| Seleucus IV Philopator | |
|---|---|
| Basileus | |
 Silver tetradrachm of Seleucus IV, minted in Ptolemais-Ake, featuring a portrait of Seleucus on the obverse. SC 1331a | |
| Basileus of theSeleucid Empire | |
| Reign | 3 July 187 – 3 September 175 BC |
| Predecessor | Antiochus III the Great |
| Successor | Antiochus |
| Born | c. 218 BC |
| Died | 3 September 175 BC (aged 42–43) |
| Spouse | Laodice IV |
| Issue | Antiochus Demetrius I Soter Laodice V |
| Dynasty | Seleucid |
| Father | Antiochus III the Great |
| Mother | Laodice III |
Seleucus IV Philopator[1] (Greek: Σέλευκος Φιλοπάτωρ,Séleukos philopátо̄r, meaning "Seleucus the father-loving";c. 218 – 3 September 175 BC),[2][3] ruler of theHellenisticSeleucid Empire, reigned from 187 BC to 175 BC over a realm consisting ofSyria (now includingCilicia andJudea),Mesopotamia,Babylonia and Nearer Iran (Media and Persia).
He was the second son and successor ofAntiochus III the Great andLaodice III. He was made heir to his father after the death of his elder brotherAntiochus the young king, in 193 BC.[4] Seleucus IV wed his sisterLaodice IV, by whom he had three children: two sonsDemetrius I Soter,Antiochus and a daughterLaodice V.
During the prelude to theRoman-Seleucid War, Seleucus was put in charge of the re-established colony ofLysimacheia by his father.[5][6] Upon the outbreak of war, Seleucus commanded his own force, unsuccessfully besiegingPergamon,[7] and taking the city ofPhocaea[8] before fighting in theBattle of Magnesia alongside his father.[9] After their defeat at Magnesia, Seleucus was made co-regent in 189 BC[10] and the Seleucids signed theTreaty of Apamea withRome in 188 BC.[11] As part of the treaty, Seleucus oversaw the supply of grain and scouts to Roman and Pergamene forces during theircampaign against the Galatians.[8]
In 187 BC, Antiochus died[11] after looting the Temple ofBel inElymaïs[12] and Seleucus took over as Basileus. He renewed an alliance with theAchaean League,[12] and almost joined inPharnaces I's invasion ofGalatia, before reconsidering and turning back.[10][12] He also substituted his son Demetrius instead of his brotherAntiochus IV as a hostage in Rome.[13]
On September 3, 175 BC (137SE), Seleucus was assassinated byHeliodorus, 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.[14] 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.[13][10]
The book2 Maccabees discusses Seleucus IV, a Jewish text later included as scripture by Christians. In2 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 theSecond Temple in Jerusalem, but is repelled by angelic beings in a miracle.[15] The incident is also referred to obliquely in theBook of Daniel which states that Seleucus "will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor";[16] the collector is also referred to as an "extortioner" (Jerusalem Bible) or an "exactor oftribute" (Revised Standard Version).
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.[17]
Seleucus IV Philopator Born: c. 218 Died: 175 BC | ||
| Preceded by | Seleucid King (King of Syria) 187–175 BC | Succeeded by |
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