9.54. Then he marched beyond the Cilician gates, leaving his son Demetrius, who was about twenty-two years of age, at Gaza with an army to meet Ptolemy, who was coming from Egypt, but the latter defeated the young man badly in a battle near Gaza and compelled him to fly to his father. Ptolemy immediately sent Seleucus to Babylon to resume the government and gave him 1000 foot-soldiers and 300 horse for the purpose. With this small force Seleucus took Babylon, the inhabitants receiving him with enthusiasm, and within a short time he augmented his power greatly. Nevertheless Antigonus warded off the attack of Ptolemy and gained a splendid naval victory over him near Cyprus, in which his son Demetrius was the commander. On account of this very notable exploit the army began to call both Antigonus and Demetrius kings, as their own kings (Ardiaeus, the son of Philip and Olympias, and the two sons of Alexander) were now dead. Ptolemy’s army also saluted him as king lest by inferiority of rank he should be deemed less lofty than the victors in the late battle. Thus for these men similar consequences followed contrary events. All the others followed suit, and all the satraps became kings.
9.54. χωρῶν δʼ ὑπὲρ τὰς Κιλικίους πύλας, Δημήτριον τὸν υἱόν, ἀμφὶ δύο καὶ εἴκοσιν ἔτη γεγονότα, ἐν Γάζῃ μετὰ τοῦ στρατοῦ καταλείπει πρὸς τὰς ὁρμὰς Πτολεμαίου τὰς ἀπʼ Αἰγύπτου. τοῦτον ὁ Πτολεμαῖος ἐνίκα περὶ τὴν Γάζαν μάχῃ λαμπρῶς, καὶ τὸ μειράκιον ἐς τὸν πατέρα ἐχώρει. Πτολεμαῖος δʼ αὐτίκα τὸν Σέλευκον ἐς τῆν Βαβυλῶνα πέμπει, τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀναληψόμενον· καὶ πεζοὺς ἐς τοῦτο ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ χιλίους, καὶ τριακοσίους ἱππέας. καὶ σὺν οὕτως ὀλίγοις ὁ Σέλευκος τήν τε Βαβυλωνίαν, προθύμως αὐτὸν ἅμα τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκδεχομένων, ἀνέλαβε, καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν μετʼ οὐ πολὺ ἐς μέγα προήγαγεν. ὁ δʼ Ἀντίγονος Πτολεμαῖον ἠμύνετο, καὶ ναυμαχίᾳ περὶ Κύπρον ἐνίκα περιφανεῖ, Δημητρίου τοῦ παιδὸς στρατηγοῦντος· ἐφʼ ὅτῳ λαμπροτάτῳ γενομένῳ ὁ στρατὸς ἀνεῖπεν ἄμφω βασιλέας, Ἀντίγονόν τε καὶ Δημήτριον, ἤδη καὶ τῶν βασιλέων τεθνεώτων, Ἀριδαίου τε τοῦ Φιλίππου καὶ Ὀλυμπιάδος καὶ τῶν υἱῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου. ἀνεῖπε δὲ καὶ Πτολεμαῖον ὁ οἰκεῖος αὐτοῦ στρατὸς βασιλέα, ὡς μή τι διὰ τὴν ἧσσαν μειονεκτοίη τῶν νενικηκότων. τοῖσδε μὲν δὴ τυχεῖν ὁμοίων συνηνέχθη κατʼ ἐναντίας αἰτίας, εἵποντο δʼ εὐθὺς αὐτοῖς οἱ λοιποί, καὶ βασιλεῖς ἅπαντες ἐκ σατραπῶν ἐγίγνοντο.
9.55. In this way Seleucus became king of Babylonia. He also acquired the kingdom of Media, slaying with his own hand in battle Nicator whom Antigonus had left as satrap of that country. He afterward waged many wars with Macedonians and barbarians. The two principal ones were with Macedonians, the second with Lysimachus, king of Thrace, the first with Antigonus at Ipsus in Phrygia, where Antigonus commanded in person and fought in person although he was above eighty years of age. Antigonus was killed in battle, and then all the kings who had been in league with Seleucus against him divided his territory among themselves. At this division all Syria from the Euphrates to the sea, also inland Phrygia, fell to the lot of Seleucus. Always lying in wait for the neighboring nations, strong in arms and persuasive in council, he acquired Mesopotamia, Armenia, the so-called Seleucid Cappadocia, the Persians, Parthians, Bactrians, Arabs, Tapyri, Sogdiani, Arachotes, Hyrcanians, and other adjacent peoples that had been subdued by Alexander, as far as the river Indus, so that the boundaries of his empire were the most extensive in Asia after that of Alexander. The whole region from Phrygia to the Indus was subject to Seleucus. He crossed the Indus and waged war with Androcottus, king of the Indians, who dwelt on the banks of that stream, until they came to an understanding with each other and contracted a marriage relationship. Some of these exploits were performed before the death of Antigonus and some afterward.
