Alexander I. Balas

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Silver tetradrachm from the Ptolemaïs Mint ; on the obverse a double portrait of Alexander I and his wife Cleopatra Thea, on the lapel Zeus Nikephoros ("victorious Zeus")

Alexander I. Balas (Greek Alexandros Balas ; † 145 BC ) was a usurper and a king of the Seleucid Empire .

Life

Balas was from Smyrna and was of simple origin. He could have been since about 158 ​​BC. The support of King Attalus II of Pergamon and, with the help of Prince Zenophanes, create an area of ​​power in Cilicia . Attalus II, who strove to establish a Pergamon friendly-minded Seleucid government, began to set up the young Balas as a pretender to the throne against Demetrios I Soter . Balas took the name Alexandros and passed himself off as the son of Antiochus IV , whose 162 BC. He was very similar in appearance to the murdered son Antiochus V.

At the instigation of Attalus II, Alexander Balas traveled in the summer of 153 BC. Together with his alleged sister Laodike , who was probably actually a daughter of Antiochus IV, went to Rome to seek the legitimacy of his claim to the Seleucid throne by the Roman Senate . In Balas' support was Heraclides , the former finance minister of Antiochus IV. And brother of Demetrius I of defeated and killed the usurper Timarchos . Herakleides contributed significantly to the enforcement of a Senate consult that was favorable to Balas through unfair methods, probably in particular through bribery; Balas' claims to the throne were recognized and support for the Attalid project was promised.

Alexander Balas won the kings Ptolemy VI as further allies . of Egypt and Ariarathes V of Cappadocia. With a mercenary army recruited by Herakleides in Ephesus , he then landed in the spring of 152 BC. BC on the Phoenician coast and occupied the coastal city of Ptolemais (today Akkon ). Here he successfully built a counter-government to Demetrios I, which was recognized by the Jews under Jonathan among others . Balas had secured the Maccabees' alliance by appointing him as the Jewish high priest, which marked the beginning of the Hasmonean rule over Judea. Not until 150 BC BC Balas, effectively supported by the Egyptian side, succeeded in decisively defeating Demetrios I in a battle. Since his rival fell in this battle, Balas was able to take control of the Seleucid Empire. Due to his 150 BC At Ptolemais he married Cleopatra Thea , a daughter of Ptolemaios VI. He was able to consolidate his position further.

Silver tetradrachm of Alexander I from the Phoenician city of Tire ; on the obverse the portrait of the king, on the reverse the Ptolemaic eagle

In Phoenician cities, many coins were minted after the Ptolemaic foot and with the image of the Ptolemaic eagle during the sole reign of Alexander Balas; evidently the Egyptian influence on the Seleucid Empire had become decisive. Balas is said to have left the affairs of government to a large extent to his favorite Ammonios and instead mainly spent his time in debauchery. The usurper is unlikely to have achieved much in terms of foreign policy either. In this way the Maccabees were largely able to maintain their independence; But Jonathan was at least formally integrated into the Syrian Empire through his appointment as "friend" of Balas and strategist of Judea.

Starting from his Cretan exile, Demetrios II , a son of King Demetrios I, undertook in 147 BC BC with Greek mercenaries recruited by Lasthenes, the successful attempt to oust Alexander Balas militarily. He went first to Cilicia and received support from the Coil Syrian governor Apollonios , who was defeated by Jonathan. 146 BC Ptolemy VI hurried. to help his son-in-law with strong land and sea forces, marched into Phenicia and moved to Seleukeia Pieria . But then Ammonios is said to have planned to carry out an attack on the Egyptian king. In any case, the alleged assassination attempt, for which he received no atonement, served the Egyptian king as a reason, in addition to the alleged inability of his son-in-law, to terminate his friendship and to take his daughter away. Instead, he now allied himself with Demetrios II and gave him Balas' former wife Cleopatra Thea as his wife.

