(Ἀντίοχος), king of SYRIA, surnamed EPIPHANES (Ἐπιφανής), and on coins Theos (*Qe/os) also, was the son of Antiochus III., and
was given as a hostage to the Romans in B. C. 188. He was released
from captivity in B. C. 175 through his brother Seleucus Philopator,
who gave his own son Demetrius in his stead. While Antiochus was at Athens on his return to
Syria in this year, Seleucus was murdered by Heliodorus, who seized upon the crown. Antiochus,
however, with the assistance of Attalus easily expelled the usurper, and ascended the throne
in the same year. (B. C. 175.) Demetrius remained at Rome.
Cleopatra, the sister of Antiochus, who had been betrothed to Ptolemy Epiphanes, was now
dead, and Antiochus therefore claimed the provinces of Coele-Syria and Palestine, which had
been given as her dowry. As the Romans were at this time engaged in a war with Perseus, king
of Macedonia, Antiochus thought it a favourable opportunity to prosecute his claims, and
accordingly declared war against Egypt. In four campaigns (B. C.
171-168), he not only obtained possession of the countries
to which he laid claim, but almost completed the conquest of Egypt, and was preparing to lay
siege to Alexandria, when a Roman embassy commanded him to retire from the country. This
command he thought it most prudent to obey, but he still retained possession of Coele-Syria
and Palestine. The cruelties which Antiochus perpetrated against the Jews during this war, are
recorded in the books of the Maccabees, and have rendered his name infamous. He took Jerusalem
on his return from his second campaign into Egypt (B. C. 170), and
again at the end of the fourth campaign (B. C. 168), and endeavoured
to root out the Jewish religion and introduce the worship of the Greek divinities; but this
attempt led to a rising of the Jewish people, under Mattathias and his heroic sons the
Maccabees, which Antiochus was unable to put down. Lysias, who was sent against them with a
large army, was defeated; and Antiochus, who was in the eastern provinces at the time,
hastened his return in order to avenge the disgrace which had befallen his arms. On his return
he attempted to plunder a temple in Elymais, probably the same as his father had attacked, but
was repulsed, and shortly afterwards died at Tabae in Persia, in a state of raving madness,
which the Jews and Greeks equally attributed to his sacrilegious crimes. His subjects gave him
the name of Epimanes (Ἐπιμανής) in parody of Epiphanes
(Ἐπιφανής). He died in B.
C. 164, after a reign of 11 years. He left a son, Antiochus Eupator, who succeeded
him, and a daughter, Laodice. (Liv. lib. xli.--xlv. ; Polyb. lib. xxvi.--xxxi.; Justin, 24.3 ; Diod. Exc. pp. 579, 583, &c., ed.
Wess.; Appian, App. Syr. 45, 66; Maccab. lib. i. ii.; J. AJ 12.5; Hieronym. ad Dan. 100.11; Eckhel. iii. p. 222, &c.) On the reverse of the
foregoing coin Jupiter is represented, holding a small figure of Victory in his right hand,
and a spear in his left.