Syrian-Egyptian Wars
The Syrian-Egyptian Wars refer to a series of conflicts between the ancient kingdoms of Syria, ruled by the Seleucid dynasty, and Egypt, governed by the Ptolemaic dynasty, following the fragmentation of Alexander the Great's empire. The wars spanned several centuries, beginning in the late 3rd century BCE and continuing into the early 2nd century BCE. Initially, the struggle for control over key territories along the eastern Mediterranean, such as Syria and Phoenicia, was fueled by regional power dynamics and rivalries among the successors of Alexander.
Key figures in these wars included Antiochus I Soter, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Antiochus III, and Ptolemy IV Philopator, each of whom sought to expand their influence and territorial claims. The conflict saw significant battles, such as the pivotal engagement at Raphia in 217 BCE, where Ptolemy IV emerged victorious. Ultimately, Antiochus III secured much of the contested regions following several confrontations, significantly altering the balance of power in the area.
The aftermath of these wars established Seleucid dominance over Syria and expanded their control along the eastern Mediterranean coast, fostering vital trade routes connecting different cultures and regions. However, this period of conflict also sowed the seeds for future unrest, as exemplified by the later Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid rule.
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Syrian-Egyptian Wars
At issue: Control of Syria, the land bridge along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, and parts of Asia Minor
Date: 274-198 b.c.e.
Location: West to east from Asia Minor to Babylon, north to south from the coast of Asia Minor to Egypt
Combatants: Seleucids (Syrians) vs. Ptolemies (Egyptians)
Principal commanders:Seleucid, Antiochus I Soter (324-261 b.c.e.), Antiochus II Theos (286-247 b.c.e.), Seleucus II Callinicus (ruled 247-226 b.c.e.), Antiochus III Magnus (242-187 b.c.e.); Ptolemy, Ptolemy II Philadelphus (309-246 b.c.e.), Ptolemy III Euergetes (282?-221/222 b.c.e.), Ptolemy IV Philopator (244?-203 b.c.e.)
Principal battles: Miletus, Thrace, Raphia, Jerusalem
Result: Seleucid victory
Background
Alexander the Great conquered territory from Greece to India before his death in 323 b.c.e., after which his generals divided his empire. Ptolemy I gained Egypt immediately and quickly added Cyprus, Syria, and some cities on the coast of Asia Minor but lost Syria to Seleucus I Nicator. Seleucus ruled in Babylon from 312 b.c.e. and Syria after 301 b.c.e. From 274 b.c.e. until 198 b.c.e., their successors struggled for control of the eastern edge of the Mediterranean, with the Seleucids eventually winning.
Action
Antiochus I Soter came to the Seleucid throne at the assassination of his father Seleucus I in 281 b.c.e. Immediately, he faced a number of problems, including revolts by Syrians that were probably instigated by Ptolemy II Philadelphus. In 279 b.c.e., Ptolemy captured Miletus, in southwestern Asia Minor. In 276 b.c.e., he invaded northern Syria, where Antiochus defeated him and made an alliance with Ptolemy’s half brother, who ruled Cyrene. Nevertheless, the war turned against Antiochus, and about 273-272 b.c.e., Egypt wrested Phoenicia and the coast of Asia Minor from him.
Antiochus I died in 261 b.c.e. His son Antiochus II Theos joined forces with Antigonus II, the ruler of Macedonia, against Ptolemy II. Antigonis defeated the Egyptians at sea, while Antiochus fought them on land, regaining much of Asia Minor, including the cities of Miletus and Ephesus, as well as the Phoenician coast.
Seleucus II Callinicus came to the throne in 246 b.c.e., when his mother Laodice poisoned his father Antiochus II, who had left Laodice for an Egyptian woman named Berenice and then returned to Laodice. Berenice’s brother Ptolemy III Euergetes came to the throne about the same time as Seleucus, and shortly thereafter invaded Lebanon. Ptolemy’s navy captured several islands off the coast of Asia Minor and by about 245 b.c.e. had pushed as far as Thrace (on the western side of the Hellespont), where they were stopped. Meanwhile, his army advanced by land as far east as Seleucia (near Babylon) but had to halt because of problems at home. Seleucus was able to drive him from Mesopotamia and northern Syria in 242-241 b.c.e., but Ptolemy retained Antioch in Syria, Ephesus in Asia Minor, and Thrace.
Antiochus III and Ptolemy IV Philopator waged the fourth war between 219 b.c.e. and 216 b.c.e., during which Antiochus gained seaports on the eastern Mediterranean, as well as Lebanon, Palestine, and Phoenicia. In 217 b.c.e., the two engaged in a massive land battle (Seleucid troops were reported to number 68,000; Ptolemaic troops 75,000) near Raphia on the southern coast of Palestine, with Ptolemy winning and forcing Antiochus to give up all of his newly won territory except the coastal city of Seleucia-in-Pieria.
The fifth war came quickly upon the death of Ptolemy IV in 205 b.c.e. Antiochus attacked Egypt, which launched a counteroffensive, capturing Jerusalem in the process. In 201 b.c.e., Antiochus returned there and defeated the Egyptians. Then he went after Ptolemaic possessions in Asia Minor. When peace finally came, Antiochus controlled Syria, the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, and the Egyptian territories in Asia Minor.
Aftermath
The victory of Antiochus III gave the Seleucids control of Syria and the land bridge along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, which was crucial for overland travel and commerce between Africa and Arabia to the south and Europe and Asia to the north. The actions of his grandson Antiochus IV Epiphanes led to the Revolt of the Maccabees (168-143 b.c.e.).
Bibliography
Bevan, Edwin Robert. The House of Seleucus. 2 vols. 1902. London: Arnold, 1966.
Bowman, Alan K. Egypt After the Pharaohs: 332 b.c.-a.d. 32. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1986.
Sherwin-White, Susan M., and Amelie Kuhrt. From Samarkhand to Sardis: A New Approach to the Seleucid Empire. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.