Antiochus III the Great (241–186 BCE)
Born 241 BCE, died 186 BCE.
Antiochus III the Great (; Ancient Greek: Ἀντίοχος ὁ Μέγας, Antíokhos ho Mégas; c. 241 BC – 3 July 187 BC) was the sixth ruler of the Seleucid Empire, reigning from 223 BC to 187 BC. Ascending to the throne at the age of eighteen, Antiochus inherited an empire in turmoil after the death of his brother, Seleucus III Ceraunus. While his initial campaigns against Ptolemaic Egypt ended in failure, he spent the decade that followed successfully reasserting Seleucid authority over territory such as central Asia Minor, Parthia and Bactria. Pressing as far as the Kabul valley, he renewed a friendship with the Indian king Sophagasenus and earned himself the epithet "the Great" (Antiochos Megas). He also assumed the title Basileus Megas (Greek for 'Great King'), the traditional title of the Persian kings. Upon his return to the west, Antiochus launched another campaign against the Ptolemies and brought Coele-Syria, Phoenicia and Judea under Seleucid control. Antiochus's designs on the Greek city-states earned him the antagonism of the Roman Republic.
Text from the Wikipedia article Antiochus_III_the_Great, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.