SELEUKID KINGDOM Antiochos VII, Euergetes (Sidetes): 138-129 B.C.

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SEE ATTACHED PHOTO BEFORE ORDERING!!! WE WILLCONSIDER ALL REASONABLE OFFERS !!!! ALL COINS ARE GUARANTEED GENUINE ( 15 DAY RETURN PRIVILEGE FOR ANY REASON) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYRIA SELEUKID KINGDOM Antiochos VII, Euergetes (Sidetes) - King: 138-129 B.C. Bronze 18mm (5.95 grams) Struck 138-129 B.C. Reference: Sear 7098 Biography == He was one of the sons of [[Demetrius I Soter]], the brother of [[Demetrius II Nicator]] and his mother may have been [[Laodice V]]. Antiochus was elevated after Demetrius' capture by the [[Parthia]]ns. He married [[Cleopatra Thea]], who had been the wife of Demetrius. Their offspring was [[Antiochus IX Cyzicenus|Antiochus IX]], who thus became both half-brother and cousin to [[Seleucus V Philometor|Seleucus V]] and [[Antiochus VIII Grypus|Antiochus VIII]]. [[File:Antiochos VII with Dioscuri.jpg|thumb|left|Coin of Antiochus VII, depicting the [[Dioscuri]].]] Sidetes defeated the usurper [[Diodotus Tryphon|Tryphon]] at [[Tel Dor|Dora]]Josephus, The Jewish War (1:52) and laid siege to [[Jerusalem]] in 132. According to [[Josephus]]Josephus The Jewish Wars (1:60) the [[Hasmonean]] king [[John Hyrcanus]] opened King [[David]]'s sepulchre and removed three thousand talents, which he then paid Antiochus to spare the city. Nevertheless, Antiochus' respectful treatment of the Jews, and respect for their religion, earned him their gratitude and added name, ''[[Euergetes]]'' ("the Benefactor"). With no Jewish sources of that time (the Book of Maccabees ends few years before his time) it is unclear if the siege on Jerusalem ended with a decisive Seleucid victory or simply a peace treaty. Furthermore the fact is that Jewish forces later assisted Sidetes in his wars, and that for nearly 20 years after his death, John Hyrcanus refrained of attacking areas under Seleucid control. All in all it indicates a renewal of the friendly relations from the time of Demetrius II. Antiochus spent the final years of his life attempting to reclaim the lost eastern territories, overrun by the [[Parthians]] under their "Great King", [[Mithridates I of Parthia|Mithridates I]]. Marching east, with what would prove to be the last great Seleucid royal army (including a force of Judean mercenaries under [[John Hyrcanus]]), he defeated Mithridates in two battles, killing the aged Parthian king in the last of these. He restored [[Mesopotamia]], [[Babylonia]] and [[Median Empire|Media]] to the Seleucid empire, before dispersing his army into winter quarters. The Seleucid king and army spent the winter feasting, hunting, and drinking (the Seleucids maintained the Macedonian tradition of heavy drinking). As with any time an army is quartered upon a population, tensions soon grew between the locals and the Syrian troops. The new Parthian ruler, [[Phraates II]], had not been idle; raising a new army while stirring up rebellion in the Seleucid occupied towns of Media. Hoping to further sew dissension amongst his foe, Phraates also released his long-held prisoner, [[Demetrius II Nicator|Demetrius II]], Antiochus' older brother, to return to Syria and reclaim the throne. That winter (130–129 BCE), several Median towns rose in rebellion and attacked their Seleucid garrisons. Antiochus marched to support one such isolated garrison with only a small force (likely only his Royal Guards). In a barren valley, he was [[Battle of Ecbatana|ambushed and killed]] by Phraates II and a large force of Parthians, which had entered the country without being detected. The last great Seleucid king died in battle, a fitting end for the heir of [[Seleucus I Nicator]] (the Victor). (One disputed account has Antiochus take his own life, after the battle is lost, to avoid capture by the Parthians.) After Antiochus VII Sidetes, the Parthians regained the territory briefly lost, and the Seleucid realm was now restricted to [[Syria]]........................................ read more

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