Antiochus VIII Grypus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Antiochus VIII Epiphanes |
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| Antiochus VIII Callinicus/Philometor | |
Coin of Antiochus VIII
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| (Co-regent) King of the Seleucid Empire (Co-regent) King of Syria | |
| Reign | 125–121/123 BC (as co-regent with his mother Cleopatra Thea) 121/123 BC–96 BC (in opposition to his half-brother/cousin Antiochus IX) |
| Coronation | 125 BC |
| Predecessor | Cleopatra Thea, Seleucus V |
| Successor | Seleucus VI |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | 96 BC |
| Spouse | Tryphaena Cleopatra Selene |
| Issue | Seleucus VI Epiphanes Antiochus XI Philip I Demetrius III Antiochus XII Laodice, Queen of Commagene |
| Dynasty | Seleucid |
| Father | Demetrius II Nicator |
| Mother | Cleopatra Thea |
Antiochus VIII Epiphanes, also known as Grypus (meaning "hook-nose"), was a king of the Seleucid Empire. This was a large kingdom in the ancient world. He ruled from 125 BC to 96 BC.
Antiochus VIII was the younger son of King Demetrius II and Queen Cleopatra Thea. He might have grown up in Athens. He returned to Syria after his father and older brother, Seleucus V, died.
At first, he ruled alongside his mother, Cleopatra Thea. But he soon took full control of the kingdom in 121 BC. His time as king was often troubled by political problems. From 116 BC, he fought a long civil war against his half-brother, Antiochus IX. There was much conflict between their families. Antiochus VIII died in 96 BC.
Contents
Who Was Antiochus VIII?
His Family and Early Life
Antiochus VIII came from a powerful royal family. His grandmother, Cleopatra I, was a princess from the Seleucid kingdom. She married King Ptolemy V of Egypt.
Years later, Antiochus's mother, Cleopatra Thea, married King Demetrius II of Syria. They had two sons, and Antiochus was the younger one. His father, Demetrius II, was captured by the Parthian Empire.
While his father was away, Antiochus's uncle, Antiochus VII, became king and married Cleopatra Thea. But Antiochus VII died fighting the Parthians. Demetrius II then returned to the throne. He died in 125 BC while fighting for the Syrian throne.
After Demetrius II's death, Antiochus's older brother, Seleucus V, became king. However, his mother, Cleopatra Thea, soon ended his rule. She then made Antiochus VIII the new king, and they ruled together.
Becoming King
Soon after becoming king, Antiochus VIII married his cousin, a princess from Egypt named Tryphaena. Coins from when he ruled with his mother (125–121 BC) show Cleopatra Thea's head in front of her son's. This showed that she was the main ruler at first.
Antiochus VIII defeated a rival king, Alexander II Zabinas, in 123 BC. By 121 BC, Antiochus decided he wanted to rule alone. He took full control from his mother. Some stories say he was very interested in learning about plants and medicines, including those that could be harmful.
Ruling Syria
Even with all the political problems, King Grypus was liked by many people. Some coins show him looking a bit lazy or plain. Stories also talk about his grand parties. This made some people think his family was not very strong.
However, this image was often on purpose. It showed the idea of Tryphe, which meant living a good life. The kings wanted to be seen as enjoying life, especially during times of many civil wars.
One story says he would send guests home from his parties with food and even a camel to carry them! This must have cost a lot of money for the kingdom.
Civil War and End of Rule
In 116 BC, his half-brother and cousin, Antiochus IX Cyzicenus, came back from exile. This started a long civil war between them. Antiochus IX's wife, also named Cleopatra, was the sister of Antiochus VIII's wife, Tryphaena. There was a lot of conflict between the two queens. Eventually, Antiochus IX ended Tryphaena's life in revenge.
The two brothers then divided Syria between them. Antiochus VIII's rule ended in 96 BC.
Family
Antiochus VIII married the princess Tryphaena around 125 BC. They had six children:
- Seleucus VI Epiphanes
- Antiochus XI Epiphanes Philadelphus
- Philip I Philadelphus
- Demetrius III Eucaerus
- Antiochus XII Dionysus
- Laodice VII Thea, who married King Mithridates I Callinicus of Commagene. Their son was King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene.
In 102 BC, Antiochus VIII also married Cleopatra Selene I, a daughter of Cleopatra III of Egypt. They did not have any children together. Later, she married his rival, Antiochus IX Cyzicenus.
See also
In Spanish: Antíoco VIII Gripo para niños
Images for kids
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Coin of Antiochus VIII Grypus. The reverse shows the god Sandan.
