Fourth Syrian War (219-217)

Antiochus III the Great (Louvre, Paris)

Syrian Wars: series of conflicts between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires in the third and second centuries BCE; at stake was an area called Coele Syria, which is more or less identical to modern Israel, the Palestine territories, Lebanon and southern Syria.

First/1
280-279

Fourth
219-217

Ptolemy IV Philopator succeeds his father between 5 and 16 February 222; many relatives are killed (including his mother) by his ministers Agathocles and Sosibius
April-June 222: Antiochus III comes to power in the Selecid Empire and marries Laodice III
221: First skirmishes of the Fourth Syrian War: Antiochus attacks the Ptolemaic possessions in Syria, but is forced to suppress the revolt of Molon in Media and Persis first
220: Antiochus suppresses the revolt of Molon
220: Ptolemy marries his sister Arsinoe III
219: Outbreak of the Fourth Syrian War; Antiochus reconquers Seleucia (the port of Antioch, which had been conquered by Ptolemy III in the Third Syrian War) and proceeds to the south, capturing Tyre
13 June 217: Ptolemy's army defeats the Seleucid army at Raphia with an army that consists partly of native Egyptian soldiers
October 217: Peace is concluded; the Seleucid Empire keeps Seleucia. In Egypt, the victory is attributed to Isis and Serapis.

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