After Alexander

It's time to welcome a new group onto the Hellenistic stage which we haven't really dealt with before but will have ample reason to in the future- the Parthians! As they were first mentioned in episode 41 in the context of the eastern satrapies, this episode is going to introduce them properly. Along the way, we'll also explore the battle of Gaugamela, welcome some familiar names back for one-epis...

What with everything that's been going on in the western portions of the Seleucid empire, the last time we had a prolonged spell with the eastern satrapies was during the conquests of Seleucus I and his campaign against the Mauryans in episodes 7 and 8. This week, we're going to pan back round to those neglected provinces to see what's been going on there. While there, we'll also be laying the gro...

For the first time since Antiochus I's flight westwards after his father's death in 281 BCE, we're going to see the Seleucids intervene in Europe and attempt to win back some territory on the other side of the Bosporus. Specifically, we're going to focus on Antiochus II's hostility with Byzantium (the settlement which will become Constantinople about six hundred years from now)- as well as a campa...

Round two of the scrap for Syria! Although my sources seem to be slightly uncertain about some of the details, the broad strokes of the conflict are agreed upon. So, today, let's discuss a conflict that will rage from the early to late 250s BCE- and which will also have implications for Antiochus II's rule in the east... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus, Lond...

The Second Syrian War has begun! However, rather predictably, it will not simply be a contest between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids; the Antigonids are going to get sucked into the hurricane of battle as well. So, this week, we're going to recap the relationship between the Antigonids and the other major powers and discuss the alliance between Antigonus II and Antiochus II against their mutual e...

Around 258 BCE, a Ptolemaic prince rebelled against Ptolemy II in Ephesus. His rebellion, in conjunction with a self-made dynasty called Timarchus, would ultimately fail, although the details of the prince involved, events themselves and. However, if we sweep aside the murky veil of time, we can see that the events after the rebellion lead directly to the Second Syrian War... Sources for this epis...

Today, we're going to return to a point we last covered in episode 27. Specifically, it seems that Ptolemy of Telmessus, the son of Lysimachus and Arsinoe II, is unlikely to have been elevated to co-king in Egypt. To find out why, we're going to have to uncover the life of the mysterious elder son of Ptolemy II and older brother of Ptolemy III, who had his shot at power before it all went wrong......

Despite not having as much trouble with Anatolia as his father, Antiochus II is still going to face a not-inconsiderable struggle upon his accession. This week, we're going to explore the Chremonideian War which kept Ptolemy II occupied until 261 BCE, and introduce some of the underlying causes of the Second Syrian War... Sources for this episode: 1) Bagnall, R. S. and Derow, P. S. (2004), Greek H...

To get to know our new ruler, we're going to recap his life up until his accession in 261 BCE at the age of about twenty-five. In addition, I'm going to pan out for a bit and give a lightning quick summary of what the political situation is like in the eastern Mediterranean and the broader Hellenistic world. Then, next time, we'll plunge back into everyone's favourite pastime: war with Egypt! Well...

In order to smooth over the transition from Antiochus I to Antiochus II, I'm going to take a moment to discuss a reference in Ashoka's edicts glorifying the emperor's spread of Buddhism, which may refer to either of the Seleucid kings given that only a name is present. However, this discussion will also allow us to return to the Indian subcontinent and pick up its history where we left off... Sour...

So, for the second time on the show, we've come to the end of a sole ruler's reign. Antiochus I (reigned 281- 261 BCE) is dead, and his only surviving son Antiochus II will succeed him. But we're not there yet! This week, I'm going to recap everything we've talked about in the twenty years since Antiochus Soter came to power, and walk you through my pitch for his 21st century epithet- Antiochus th...

Bonus episode! We covered Alexander the Great's half-sister Thessalonica- the mother of Philip IV, Antipater II and Alexander V- way back in the early episodes of the podcast. After all, we've witnessed quite a bit of family scheming (which I'll come back to with a new perspective today). However, today's topic is going to take her story beyond her death in 295 BCE. In fact, her memory would live...

