Antiochus I Soter was king of the Seleucid State from 281 to 261 BC. His father, Antiochus Seleucus I Nicator, served as the chief of cavalry in the army of Alexander of Macedon, after the death of whom he became the administrator of a section of the Empire. Antiochus’ mother was the Sogdian Princess Apama. Seleucus and Apama married in 324 BC, in Susa, the grandiose wedding organized by Alexander, the purpose of which was to mate his generals with girls from noble Persian families. Based on this event, we can assume that Antiochus was born around 323 BC.
In 301 BC, Antiochus, together with his father, participated in the battle of Ipsa, the victory ensuring Seleucid power over the Asian part of Alexander’s empire. Even during his father’s life in 294 BC, Antiochus married his stepmother. After the wedding, Seleucus gave Antiochus the title of king and sent him to govern “Upper Asia”.
Foreign policy
After the death of Seleucus in 281 BC, the king of the Seleucid State became Antiochus I, like his father, claiming the former possessions of Lysimachus. In Greece and Asia Minor, Antiochus unsuccessfully waged wars against the murderer of his father, Ptolemy II Keravna. In 280 BC, Antiochus made peace with Ptolemy and began a war with the coalition of the Greek cities, led by King Bithynia Nycomed. The brother of Nycomed, rebel Zipped, struggled for the throne of his country, relying on Antiochus I. The attempt of the strategist Patroclus, to join Bithynia, ended in complete failure. He had been appointed by Antiochus as first deputy governor of the western parts of Asia Minor. Patroclus’s army was defeated, and he died in battle.
In the summer of 279 BC, the king of Macedonia, Antigonus II Gonat, challenged dominance over the former possessions of Lysimachus. In connection with the expansion of military operations, Antiochus took steps to get support for himself from Greece and Macedonia. After more or less lengthy military operations in Asia Minor, of which nothing is known except that the enemies had huge forces and fought for a long time, Antigonus and Antiochus made peace.
Battle of the Elephants
Back in 278 BC the groups of the Galatians led by the tribal leader Leonnorii crossed to the Asia Minor coast as allies of Nycomed I of Bithynia. They moved deeper into the peninsula, ruining and robbing everything in their path. The clash of Galatians with Antiochus I occurred in 275 BC.
The army of Antiochus, a small number, could not be compared with the army of the barbarians. Antiochus led elephants into battle in the midst of the battle. The elephants were so frightened of the Galatians, they fled in disorder. The chariots and cavalry of the barbarians were overturned by their own infantry. Then the Antiochus’ troops went on the offensive and won a complete victory. The battle glorified Antiochus throughout Asia. Since that time, the honorary nickname “Soter” (Greek -savior) was given to him. However, despite the defeat, the Galatians were able to gain a foothold in the central part of Asia Minor.
Campaign in Syria
At the same time, the governor of Cyrene, Magas, married his sister and was persuaded to start a war with the Egyptian King Ptolemy. Due to the great successes of Antiochus I in Syria, he took Damascus from the Egyptians. The war ended in 273 or 272 BC. It is difficult to assess the overall outcome of the war. The likely successes of the Seleucids in Syria were blocked by possible setbacks in Asia Minor.
The International Situation in the 260s BC
Already from the time of the First Syrian War, the ruler of Pergama, Filter, began a rapprochement with Ptolemy II. Antiochus’ attempts to keep Filter obligated to his house led to nothing. By the mid-sixties, the position of Bithynia was strengthened, which also created a threat to the small Asiatic possessions of the Seleucids.
Defeat and Death
The war that began in Greece, in which Macedonia and Egypt participated, enabled Antiochus to enter into a war with the king of Pergamum. However, around 261 BC, in the Battle of Sardis, the army of Antiochus was defeated, and he himself soon died. Probably taking advantage of the defeat of Antiochus at Sardis, the Egyptians captured several cities in Ionia. After the death of Antiochus I Soter, his son Antiochus II became heir to the throne.
Domestic Policy
Since the beginning of the reign of Antiochus I, protracted wars for the possession of Asia Minor by the middle of the 270s, BC, caused an acute strain on financial resources, which prompted the king to impose emergency taxes in Babylonia and the seizure of land from the inhabitants of Babylon, Kutah, Borsippa, as well as the sale of the royal land, due to the policy of Pitane. Apparently, at the same time, it was necessary to include an extraordinary tax on the population of the Asia Minor satraps, which was collected in order to obtain funds for combating the raids of Galatians.
Cases in the Eastern Provinces
During the period of the viceroyalty of Antiochus, the Patroclus naval expedition to the Eritrean Sea was undertaken. As co-regent of his father, Antiochus I restored the demolished Greek colony in the oasis of Marta. The newly founded city was called Antioch of Margiana. Simultaneously, the entire oasis was strengthened. However, Antiochus I was defensive and made no attempt to attack the independent eastern countries. With his eastern neighbor; the ruler of the Maurya State in India, Bindusara, Chandragupta’s successor: Antiochus I maintained peaceful relations. It is known that he established an embassy, headed by Deimach to Bindusar. Due to constant wars on the western border of the state during the reign of Antiochus I, the eastern provinces were not given adequate attention.
Sources:
- Appian. Roman history. A series of “Monuments of historical thought.”
- Mark Unian Justin. The epitome of the work of Pompey Trog
- Pausanias. Description of Hellas
- Bokshtanin AG Parthia and Rome
- Grushevoi AG Two honorary decrees in honor of Antiochus the 1st
- Zhigunin VD International relations of Hellenistic states in 280-220 BC.
- Bevan ER The House of Seleucus.