Demetrius I Soter

Successor of: Antiochus V Eupator

Relatives:

• Father: Seleucus IV Philopator
• Mother: Laodice IV
• Wife: Laodice V?
• Children: Demetrius II Nicator

188: Peace of Apamea; Antiochus III the Great is forced to pay tribute to Rome, and to give his son Antiochus IV Epiphanes as hostage

187: Seleucus IV Philopator succeeds Antiochus III

178: Antiochus III is replaced as hostage by Seleucus' son Demetrius

175: When Seleucus is killed, Antiochus IV Epiphanes succeeds; Demetrius is left in Rome

November/December 164: death of Antiochus IV, who is succeeded by his son Antiochus V Eupator; Lysias acts as regent; in Media, revolt of Timarchus of Miletus

162: A Roman ambassador, Gnaeus Octavius, demands that the Seleucid navy is disbanded because its existence is a violation of the terms of the Peace of Apamea; the Antiochene mob kills Octavius; the Senate states that Antiochus V is responsible; several senators help Demetrius escape (Ptolemy VI Philometor and Polybius of Megalopolis were involved too)

after 29 October 162 and before September 161: Antiochus is overthrown and killed by Demetrius; Rome accepts the fait accompli and recognizes Demetrius; Timarchus proclaims himself king and invades Babylonia

Operations against the Maccabaean rebels in Judaea

161: Alcimus made high priest in Jerusalem

27 March 160: Judas the Maccabean defeats Nicanor at Adasa

April/May 160: Bacchides defeats Judas, who is killed in action; Jonathan succeeds his brother

160: Demetrius overthrows Timarchus and accepts the title Soter, 'savior', from the grateful Babylonians

May 159: Death of Alcimus

158: Civil war in Cappadocia; Demetrius supports Orophernes II against Ariarathes V Philopator, who has refused the hand of Antiochus' sister Laodice V (widow of the Macedonian king Perseus); perhaps, king Demetrius married Laodice himself

156: End of the Cappadocian war; Orophernes defeated by Ariarathes, who is supported by Attalus II Philadelphus of Pergamon

Summer 152: Revolt of Alexander I Balas, who is supported by Rome, the Seleucid princess Laodice VI, Attalus II, Ariarathes V of Cappadocia, and the Egyptian king Ptolemy VI Philometor

Jonathan also supports Alexander and is recognized as high priest (recognition of the Hasmonaeans); Judaean troops play a role in this civil war; after this, several quiet years in Judaea

June 150: Demetrius is defeated near Antioch

Sources:

• 1 Maccabees, 7-10;
• 2 Maccabees, 14-15
• Appian of Alexandria, Syrian Wars, 46-47
• Diodorus of Sicily, Library of World History, 31.27a, 31.32
• Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, 12.389ff, 13.1ff, 13.35ff, 13.58ff
• Livy, Periochae, 46, 47, 48, 52
• Polybius of Megalopolis, World History, 31.2, 31.11-15, 32.2, 32.10, 33.19