9.55. οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Σέλευκος ἐβασίλευσε τῆς Βαβυλωνίας. ἐβασίλευσε δὲ καὶ Μηδίας, Νικάτορα κτείνας αὐτὸς ἐν τῇ μάχῃ, τὸν ὑπʼ Ἀντιγόνου Μηδίας σατραπεύειν ἀπολελειμμένον. πολέμους δʼ ἐπολέμησε πολλοὺς Μακεδόσι καὶ βαρβάροις, καὶ τούτων Μακεδόσι μὲν δύο μεγίστους, τὸν μὲν ὕστερον Λυσιμάχῳ βασιλεύοντι Θρᾴκης, τὸν δὲ πρότερον Ἀντιγόνῳ περὶ Ἴψον τῆς Φρυγίας, αὐτῷ στρατηγοῦντι καὶ αὐτῷ μαχομένῳ, καίπερ ὑπὲρ ὀγδοήκοντα ἔτη γεγονότι. πεσόντος δʼ Ἀντιγόνου κατὰ τὴν μάχην, ὅσοι βασιλεῖς τὸν Ἀντίγονον ἅμα τῷ Σελεύκῳ καθῃρήκεσαν, τὴν Ἀντιγόνου γῆν διενέμοντο. καὶ ὁ Σέλευκος τότε τῆς μετʼ Εὐφράτην Συρίας ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ καὶ Φρυγίας τῆς ἀνὰ τὸ μεσόγειον ἄρχειν διέλαχεν. ἐφεδρεύων δὲ ἀεὶ τοῖς ἐγγὺς ἔθνεσι, καὶ δυνατὸς ὢν βιάσασθαι καὶ πιθανὸς προσαγαγέσθαι, ἦρξε Μεσοποταμίας καὶ Ἀρμενίας καὶ Καππαδοκίας τῆς Σελευκίδος λεγομένης καὶ Περσῶν καὶ Παρθυαίων καὶ Βακτρίων καὶ Ἀράβων καὶ Ταπύρων καὶ τῆς Σογδιανῆς καὶ Ἀραχωσίας καὶ Ὑρκανίας, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ὅμορα ἔθνη μέχρι Ἰνδοῦ ποταμοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ ἐγεγένητο δορίληπτα, ὡς ὡρίσθαι τῷδε μάλιστα μετʼ Ἀλέξανδρον τῆς Ἀσίας τὸ πλέον· ἀπὸ γὰρ Φρυγίας ἐπὶ ποταμὸν Ἰνδὸν ἄνω πάντα Σελεύκῳ κατήκουεν. καὶ τὸν Ἰνδὸν περάσας ἐπολέμησεν Ἀνδροκόττῳ βασιλεῖ τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν Ἰνδῶν, μέχρι φιλίαν αὐτῷ καὶ κῆδος συνέθετο. καὶ τῶνδε τὰ μὲν πρὸ τῆς Ἀντιγόνου τελευτῆς, τὰ δὲ μετʼ Ἀντίγονον ἐποίησεν.
