Timarchus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Timarchus
"Great King" (Basileus Megas)'
Coin of Timarchus. Reverse shows Nike. The Greek inscription reads Basileos Megalou Timarchou (of Great King Timarchus).
Usurper King of the Seleucid Empire (King of Syria)
Reign	163–160 BC
Predecessor	Regent Lysias
Successor	King Demetrius I Soter
Born	Possibly Miletus (modern-day Balat, Didim, Aydın, Turkey)
Died	160 BC

Timarchus was a Greek nobleman who lived a long time ago. He was a governor, called a satrap, in the powerful Seleucid Empire. He was a friend and ally of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

After King Antiochus IV died, Timarchus decided to rule his own part of the empire independently. This was in the eastern part, in a region called Persia. He ruled from about 163 BC to 160 BC. He even wanted to take over the entire Seleucid Empire.

Timarchus made a deal with the Roman Republic. Rome wanted to make the Seleucid Empire weaker by causing problems inside it. Both Timarchus and Rome did not trust the new king, Demetrius I. Demetrius traveled east and defeated Timarchus in 160 BC. This ended Timarchus's short time as a ruler.

Timarchus's Life Story

Early Life and Role as Governor

Timarchus was a Greek nobleman. He might have been from a city called Miletus in Asia Minor. He became friends with Antiochus IV Epiphanes when Antiochus was held as a hostage in Rome.

When Antiochus IV became king in 175 BC, he made Timarchus the governor, or satrap, of Media. This area was in western Iran. Timarchus's brother, Heracleides, became the person in charge of the royal money. The Persian part of the empire was in danger from the Parthian kingdom. Timarchus likely spent a lot of time making the defenses stronger there. The Seleucid Empire probably reached as far as the area of Teheran at that time.

Becoming a King and His Defeat

King Antiochus IV died in 164 BC during a war in Persia. After his death, there was a lot of confusion and fighting. Timarchus became the ruler of Media, acting mostly on his own. He was against the general Lysias, who was taking care of the young King Antiochus V Eupator. Antiochus V was the son of Antiochus IV.

In 162 BC, Demetrius I returned from being exiled and became king. Many people thought Demetrius had a stronger claim to be king than Antiochus IV, and certainly stronger than young Antiochus V. Demetrius quickly had Lysias and Antiochus V killed. This event might have made Timarchus decide to declare himself king.

Timarchus then managed to take control of more land, including Babylonia. His rule was even written about in the old astronomical calendars there. However, his army was not strong enough to fight against King Demetrius. Demetrius defeated and killed Timarchus in 160 BC. After this, the Seleucid Empire was united again for a short time.

Timarchus's Impact and Family

Timarchus was one of the last Greek kings in Iran. Not much is known about his time as a ruler. One old writer, Appian, briefly said Timarchus was a "tyrant." But most experts today don't think that's completely true.

On his coins, Timarchus used the special title "Great King" (Basileus Megas). This was a very old title used by Persian kings. He might have used it to get support from the local people in Iran. He was inspired by another king, Eucratides the Great, who used the same title a few years earlier.

Timarchus's brother, Heracleides, lived on and later got revenge for him. Heracleides supported a boy named Alexander Balas. Heracleides claimed Alexander was a son of Antiochus IV. He convinced the Roman Senate to help Alexander fight against Demetrius. Demetrius was defeated and killed in 150 BC. So, Timarchus's family got their revenge.

The constant fighting among different people who wanted to be king of the Seleucid Empire is called the Seleucid Dynastic Wars. These civil wars made the empire very weak. It began to shrink and fall apart over the next few decades.

See also

• Timeline of Syrian history