Coin of Antiochus SUletes, with the Figure of Minerva.
7. Antiochus (VIII) Grtpus (TpvrroQ, from his aquiline nose), and <>n coins E/n'jdiaurs, was the second son of Demetrius Nicator and Cleopatra. After the murder of his brother Seleucus by his mother, she placed him on the throne, as being likely to submit to her dictation, B.C. 125 ; but with the assistance of Ptolemy I'hyscon, his father-in-law, he not only suc- ceeded in ejecting the usurper Alexander Zebina from Syria (Josephus, Ant. xiii, 9, "), but eventually com-
pelled his mother to drink the poison that in her jeal- ousy she prepared for him, B.C. 120. Eight years afterward a quarrel arose between him and his half- brother Antiochus Cyzicenus about the succession (Josephus, Ant. xiii, 10, 1), causing a protracted civil war that resulted in the partition of the kingdom of Syria between them and their descendants till the Koman conquest. He was assassinated, B.C. 9G, in Heracleon, after a reign of 29 years (Josephus, Ant. xiii, 13, 4), leaving four sons. (See Justin, xxxix, 1-3; Livy, Epit. GO; Appian,£yr.p.G9; Athen.xii,540.) Most of his coins have his mother's bust together with his own (Eckhel, Doctr. Num. iii, 238). He appears to be the Antiochus Philometor (<&i\opi)Tu>p, lover of his mother') referred to by Josephus (Ant. xiii, 12, 2).
Coin of Antiochua Grypus. 8. Antiochus (IX) Cyzicenus (Kv^ac7]v6c, from Cyzicus, where he was brought up), and on coins (Eckhel, iii, 241) Philopator (<I>iXo7r«rwp, lover of his father), acquired possession of Ccele-Syria and Phoe- nicia (B.C. 111-96) from his half-brother Antiochus Grypus (q. v.), on Avhose death he attempted to seize the whole of Syria, but was resisted by Seleucus, eld- est son of the latter, by whom he was killed in battle, B.C. 95 (Josephus, Ant. xiii, 13, 4). He made an un- successful campaign at Samaria, as related by Jo- sephus (ib. 10, 2; War, i, 2, 7), under the follow- ing circumstances : John Hyrcanus, prince and high- priest of the Jews, having besieged the city, the Sa- maritans invited Antiochus to their assistance. He advanced speedily to help them, but was overcome by Antigonus and Aristobulus, sons of Hyrcanus, who commanded the siege, and who pursued him to Scy- thopolis ; after which they resumed the siege of Sa-
Coin of Antiochus Cyzicenus. maria, and blocked up the city so closely that the in- habitants again solicited Antiochus. Having received 6000 men from Ptolemy Lathyrus, son of Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, he wasted the lands belonging to the Jews, designing thereby to oblige Hyrcanus to raise the siege of Samaria, but his troops were at last dis- persed, and Samaria was taken by storm, and razed by Hyrcanus.
9. Antiochus (X) Eusebes (Evaiftijc, pious), and on coins Philopator, the son of the preceding, whom
Coin of Antiochus Eusebes.
ANTIOCHUS
275
ANTIPAS
he succeeded, B.C. 95, and defeated Seleucus of the rival portion of Syria, as well as the two brothers of the latter; but the Syrians, worn out with the con- tinuation of the civil broil, at length offered the crown of all Syria to Tigranes, before whose full accession Antiochus perished in battle with the Parthians (Jo- sephus, Ant. xiii, 13, 4).
10. Antiochus (XI), who also assumed the title of Epiphanes (II), was one of the above-named sons of Antiochus Grypus and brothers of Seleucus, who con- tended with Antiochus Cj'zicenus ; he was defeated and lost his life, B.C. cir. 94 (Josephus, Ant. xiii, 13, 4), leaving the contest to his surviving brother Philip, assisted by another brother, Demetrius, till the dispute was finally terminated by Tigranes (q. v.) assuming supreme power of all Syria, thus putting an end to the Seleucid dynasty.
Coin of Antiochus F.piphane- the Second.
11. Antiochus (XII), the youngest son of Antio- chus Grypus, surnamed likewise Dionysus (II), and on coins (Eckhel, iii, 24G) Philopator Callinicus (KaWlvucoe, finely victorious), assumed the title of king after his brother Demetrius (see above) had been taken prisoner by the Parthians. He fell in battle against Aretas, king of the Arabians, after a brief exercise of power at Damascus, in opposition to his surviving brother Philip, B.C. cir. 90 (Josephus, Ant. xiii, 15, 1).
Coin of Antiochus Callinicus
Antiochus was likewise the title of several kings of the petty province of Commagene, between the Eu- phrates and Mount Taurus, having the city of Samo- sata for its capital, and originally forming part of the. Seleucid kingdom of Syria, from which it appears to have been independent during the contests between the later kings of that dynasty — a circumstance that prob- ably explains the recurrence of the name Antiochus in this fresh dynasty. The only one of these mentioned even by Josephus is the fourth of the name, sur- named Epiphanes, apparently a son of Antiochus II of the same line. He was on intimate terms with Calig- ula, who gave him his paternal kingdom, A.D. 38, but afterward withheld it, so that he did not succeed to it till the accession of Claudius, A.D. 41. Nero added part of Armenia to his dominions in A.D. 61. He was one of the richest of the kings tributary to the Romans (see Smith's Diet, of Class. Bioy. s. v.). His
Coin of Antiochus TV, of Commagene, with the Inscription (in Greek), "Great King Antiochus;" the Reverse bearing the Figure of a Scorpion, with the legend (in Greek), "Of (the) Commagenians."