9.56. It is said that while he was still serving under Alexander and following him in the war against the Persians he consulted the Didymaean oracle to inquire about his return to Macedonia and that he received for answer: — “Do not hurry back to Europe; Asia will be much better for you.” It was said also that in Macedonia a great fire burst forth on his ancestral hearth without anybody lighting it; also that his mother saw in a dream that whatever ring she found she should give him to carry, and that he should be king at the place where he should lose the ring. She did find an iron ring with an anchor engraved on it, and he lost it near the Euphrates. It is said that at a later period, when he was returning to recover Babylon, he stumbled against a stone and that when he caused this stone to be dug up an anchor was found under it. When the soothsayers were alarmed at this prodigy, thinking that it portended delay, Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, who accompanied the expedition, said that an anchor was a sign of safety, not of delay. For this reason Seleucus, when he became king, used an engraved anchor for his signet-ring. Some say that while Alexander was still alive and looking on, another omen of the future power of Seleucus was made manifest in this wise. After Alexander had returned from India to Babylon and while he was sailing around the Babylonian lagoons with a view to the irrigation of the Assyrian fields from the Euphrates, a wind struck him and carried away his diadem and hung it on a bunch of reeds growing on the tomb of an ancient king. This of itself signified the early death of Alexander. They say that a sailor swam after it, put it on his own head, and, without wetting it, brought it to Alexander, who gave him at once a silver talent as a reward for his kind service. The soothsayers advised putting the man to death. Some say that Alexander followed their advice. Others say the contrary. Other narrators skip that part of the story and say that it was no sailor at all, but Seleucus who swam after the king’s diadem, and that he put it on his own head to avoid wetting it. The signs turned out true as to both of them in the end, for Alexander departed from life in Babylon and Seleucus became the ruler of a larger part of his dominions than any other of Alexander’s successors.
9.56. λέγεται δʼ αὐτῷ, στρατιώτῃ τοῦ βασιλέως ἔτι ὄντι καὶ ἐπὶ Πέρσας ἑπομένῳ, χρησμὸν ἐν Διδυμέως γενέσθαι πυνθανομένῳ περὶ τῆς ἐς Μακεδονίαν ἐπανόδου, μὴ σπεῦδʼ Εὐρώπηνδʼ. Ἀσίη τοι πολλὸν ἀμείνων. καὶ ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ τὴν ἑστίαν αὐτῷ τὴν πατρῴαν, οὐδενὸς ἅψαντος, ἐκλάμψαι πῦρ μέγα. καὶ ὄναρ αὐτοῦ τὴν μητέρα ἰδεῖν, ὃν ἂν εὕροι δακτύλιον, δοῦναι φόρημα Σελεύκῳ, τὸν δὲ βασιλεύσειν ἔνθα ἂν ὁ δακτύλιος ἐκπέσῃ. καὶ ἡ μὲν ηὗρεν ἄγκυραν ἐν σιδήρῳ κεχαραγμένην, ὁ δὲ τὴν σφραγῖδα τήνδε ἀπώλεσε κατὰ τὸν Εὐφράτην. λέγεται καὶ ἐς τὴν Βαβυλωνίαν ἀπιόντα ὕστερον προσκόψαι λίθῳ, καὶ τὸν λίθον ἀνασκαφέντα ἄγκυραν ὀφθῆναι. θορυβουμένων δὲ τῶν μάντεων ὡς ἐπὶ συμβόλῳ κατοχῆς, Πτολεμαῖον τὸν Λάγου παραπέμποντα εἰπεῖν ἀσφαλείας τὴν ἄγκυραν, οὐ κατοχῆς εἶναι σύμβολον. καὶ Σελεύκῳ μὲν διὰ τοῦτο ἄρα καὶ βασιλεύσαντι ἡ σφραγὶς ἄγκυρα ἦν, δοκεῖ δέ τισι καὶ περιόντος ἔτι Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ ἐφορῶντος ἕτερον τῷ Σελεύκῳ σημεῖον περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοιόνδε γενέσθαι. Ἀλεξάνδρῳ γὰρ ἐξ Ἰνδῶν ἐς Βαβυλῶνα ἐπανελθόντι, καὶ τὰς ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ Βαβυλωνίᾳ λίμνας ἐπὶ χρείᾳ τοῦ τὸν Εὐφράτην τὴν Ἀσσυρίδα γῆν ἀρδεύειν περιπλέοντι, ἄνεμος ἐμπεσὼν ἥρπασε τὸ διάδημα, καὶ φερόμενον ἐκρεμάσθη δόνακος ἐν τάφῳ τινὸς ἀρχαίου βασιλέως. καὶ ἐσήμαινε μὲν ἐς τὴν τελευτὴν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τόδε, ναύτην δέ φασιν ἐκκολυμβήσαντα περιθέσθαι τῇ κεφαλῇ τὸ διάδημα καὶ ἐνεγκεῖν ἄβροχον Ἀλεξάνδρῳ, καὶ λαβεῖν τῆς προθυμίας αὐτίκα δωρεὰν παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τάλαντον ἀργυρίου· τῶν δὲ μάντεων αὐτὸν ἀναιρεῖν κελευόντων οἱ μὲν πεισθῆναι τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον αὐτοῖς, οἱ δὲ ἀντειπεῖν. εἰσὶ δὲ οἳ τάδε πάντα ὑπερελθόντες, οὐ ναύτην ὅλως φασὶν ἀλλὰ Σέλευκον ἐπὶ τὸ διάδημα τοῦ βασιλέως ἐκκολυμβῆσαι, καὶ περιθέσθαι Σέλευκον αὐτὸ τῇ κεφαλῇ, ἵνʼ ἄβροχον εἴη. καὶ τὰ σημεῖα ἐς τέλος ἀμφοῖν ἀπαντῆσαι. Ἀλέξανδρόν τε γὰρ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι μεταστῆναι τοῦ βίου, καὶ Σέλευκον τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου γῆς, ὅτι πλείστης μάλιστα τόνδε τῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου διαδόχων, βασιλεῦσαι.
