast extent of the empire seeming to require a double government.

It is said of Seleucus that "few princes have ever lived with so great a passion for the building of cities. He is reputed to have built in all nine Seleucias, sixteen Antiochs, and six Laodiceas"[1].

The capture of Demetrius in [[285 BC]] added to Seleucus's prestige. The unpopularity of Lysimachus after the murder of [[Agathocles (son of Lysimachus)|Agathocles]] gave Seleucus an opportunity for removing his last rival. His intervention in the west was solicited by [[Ptolemy Keraunos]], who, on the accession to the Egyptian throne of his brother [[Ptolemy II of Egypt|Ptolemy II]] ([[285 BC]]), had at first taken refuge with Lysimachus and then with Seleucus. War between Seleucus and Lysimachus broke out, and at the decisive [[battle of Corupedium]] in Lydia, Lysimachus fell ([[281 BC]]). Seleucus now held the whole of Alexander's conquests excepting Egypt in his hands, and moved to take possession of Macedonia and Thrace. He intended to leave Asia to Antiochus and content himself for the remainder of his days with the Macedonian kingdom in its old limits. He had, however, hardly crossed into the Chersonese when he was assassinated by [[Ptolemy Keraunos]] near [[Lysimachia (Thrace)|Lysimachia]] ([[281 BC]]).

==External links==

*[http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jamesdow/s008/f069878.htm A genealogical tree of Seleucus]

==References==
*[1] This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.

*''Seleukos Nikator: Constructing a Hellenistic Kingdom'' by John D. Grainger ISBN 0415047013

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{{succession box|title=[[Seleucid Empire|Seleucid King]]|before=[[Alexander IV of Macedon|(Alexander IV)]]|after=[[Antiochus I Soter]]|years=312/305–281 BC}}
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[[Category:358 BC births]]
[[Category:281 BC deaths]]
[[Category:Ancient Greeks]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek generals]]
[[Category:Seleucid rulers]]
[[Category:Alexander the Great]]

Seleucus I Nicator - Revision history

Irlandos at 11:24, April 17, 2006