Monthly Archives: July 2021

In order to smooth over the transition from Antiochus I to Antiochus II, I’m going to take a moment to discuss a reference in Ashoka’s edicts glorifying the emperor’s spread of Buddhism, which may refer to either of the Seleucid kings given that only a name is present. However, this discussion will also allow us to return to the Indian subcontinent and pick up its history where we left off… Sources for this episode: 1-6) Wikipedia articles for Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara, Sushima, Ashoka, Devata and Antiochus II (online) [Accessed 20/05/2021]. 7) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2014), Bindusara (online) [Accessed 20/05/2021]. 8) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2014), Deccan (online) [Accessed 20/05/2021]. 9) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2015), Kalinga (online) [Accessed 20/05/2021]. 10) Smith, V. (1920), Asoka, the Buddhist emperor of India (3rd edition, original published 1901), Oxford: The Clarendon Press. Available at: Internet Archive [Accessed 20/05/2021]. 11) Chisholm, H., Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911, Vol. I), Alexander II (king of Epirus).

So, for the second time on the show, we’ve come to the end of a sole ruler’s reign. Antiochus I (reigned 281- 261 BCE) is dead, and his only surviving son Antiochus II will succeed him. But we’re not there yet! This week, I’m going to recap everything we’ve talked about in the twenty years since Antiochus Soter came to power, and walk you through my pitch for his 21st century epithet- Antiochus the Troubled. Sources for this episode are the same as those from episodes 21 to 31, with new material coming from: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. 2) Rawlinson, G. (1869) A manual of ancient history from the earliest times to the fall of the Western Empire, comprising the history of Chaldea, Assyria, Media, Babylonia, Lydia, Phoenicia, Syria, Judea, Egypt, Carthage, Persia, Greece, Macedonia, Rome, and Parthia. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 3) Lendering, J. (2002, modified 2020), Arrian on the weddings in Susa (online) [Accessed 18/05/2021]. 4) Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd.

Bonus episode! We covered Alexander the Great’s half-sister Thessalonica- the mother of Philip IV, Antipater II and Alexander V- way back in the early episodes of the podcast. After all, we’ve witnessed quite a bit of family scheming (which I’ll come back to with a new perspective today). However, today’s topic is going to take her story beyond her death in 295 BCE. In fact, her memory would live on in the form of a mermaid reported to ask sailors a question in the Aegean. Spoiler alert: you don’t want to give her the wrong answer…
Sources for this episode: 1) Gerakiti, E., Daily Art Magazine (2020), Alexander the Great and His Mermaid Sister in Folklore (online) [Accessed 19/04/2021]. 2) Justinus, Epitome of Pompeius Trogus’ Philippic Histories (books 16-20), translated by Rev. J. S. Watson (1853). Available at Attalus [Accessed 31/05/2021]. 3) Mitakidou, S., Manna, A. L. and Kanatsouli, M. (2002), Folktales from Greece: A Treasury of Delights. Greenwood Village: Libraries Unlimited. 4) Plutarch, (1920) the Parallel Lives (The Life of Pyrrhus 6) in: the Loeb Classical Library edition (Vol. IX). Proofread by Robert Thayer, available at the University of Chicago [Accessed 31/05/2021]. 5) Author unknown, Royal Museums Greenwich (date unknown), What is a mermaid? (online) [Accessed 19/04/2021]. 6-10) Wikipedia articles for Thessalonike of Macedon, Philip IV of Macedon, Antipater II of Macedon, Aegean Sea, and Aegeus (online) [Accessed 18/04/2021]. 11-12) Wikipedia articles for Nicesipolis and Battle of the Crocus Fields (online) [Accessed 31/05/2021].

As I hinted at with all the city-building going on in episode 29, Antiochus I is going back to Anatolia for one last time before we finish off his reign. Although it’s the same venue, we won’t quite be focussing on the same players as before. This time around, the impetus for conflict will be an effective declaration of independence by the state of Pergamon…
Sources for this episode: 1-7): Wikipedia articles for Antiochus I, Eumenes I, Antiochus II, Seleucus II, Antiochus Hierax, Stratonice of Cappadocia and Laodice (wife of Mithridates II of Pontus) (online) [Accessed 16/05/2021]. 8) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol I.). London: Edward Arthur. 9) Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. 10) Rawlinson, G. (1869) A manual of ancient history from the earliest times to the fall of the Western Empire, comprising the history of Chaldea, Assyria, Media, Babylonia, Lydia, Phoenicia, Syria, Judea, Egypt, Carthage, Persia, Greece, Macedonia, Rome, and Parthia. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 11) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 19/03/2021]. 12) 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica entry for ‘Seleucid dynasty’ and specifically ‘Antiochus I Soter’.

Antiochus I’s eldest son is a bit of a mystery to research; every source I’ve accessed so far seems to say something different… This week, we delve into the life and times of Seleucus, co-king from 275 to 266 BCE (very approximate dates) who disappears from the story towards the end of his father’s reign. As we’ll see, he and his father probably didn’t have the easiest relationship…
Sources for this episode: 1) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 11/04/2021]. 2) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2020), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 11/04/2021]. 3) 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article for ‘Seleucids’ (available online) [Accessed 11/04/2021]. 4) Strootman, R. (2014), The Encyclopaedia of Ancient History (1st edition), p.473- 475. London: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 5) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. 6) Lendering, J., Livius (2006, modified 2020), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 11/04/2021]. 7) Jérémy, C. (2020), The Mysterious Fall of the Coregent Seleucus: Triarchic Experiment and Dynastic Strife under the Reign of Antiochus I Soter. Historia 69(4): 408- 440. Please note: I’ve only been able to access the abstract for this. 8) Kosmin, J. (2014), The Land of the Elephant Kings. London: Harvard University Press. 9) Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd.

Today, we’re going to take a moment to discuss the construction projects of Antiochus I. From founding new cities to restoring old ones, Antiochus was a very active ruler in terms of building and building works. As we’ll see, Antiochus left quite a few traces behind for us to explore…
Sources for this episode: 1-6) Wikipedia articles for Borsippa, Third Dynasty of Ur, Xerxes I, Babylonian revolts (484 BCE), Antiochus I Soter and Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 22/04/2021]. 7) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2007), Nabu (online) [Accessed 21/04/2021]. 8) Encyclopaedia Britannica for Antiochus I Soter (finish this reference). 9) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Esaglia (online) [Accessed 22/04/2021]. 10) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2015), Apamea Cibotus (online) [Accessed 22/04/2021]. 11) Hirst, K. K., ThoughtCo (2018), The Royal Road of the Achaemenids: International Highway of Darius the Great (online) [Accessed 24/04/2021]. 12) Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. 13) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. 14) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antiochus Cylinder (online) [Accessed 30/05/2021]. 15) van der Spek, B., Livius (2004, last modified 2020), Antiochus Cylinder (online) [Accessed 30/05/2021].