9.57. Such are the prophecies I have heard of concerning Seleucus. Directly after the death of Alexander he became the leader of the Companion cavalry, which Hephaestion, and afterwards Perdiccas, commanded during the life of Alexander. After commanding the horse he became satrap of Babylon, and after satrap, king. As he was very successful in war he acquired the surname of Nicator. At least that seems more probable than that he received it from the killing of Nicator. He was of such a large and 28 powerful frame that once when a wild bull was brought for sacrifice to Alexander and broke loose from his ropes, Seleucus held him alone, with nothing but his hands, for which reason his statues are ornamented with horns. He built cities throughout the entire length of his dominions and named sixteen of them Antioch after his father, five Laodicea after his mother, nine after himself, and four after his wives, that is, three Apamea and one Stratonicea. Of these the two most renowned at the present time are the two Seleucias, one on the sea and the other on the river Tigris, Laodicea in Phœnicia, Antioch under Mount Lebanon, and Apamea in Syria. To others he gave names from Greece or Macedonia, or from his own exploits, or in honor of Alexander; whence it comes to pass that in Syria and among the barbarous regions of upper Asia many of the towns bear Greek and Macedonian names, such as Berrhœa, Edessa, Perinthus, Maronea, Callipolis, Achaia, Pella, Orophus, Amphipolis, Arethusa, Astacus, Tegea, Chalcis, Larissa, Heraea, and Apollonia; in Parthia also Sotera, Calliope, Charis, Hecatompylos, Achaia; in India Alexandropolis; in Scythia Alexandreschata. From the victories of Seleucus come the names of Nicephorium in Mesopotamia and of Nicopolis in Armenia very near Cappadocia.
9.57. τοσαῦτα μὲν δὴ περὶ τῶν Σελεύκῳ προμαντευθέντων ἐπυθόμην· γίγνεται δʼ εὐθὺς Ἀλεξάνδρου μεταστάντος ἡγεμὼν τῆς ἵππου τῆς ἑταιρικῆς ἧς δὴ καὶ Ἡφαιστίων ἡγήσατο Ἀλεξάνδρῳ καὶ ἐπὶ Ἡφαιστίωνι Περδίκκας, μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἵππον σατράπης τε τῆς Βαβυλωνίας καὶ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τῇ σατραπείᾳ. γενομένῳ δὲ αὐτῷ τὰ ἐς πολέμους ἐπιτυχεστάτῳ Νικάτωρ ἐπώνυμον γίγνεται· τῷδε γὰρ ἀρέσκομαι μᾶλλον τοῦ Νικάτορα κτεῖναι. καὶ τὸ σῶμα ὄντι εὐρώστῳ τε καὶ μεγάλῳ, καὶ ταῦρον ἄγριον ἐν Ἀλεξάνδρου θυσίᾳ ποτὲ ἐκθορόντα τῶν δεσμῶν ὑποστάντι μόνῳ καὶ ταῖς χερσὶ μόναις κατειργασμένῳ, προστιθέασιν ἐς τοὺς ἀνδριάντας ἐπὶ τῷδε κέρατα. πόλεις δὲ ᾤκισεν ἐπὶ τὸ μῆκος τῆς ἀρχῆς ὅλης ἑκκαίδεκα μὲν Ἀντιοχείας ἐπὶ τῷ πατρί, πέντε δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ μητρὶ Λαοδικείας, ἐννέα δʼ ἐπωνύμους ἑαυτοῦ, τέσσαρας δʼ ἐπὶ ταῖς γυναιξί, τρεῖς Ἀπαμείας καὶ Στρατονίκειαν μίαν. καὶ εἰσὶν αὐτῶν ἐπιφανέσταται καὶ νῦν Σελεύκειαι μὲν ἥ τε ἐπὶ τῇ θαλάσσῃ καὶ ἡ ἐπὶ τοῦ Τίγρητος ποταμοῦ, Λαοδίκεια δὲ ἡ ἐν τῇ Φοινίκῃ καὶ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ὑπὸ τῷ Λιβάνῳ ὄρει καὶ ἡ τῆς Συρίας Ἀπάμεια. τὰς δὲ ἄλλας ἐκ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἢ Μακεδονίας ὠνόμαζεν, ἢ ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἑαυτοῦ τισιν, ἢ ἐς τιμὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ βασιλέως· ὅθεν ἔστιν ἐν τῇ Συρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ὑπὲρ αὐτὴν ἄνω βαρβάροις πολλὰ μὲν Ἑλληνικῶν πολλὰ δὲ Μακεδονικῶν πολισμάτων ὀνόματα, Βέρροια, Ἔδεσσα, Πέρινθος, Μαρώνεια, Καλλίπολις, Ἀχαΐα, Πέλλα, Ὠρωπός, Ἀμφίπολις, Ἀρέθουσα, Ἀστακός, Τεγέα, Χαλκίς, Λάρισα, Ἥραια, Ἀπολλωνία, ἐν δὲ τῇ Παρθυηνῇ Σώτειρα, Καλλιόπη, Χάρις, Ἑκατόμπυλος, Ἀχαΐα, ἐν δʼ Ἰνδοῖς Ἀλεξανδρόπολις, ἐν δὲ Σκύθαις Ἀλεξανδρέσχατα. καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς αὐτοῦ Σελεύκου νίκαις ἔστι Νικηφόριόν τε ἐν τῇ Μεσοποταμίᾳ καὶ Νικόπολις ἐν Ἀρμενίᾳ τῇ ἀγχοτάτω μάλιστα Καππαδοκίας.
9.58. They say that when he was about to build the two Seleucias a portent of thunder preceded the foundation of the one by the sea, for which reason he consecrated thunder as a divinity of the place. Accordingly the inhabitants worship thunder and sing its praises to this day. They say, also, that when the Magi were ordered to indicate the propitious day and hour for beginning the foundations of Seleucia-on-the-Tigris they falsified as to the hour because they did not want to have such a stronghold built against themselves. While the king was waiting in his tent for the appointed hour, and the army, in readiness to begin the work, stood quietly till Seleucus should give the signal, suddenly, at the true hour of destiny, they seemed to hear a voice ordering them on. So they sprang to their work with such alacrity that the heralds who tried to stop them were not able to do so. When the work was brought to an end Seleucus, being troubled in his mind, again made inquiry of the Magi concerning his city, and they, having first secured a promise of impunity, replied, “That which is fated, O King, whether it be for better or worse, neither man nor city can change, for there is a fate for cities as well as for men. It pleases the gods that this city shall endure for ages, because it was begun on the hour on which it was begun. We feared lest it should be a stronghold against ourselves, and falsified the appointed time. Destiny is stronger than crafty Magi or an unsuspecting king. For that reason the deity announced the more propitious hour to the army. It is permitted you to know these things so surely that you need not suspect us of deception still, for you were presiding over the army yourself, as king, and you had yourself ordered them to wait; but the army, ever obedient to you in facing danger and toil, could not now be restrained, even when you gave them the order to stop, but sprang to their work, not a part of them merely, but all together, and their officers with them, thinking that the order had been given. In fact it had been given. That was the reason why not even you could hold them back. What can be stronger in human affairs than a king, unless it be a god, who overcame your intention and supplanted us in giving you directions about the city; for the god is in hostility to us and to all the people round about? What can our resources avail hereafter with a more powerful race settled along side of us? This city of yours has had a fortunate beginning, it will be great and enduring. We beg that you will confirm your pardon of our fault which we committed from fear of the loss of our own prosperity.” The king was pleased with what the Magi said and pardoned them. This is what I have heard about Seleucia.
