Antiochus

Also known as: king Antiochus · Family: Seleucid · Role: son and successor of Antiochus Epiphanes · First appears: Book I, Chapter 1

Antiochus was the Seleucid son and successor of Antiochus Epiphanes. In Book I, Chapter 1, he became king after his father’s death, inheriting his hatred of the Jews: “Antiochus died; whose son Antiochus succeeded him in the kingdom, and in his hatred to the Jews also.” He was an enemy of Judas, who met him with an army at Bethzacharis. In Chapter 2, Antiochus made a league with Jonathan, but became an enemy of Simon and John Hyrcanus, besieging Jerusalem after Simon’s actions against him; John Hyrcanus secured the lifting of the siege by promising three thousand talents. Antiochus also employed Cendebeus, sending his general with an army to lay waste Judea and subdue Simon.

In Book I, Chapter 16, Antiochus was forced to surrender Samosata after Herod (son of Antipater and Cypros) ended the siege and won greater honors from Antony. Later, Antiochus sent troops to Cestius, including two thousand horsemen, three thousand footmen, and archers, while forces from Titus’s campaign also included auxiliaries supplied by Antiochus, Agrippa, and Sohemus. He remained an enemy of Onias, who fled from the king of Syria during his war with the Jews and was received kindly by Ptolemy because of Ptolemy’s hatred of Antiochus.

In Book VII, Chapter 7, Antiochus and his son Epiphanes resolved to rebel against the Romans, while his other son Callinicus joined Epiphanes in using military force. In the fourth year of Vespasian’s reign, Cesennius Petus invaded Commagene with Roman forces and allied kings. Antiochus fled with his wife and daughters to Cilicia, and his soldiers defected to Rome. Though an enemy of Cesennius Petus, Antiochus had an ancient friendship with Vespasian, who released him from his bonds, sent him to Lacedemon, and granted him royal revenues. When Epiphanes later came to Rome with Vespasian’s permission, Antiochus joined him from Lacedemon and received honors there.