![]() However, Seleucus also hoped to take control of Lysimachus’ European territories, primarily Thrace and Macedon itself. Following Seleucus’ victories against Antigonus and Lysimachus, the Seleucid dynasty was virtually unopposed in Asia and in Anatolia. But Seleucus Nicator gave them to Sandrocottus in consequence of a marriage contract, and received in return five hundred elephants. The Indians occupy some of the countries situated along the Indus, which formerly belonged to the Persians: Alexander deprived the Ariani of them, and established there settlements of his own. Seleucus’ wars took him as far as India, where, after two years of war, he made peace with the Indian Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, and exchanged his eastern satrapies in the Indus River Valley for a considerable force of 500 war elephants, which would play a decisive role against Antigonus at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC and against Lysimachus at the Battle of Corupedium in 281 BC. The whole region from Phrygia to the Indus was subject to Seleucus. Always lying in wait for the neighboring nations, strong in arms and persuasive in council, he acquired Mesopotamia, Armenia,’Seleucid’ Cappadocia, Persis, Parthia, Bactria, Arabia, Tapouria, Sogdia, Arachosia, Hyrcania, and other adjacent peoples that had been subdued by Alexander, as far as the river Indus, so that the boundaries of his empire were the most extensive in Asia after that of Alexander. Seleucus did not only rule Babylonia, but the entire enormous eastern part of Alexander’s empire. From 312 BC, Seleucus ruthlessly expanded his dominions and eventually conquered the Persian and Median lands. Seleucus was only able to return to Babylon in 312 BC with the support of Ptolemy. But almost immedialty, the wars between the Diadochi resumed and Antigonus forced Seleucus to flee Babylon. At the Partition of Triparadisus, Seleucus was appointed Satrap of Babylon under the new regent Antipater. Perdiccas was betrayed and assassinated in a conspiracy by Seleucus, Peithon and Antigenes in Pelusium sometime in either 321 or 320 BC. ![]() However, at the outbreak of the Wars of the Diadochi, Perdiccas’ military failures against Ptolemy in Egypt led to the mutiny of his troops in Pelusium. After the death of Alexander, Seleucus initially supported Perdiccas, the regent of Alexander’s empire, and was appointed Commander of the Companions and chiliarch at the Partition of Babylon in 323 BC. 358 BC – 281 BC was one of the Diadochi, having previously served as an infantry general under Alexander the Great, he eventually assumed the title of basileus and established the Seleucid Empire over much of Alexander’s near eastern territories. When it finally succumbed to Pompey the Great. The Seleukid Kingdom, now restricted to Syria and the surrounding area, maintained a precarious existence until 64 B. This destroyed the Seleukid power in Asia Minor, their former possessions passed to Rome’s ally, the Kingdom of Pergamon. He was defeated by the Romans at the battle of Magnesia. Antiochos III, the Great, attempted to regain the lost territories, but he was only partially successful and in 190 B. In the mid-3rd century the easternmost provinces were lost when both Baktria and Parthia achieved independence. At its zenith, under Seleukos I and Antiochos I, it compromised almost the whole of Alexander’s conquests, except Egypt. The territorial extent of this might realm varied greatly from period to period. With his defeat of Lysimachos in 281 he became master of the whole of Alexander’s empire, except Egypt but the following year he was assassinated by Ptolemy Keraunos, a renegade son of his late friend, the King of Egypt. From 305-3 he campaigned in the east, extending his rule as far as India. Seleukos gradually consolidated his power and in 305 B. He regained Babylon and it is from this even that the Seleukid Era is dated. He was ousted from this position five years later, by Antigonos the One-eyed, and fled to his friend Ptolemy in Egypt. Allotted the satrapy of Babylon in 321 B. Destined to be the longest-surviving of the’Successors’ of Alexander, Seleukos had a difficult time establishing his power. Athena, hurling spear with her right hand and holding shield with her left, standing right in quadriga of elephants moving to right above, anchor between shield and elephants, monogram and. F 6155892-002 Laureate head of Zeus to right. Silver Drachm 16mm (4.00 grams) Seleukeia on the Tigris II, circa 295-281 B.
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