- Antiochus XII Dionysus
Antiochus XII Dionysos (Epiphanes/Philopator/Callinicus), a ruler of the Greek Seleucid kingdom who reigned 87–84 BC, was the fifth son of
Antiochus VIII Grypus to take up the diadem. He succeeded his brotherDemetrius III Eucaerus as separatist ruler of the southern parts of the last remaining Seleucid realms, basicallyDamascus and its surroundings.Antiochus initially gained support from Ptolemaic forces and was the last Seleucid ruler of any military reputation, even if it was on a local scale. He made several raids into the territories of the Jewish
Hasmonean kings, and tried to check the rise of theNabataean Arabs. A battle against the latter turned out to be initially successful, until the young king was caught in a melee and killed by an Arab soldier. Upon his death the Syrian army fled and mostly perished in the desert. Soon after, the Nabateans conquered Damascus.Antiochus' titles - apart from Dionysos - mean respectively (God) Manifest, Father-loving and Beautiful Victor. The last Seleucid kings often used several epithets on their coins.
External links
* [http://virtualreligion.net/iho/antiochus_12.html Antiochus XII] entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith
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