057: The Seleucid Empire - My Brother's Keeper

The Hellenistic Age Podcast

History

4.7 • 558 Ratings

🗓️ 31 January 2021

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The troubled reigns of Seleucus II Callinicus and Seleucus III marked over 20 years of instability for the empire. A 3rd Syrian War led by a vigorous Ptolemy III Euergetes would penetrate into Syria and Mesopotamia, Parthia saw the invasion of the nomadic Parni, and rebellious officials in places like Pergamon would test the limits of the Seleucid rulers to maintain their quickly fracturing realm. Above all else would be the "War of the Brothers", as the usurper Antiochus Hierax ("the Hawk") would challenge his brother Seleucus II and help bring the dynasty to the point of extinction less than a century after its foundation. Show Links Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2021/01/31/057-the-seleucid-empire-my-brothers-keeper/) Episode 057 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/057-the-seleucid-empire-my-brothers-keeper-episode-transcript.pdf) Family Tree - From Seleucus I to Seleucus III: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/from-seleucus-i-to-seleucus-iii-1.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi there, you're listening to the Hellenistic Age podcast, Episode 57, the year 246 BC, and King and Tykes the second of the Seleucid Empire had suddenly died at the age of 40 in the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor, having ruled since 261.
0:39.3	His death was sudden and unexpected, and rumors of poison swirled about.
0:44.3	Some ancient writers like Appian, Pliny the Elder, and Porphyryus, laid the blame directly on the feet of Antiochus' first wife, Laodicee the first, whom he was visiting at the time.
0:55.0	She is said to have been driven to act by jealousy and insecurity after being divorced by Antiochus
1:00.0	so he could take the hand of Ptolemy the second's daughter, Berenike, as his new wife, following
1:05.0	the end of the Second Syrian War in 253-252.
1:09.0	As much as a scorned lover trope makes for excellent storytelling, it is more
1:13.4	than likely just that, a trope. While a couple of ancient historians and writers accuse
1:18.3	Lao D.K. of killing Antiochus, no contemporary writings found in the Babylonian Chronicles or
1:23.6	astronomical diaries make mention a foul play, and some, like Eusebius, merely states that
1:28.8	he fell ill and died. Death by disease in the ancient world could come swiftly and unexpectedly,
1:34.2	even in the prime of one's life and with access to the best doctors. As I also explained in the last
1:39.9	episode, too much importance might be placed upon the Salukid Ptolemaic Marriage Alliance following
1:45.0	the Second Syrian War, and Laodice probably did not undergo any loss of status given
1:50.0	the polygamous nature of Hellenistic monarchies.
1:53.0	Much of the blame seems to be unwarranted, and a similar comparison could be drawn between
1:57.2	Laudique and Livia Augusta, the wife of the Emperor Augustus and the alleged
2:01.5	poisoner in the eyes of Roman historians like Tacitus and Cassius Dio.
2:06.3	In addition, several of our surviving histories are likely based on an original work by
2:10.5	Philarchus, a historian of the Talamia court who was looking to blame the Seleucids as
2:15.3	instigators of the Third Syrian War. Still, even if she didn't murder Antiochus, Queen Laodiceke was more than willing to get her hands a bit dirty.
2:24.3	Laudique was the mother of two boys named Seleucus and Antiochus.
	...

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