Hi there, you're listening to the Hellenistic Age podcast. Episode 111, the Salucod Empire, the Elephant in the throne room.

The death of Antioch is the fourth epiphanies in November of 164, while on campaign in Iran, left the salucid realm in a precarious state. He was in the middle of reestablishing his authority

in the upper satrapies, but this mission ended in failure upon his death. An heir was in place,

the 10-year-old Antiochus the fit, who had been elevated to the status of co-ruler just before

his father's departure for the east. But the responsibility for administering the realm was

left to the standing

regent Lyceas. It was this minister who bestowed the younger Antiochus with the epithet,

Eupater, of a noble father, an obvious attempt to emphasize his connection with his sire,

given his very young age. The few portraits we have of Eupater do little to hide the king's obvious youth,

so some other means was needed to strengthen his legitimacy. Unfortunately, his accession was

anything but simple. According to Cuneiform documents, Epiphanes' body was brought back to Babylon

between December 19th of 16th of 16th of 163,

accompanied by a commander named Philip.

The Jewish sources claim that, on the king's deathbed,

Philip was appointed as the standing region by Antiochus,

entrusted with the royal signet ring in diadem,

and tasked to protect the interest of his son.

It is extremely unlikely that Epiphanes would engineer a situation contrary to his own arrangement

that would directly lead to a civil war, but Philip was now intent on establishing himself as the new head of government.

This is likely the reason why Lyceas had retired from Judeus

so suddenly after the engagement at Beth Zura with Judas Maccabee, as news of both the

king's death and Phillips claims would have stirred up trouble in Antioch. These problems would

...