before him and eventually sought refuge with the Apasiacae, the Apa-Saka or Water Saka,[1] who lived on the steppes of the Caspian region. In the meantime, about 227 b.c. Stratonice incited a rebellion in Antioch, and in concert with her Antiochus invaded Mesopotamia.[2] These domestic troubles caused Seleucus to return to Syria[3] and left the Parthians in a position to claim the ultimate victory.[4]
Seleucus III Soter, the elder son of Seleucus II Callinicus, after a brief reign of three years was mur dered in Phrygia as the result of a court intrigue,[5] and Antiochus III, the younger son of Seleucus II, succeeded to the throne (223 b.c.). Two of his generals, the brothers Molon and Alexander, were intrusted with the satrapies of Media and Persis. Not long thereafter Molon, possibly inspired by the Bactrian and Parthian successes,[6] revolted and declared himself king. Liver omens copied in Uruk April 30,
- ↑ Polyb. x. 48; Strabo xi. 8. 8; Wilhelm Tomaschek, "Zur historischen Topographie von Persien," SAWW, CII (1883), 218; Tarn, "Seleucid-Parthian Studies," Proc. Brit. Acad., XVI (1930), 113.
- ↑ Tarn in CAH, VII, 722; but cf. Bevan, House of Sel., I, 289 and n. 4.
- ↑ Justin xli. 5. 1.
- ↑ On the basis of Posidonius Hist. xvi. fr. 12 (J, II A, p. 228) in Athen. Deip. iv. 153 and of the coinage, Gardner (Parthian Coinage, p. 4) argues that Seleucus was once a captive of the Parthians, either after Ancyra or during the campaign under discussion. It must be granted that the beard which appears on his coin portraits is paralleled on the coins of only those rulers who were captives in the east. Cf. Rawlinson, Sixth Mon., p. 49, n. 1. Josephus Contra Apionem i. 206 mentions the campaign.
- ↑ Appian Syr. 66.
- ↑ Tarn in CAH, VII, 724.