The inhabitants of the Seleucid metropolis Antioch , who had fallen away from Alexander Balas in the meantime, surrendered their city to the Ptolemaic king. Balas was no longer supported by Rome and Pergamum either, withdrew temporarily to Cilicia and fell in 145 BC. In Syria. In a battle fought near the river Oinoparas at the gates of Antioch, his army was defeated by Demetrios II and Ptolemy VI. decisively defeated. Balas fled with 500 warriors to Abai to the Nabatean prince Zabdiel (Greek Diocles), who was friends with him, but who murdered him and gave his head to Ptolemy VI. sent. But because the king of Egypt also died soon afterwards of his wounds from the battle, Demetrios II was able to take over the rule of the Seleucid Empire unchallenged.

progeny

From his marriage to Cleopatra Thea, Alexander Balas had a son, Antiochus VI. († 138 BC), who was also able to briefly ascend the royal throne. The usurper Alexander II. Zabinas only pretended to be his son.

Impact history

Alexander Balas is the title character in George Frideric Handel's oratorio Alexander Balus .

literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ Diodor , Bibliothéke historiké 31, 32a; Iustinus , Epitoma historiarum Philippicarum Pompei Trogi 35,1,6 and 35,1,9; Titus Livius , Ab urbe condita , periochae 50 and 52; Jewish sources ( 1st book of the Maccabees 10.1 f .; Flavius ​​Josephus , Jüdische Altert becoming 13.35 f.) consider Balas to be a real Seleucid, namely an illegitimate son of Antiochus IV.
  2. ↑ Diodor, Bibliothéke historiké 31,32a.
  3. ↑ Polybios , Historíai 33.15 and 33.18.
  4. ↑ Polybios, Historíai 3,5,3; Diodor, Bibliothéke historiké 33.20; Iustinus, Epitoma historiarum Philippicarum Pompei Trogi 35,1,6 ff .; Appian , Syriake 67,354 f .; Eusebius of Caesarea , Chronicle 1.254 ff. Ed. Schoene.
  5. ↑ 1 Maccabees f 10.15 to 21 and 10.46 .; Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 13:35; 13.43 ff.
  6. ↑ 1. Book of the Maccabees 10.48 ff .; Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 13: 58–61; Justinus, Epitoma historiarum Philippicarum Pompei Trogi 35,1,11; Appian, Syriake 67; Eusebius of Caesarea, Chronicle 1.254 ff. Ed. Schoene.
  7. ↑ First Book of the Maccabees 10: 51–58; Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 13.80 ff.
  8. ^ Livy, Ab urbe condita , periochae 50; Iustinus, Epitoma historiarum Philippicarum Pompei Trogi 35.2 2.
  9. ↑ First Book of the Maccabees 10:20 and 10.65.
  10. ↑ 1 Maccabees 10.67 to 89; Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 13: 86-102; Iustinus, Epitoma historiarum Philippicarum Pompei Trogi 35,2,2.
  11. ↑ 1. Book of the Maccabees 11: 1 ff .; Josephus, Jüdische Antiquities 13,103 ff .; Diodor, Bibliothéke historiké 32,9c.
  12. ↑ 1 Maccabees 11.9 to 12; Josephus, Jüdische Antiquities 13,106–110; Diodor, Bibliothéke historiké 32,9c; Livy, Ab urbe condita , periochae 52.
  13. ↑ Josephus, Jüdische Antiquities 13,111 f .; Diodor, Bibliothéke historiké 32,9c.
  14. ↑ 1. Book of the Maccabees 11:14 f .; Josephus, Jüdische Antiquities 13,116 f .; Strabon , Geographika 16, p. 751; Livy, Ab urbe condita , periochae 52; among others
  15. ^ 1. Book of the Maccabees 11:16 f .; Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 13,118; Diodor, Bibliothéke historiké 32,9d; 32,10,1; 32.10.8.
predecessor Office successor
Demetrios I. King of the Seleucid Empire
152 / 150–145 BC Chr. 		Demetrios II
personal data
SURNAME Alexander I. Balas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Regent of the Seleucid Empire
DATE OF BIRTH before 153 BC Chr.
PLACE OF BIRTH Smyrna
DATE OF DEATH 145 BC Chr.