As I hinted at with all the city-building going on in episode 29, Antiochus I is going back to Anatolia for one last time before we finish off his reign. Although it's the same venue, we won't quite be focussing on the same players as before. This time around, the impetus for conflict will be an effective declaration of independence by the state of Pergamon... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E...

Antiochus I's eldest son is a bit of a mystery to research; every source I've accessed so far seems to say something different... This week, we delve into the life and times of Seleucus, co-king from 275 to 266 BCE (approximate dates) who disappears from the story towards the end of his father's reign. As we'll see, he and his father probably didn't have the easiest relationship... Sources for thi...

Today, we're going to take a moment to discuss the construction projects of Antiochus I. From founding new cities to restoring old ones, Antiochus was a very active ruler in terms of building and building works. As we'll see, Antiochus left quite a few traces behind for us to explore... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. 2) The...

As we discussed last episode, Antiochus I and Ptolemy II are about to go to war. The reason for this? The rebel king Magas, who was originally a governor of Cyrenaica- to the west of Egypt- but declared himself a king in 275 BCE. This suited his father-in-law Antiochus down to the ground, as he may well have been looking for an excuse to invade the province anyway... Sources for this episode: Beva...

This week, we take a step back to discuss what's been going on in Egypt while we've been looking at the Seleucid narrative. To do this, we're going to dive into the infighting, cultural conflicts and rivalries of the Ptolemies... Sources for this episode: Bennett, C., Egyptian Royal Genealogy (date unknown), Berenice I (online) [Accessed 17/06/2021]. Bevan, E. (1902) The House of Seleu...

We often tend to box history up into nice little segments we can understand a bit better. However, sometimes we might then forget that history is in fact a continuous narrative, and actions taken in one period can have an impact centuries down the line. Case in point: the Crusader States which came into being after the First Crusade. They were influenced by the existence of cities such as Antioch...

The Antigonids are back! This time, we'll witness Antigonus II re-establish his control over Macedon and marry the daughter of Seleucus and Stratonice- reaffirming the alliance between the Seleucids and the Antigonids. Just in time, too- as happens pretty much constantly during the Hellenistic period, war is about to break out again with Egypt... Sources for this episode: Bevan, E. R. (1902),...

Around the time of the Gallic invasion of Europe under Brennus in 278, a group of Gauls under Leonnorius or Lutarius headed east to Thrace. This wouldn't have been a problem for the Seleucids, had Nicomedes of Bithynia- the head of the anti-Seleucid coalition- not invited the Gauls into Anatolia. This week, Antiochus has to deal with the consequences... Sources for this episode: Bevan, E. R.,...

When we left Anatolia, Antiochus was battling against the anti-Seleucid league centred on Nicomedes I of Bithynia and the city of Heraclea. This conflict would ultimately see one side recruit the help of a group of new arrivals- the Celts. However, as ancient Rome will discover in the fifth century CE, it's extraordinarily difficult to control such recruited groups afterwards... Sources for th...

Hi everyone! I recently stumbled across a YouTube channel which makes facial reconstructions of ancient figures (e.g.: Caligula) along with a little context about the rulers/period being covered. The link to the channel is: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgokSYCEqZE_yVLswO1vPXg and the owner/creator has given me kind permission to show you the reconstructions of people relevant to us. So, when a...

Antiochus I faced a difficult situation when his father died, as indicated by today's episode title- an extract from Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If'. The great distance messengers had to travel to notify Antiochus of the western situation following his father's death meant that others had already begun carving out their own piece of the pie again. Yes, Seleucus has an obvious heir...

We have a website! All episodes will post there in addition to wherever you currently listen to them. In addition, I aim to add one or two helpful or otherwise interesting images to the description of each episode, whether that's maps, coins, statues or more. To see all of this, head to 'www.afteralexander.wordpress.co.uk'.

A brief overview of what the Hellenistic would have looked like in 281 when we left our narrative in episode 16. Despite the near reunification Seleucus had achieved, his son Antiochus is going to inherit a difficult position... This episode builds on information in previous episodes. Additional sources for this episode: Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), List of ancient Macedonians (online...