| Stratonice | |
|---|---|
 Antiochus I and Stratonice byJacques-Louis David (1774) | |
| Queen consort of theSeleucid Empire | |
| Tenure | 300–294 BC 281–261 BC |
| Coronation | 300 BC at Rhosus, on thePierian coast inMacedonia |
| Born | c. 320 BC |
| Died | September/October 254 BC (aged 65 or 66) Sardis (nowSart,Salihli,Manisa,Turkey) |
| Spouse | Seleucus I Nicator (300–294 BC) Antiochus I Soter (294–261 BC) |
| Issue |
|
| House | Antigonid |
| Father | Demetrius Poliorcetes orAntigonus Monophthalmus |
| Mother | Phila |
Stratonice orStratonica of Syria (Ancient Greek:Στρατoνίκη,Stratoníkē, "victory of the army", c. 320 BC – 254 BC) was Queen of theSeleucid Empire from 300 BC until 294 BC and from 281 BC until 261 BC.
Stratonice of Syria was the daughter of kingDemetrius Poliorcetes andPhila, the daughter ofAntipater. In 300 BC, at which time she could not have been more than seventeen years of age, her hand in marriage was sought bySeleucus, king of theSeleucid Empire. She was accompanied by her father Demetrius to Rhosus (on thePierian coast inMacedonia) where the nuptials were celebrated.[1] Notwithstanding the disparity of their ages, she appears to have lived in perfect harmony with the old king for some years. Seleucus and Stratonice had one child, a daughterPhila, when it was discovered that her stepsonAntiochus was deeply enamoured of her.
In order to save the life of his son (which was supposedly endangered by the violence of his passion), Seleucus gave up Stratonice in marriage to him in 294 BC. At the same time Seleucus announced that Antiochus would be king of the eastern provinces.[2] It is believed that the union, which produced five children, was a prosperous one. Antiochus named the city ofStratonikeia inCaria after Stratonice.[3][4]
In Babylonian texts, she is referred to as 'Astartanikku', a transliteration of her Greek name that seems to have been designed in order to draw a parallel with the goddessAstarte. She is also given titles that were otherwise reserved for Babylonian goddesses.[5]
Stratonice's death atSardis is mentioned in theAstronomical Diaries in September or October 254 BC.[6]
By Seleucus I Nicator:
By Antiochus I Soter:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Stratonice (3)".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
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