Page 77 - All About History - Issue 72-18
P. 77
Battle of Raphia
slipped from Seleucid grasp over the course of the the Seleucid monarch, Ptolemy had ascended to The Seleucids were intent on retrieving their
third century BCE. Far-off Bactria had broken away his throne only recently, in 221 BCE. By 219 BCE lost territory, and a series of wars were fought
in the middle of the century. Antiochus was back in the west, having returned between them and the Ptolemies over Coele Syria.
In northeastern Iran the Macedonian Satrap, or from his victorious campaigns in his eastern domains. The First Syrian War of 274-271 BCE started with
governor, of the province of Parthia had declared Not every threat had been extinguished. Achaeus, the invasion of Coele Syria by the Seleucid King
his independence from his Seleucid overlords at a kinsman, was busy plotting a revolt in Asia Minor Antiochus I Soter (281-261 BCE).
around the same time. Not long after, the latter but Antiochus was too focused for the time being on Antiochus made gains initially on the land, but
province was occupied by Parni steppe nomads Egypt to take direct action against him. Ptolemy II Philadelphus’ superior Egyptian fleet
around 238 BCE. These Parni acquired the name of The primary area of contention was Coele Syria, a seized Coele Syria’s port cities on the eastern
the overrun province of Parthia as their own, and region of indistinct boundaries haphazardly referred Mediterranean. The Second Syrian War of 260-255
founded the Parthian Empire. to by ancient writers. In antiquity Coele Syria BCE saw King Antiochus II Theos (261-246 BCE),
The Parthians were a tough and warlike people, generally meant the coastal regions that lay between recapture the port cities that had fallen to the
with excellent cavalry, and their incursion marked a modern Syria and Egypt, or roughly the areas of Egyptians in the first war.
serious recession of Seleucid power in the far east of Phoenicia, and further south, Palestine, as far as In the Third Syrian War of 246-241 BCE, a
the empire. This was a decline that Antiochus was the Egyptian frontier. It contained many wealthy Ptolemaic army marched all the way to Babylon in
determined to reverse, but the Parthian matter would port cities, and became the focus of great power Mesopotamia and dispatched the Egyptian navy
have to wait for a while. More immediately, in 220 competition between the Seleucids of Syria and the take back the port cities of Coele Syria.
BCE, Antiochus put down a rebellious Macedonian Ptolemies of Egypt during the third century BCE. In Ptolemaic gains also included the capture of
aristocrat named Molon, who was the Satrap of 301 BCE Coele Syria was, by agreement among the lands in Asia Minor, Syria proper, Cyprus, and
Media, and then suppressed a powerful Iranian Successors to Alexander, to be allotted to Seleucus ports in the Aegean Sea. By the time of young
magnate named Artabazarnes in northern Iran. I Nicator, the founder of the Seleucid dynasty. In Antiochus III’s accession to the Seleucid throne
Antiochus’s preferred target was, however, the actuality, it fell into the possession of Ptolemy I, who in 223 BCE, the Ptolemaic Empire had reached its
young king of Egypt, Ptolemy IV Philopator. Like occupied it with his own forces. greatest territorial extent.
77
