(Ἀντίοχος), king of SYRIA, surnamed SOTER (Σωτήρ),
was the son of Seleucus Nicator and a Persian lady, Apama. The marriage of his father with
Apama was one of those marriages which Alexander
celebrated at Susa in B. C. 325, when he gave Persian wives to his
generals. This would fix the birth of Antiochus about B. C. 324. He
was present with his father at the battle of Ipsus in B. C. 301,
which secured for Seleucus the government of Asia. It is related of Antiochus, that he fell
sick through love of Stratonice, the young wife of his father, and the daughter of Demetrius
Poliorcetes, and that when his father learnt the cause of his illness through his physician
Erasistratus, he resigned Stratonice to him, and gave him the government of Upper Asia with
the title of king. On the murder of his father in Macedonia in B. C.
280, Antiochus succeeded to the whole of his dominions, and prosecuted his claims to
the throne of Macedonia against Antigonus Gonatas, but eventually allowed the latter to retain
possession of Macedonia on his marrying Phila, the daughter of Seleucus and Stratonice. The
rest of Antiochus' reign was chiefly occupied in wars with the Gauls, who had invaded Asia
Minor. By the help of his elephants he gained a victory over the Gauls, and received in
consequence the surname of Soter (Σωτήρ). He was
afterwards defeated by Eumenes near Sardis, and was subsequently killed in a second battle
with the Gauls (B. C. 261), after a reign of nineteen years. By his
wife Stratonice Antiochus had three children : Antiochus Theos, who succeeded him; Apama,
married to Magas; and Stratonice, married to Demetrius II. of Macedonia. (Appian, App. Syr. 59_65; Justin, 17.2; Plut. Demetr. 38, 39; Strab. xiii. p.623; Paus. 1.7; Julian, Misopog. p. 348a. b. ; Lucian,
Zeuxis, 8; Aelian, Ael. NA 6.44; Plin. Nat. 8.42.) Apollo is represented on the reverse of the
annexed coin. (Eckhel. iii. p. 215.)