9.58. φασὶ δὲ αὐτῷ τὰς Σελευκείας οἰκίζοντι, τὴν μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ θαλάσσῃ, διοσημίαν ἡγήσασθαι κεραυνοῦ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο θεὸν αὐτοῖς κεραυνὸν ἔθετο, καὶ θρησκεύουσι καὶ ὑμνοῦσι καὶ νῦν κεραυνόν· ἐς δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ Τίγρητος ἡμέραν ἐπιλέξασθαι τοὺς μάγους κελευομένους, καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας ὥραν, ᾗ τῶν θεμελίων ἄρξασθαι τῆς ὀρυχῆς ἔδει, ψεύσασθαι τὴν ὥραν τοὺς μάγους, οὐκ ἐθέλοντας ἐπιτείχισμα τοιόνδε σφίσι γενέσθαι. καὶ Σέλευκος μὲν ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τὴν δεδομένην ὥραν ἀνέμενεν, ὁ δὲ στρατὸς ἐς τὸ ἔργον ἕτοιμος, ἀτρεμῶν ἔστε σημήνειεν ὁ Σέλευκος, ἄφνω κατὰ τὴν αἰσιωτέραν ὥραν δόξαντές τινα κελεύειν ἐπὶ τὸ ἔργον ἀνεπήδησαν, ὡς μηδὲ τῶν κηρύκων ἐρυκόντων ἔτι ἀνασχέσθαι. τὸ μὲν δὴ ἔργον ἐξετετέλεστο, Σελεύκῳ δὲ ἀθύμως ἔχοντι, καὶ τοὺς μάγους αὖθις ἀνακρίνοντι περὶ τῆς πόλεως, ἄδειαν αἰτήσαντες ἔλεγον οἱ μάγοι· τὴν πεπρωμένην ὦ βασιλεῦ μοῖραν, χείρονά τε καὶ κρείσσονα, οὐκ ἔστιν οὔτε ἀνδρὸς οὔτε πόλεως ἐναλλάξαι. μοῖρα δέ τις καὶ πόλεών ἐστιν ὥσπερ ἀνδρῶν. καὶ τήνδε χρονιωτάτην μὲν ἐδόκει τοῖς θεοῖς γενέσθαι, ἀρχομένην ἐκ τῆσδε τῆς ὥρας ἧς ἐγένετο· δειμαίνοντες δʼ ἡμεῖς ὡς ἐπιτείχισμα ἡμῖν ἐσομένην, παρεφέρομεν τὸ πεπρωμένον. τὸ δὲ κρεῖσσον ἦν καὶ μάγων πανουργούντων καὶ βασιλέως ἀγνοοῦντος αὐτό. τοιγάρτοι τὸ δαιμόνιον τὰ αἰσιώτερα τῷ στρατῷ προσέταξεν. καὶ τοῦτο ἔνι σοι καταμαθεῖν ὧδε, ἵνα μή τι καὶ νῦν ἡμᾶς ἔτι τεχνάζειν ὑπονοῇς. αὐτός τε γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς σὺ τῷ στρατῷ παρεκάθησο, καὶ τὸ κέλευσμα αὐτὸς ἐδεδώκεις ἀναμένειν· καὶ ὁ εὐπειθέστατος ὤν σοι πρὸς κινδύνους καὶ πόνους οὐκ ἠνέσχετο νῦν οὐδὲ ἀναπαύσεως ἐπιτάγματος, ἀλλʼ ἀνέθορεν, οὐδὲ ἀνὰ μέρος ἀλλʼ ἀθρόως, ἐπιστάταις αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐνόμιζε κεκελεῦσθαι. καὶ ἐκεκέλευστο δή· διόπερ οὐδὲ σοῦ κατερύκοντος αὐτοὺς ἔτι ἐπείθοντο. τί ἂν οὖν βασιλέως ἐν ἀνθρώποις εἴη καρτερώτερον ἄλλο θεοῦ; ὃς τῆς σῆς γνώμης ἐπεκράτησε, καὶ ἡγεμόνευσέ σοι τῆς πόλεως ἀντὶ ἡμῶν, δυσμεναίνων ἡμῖν τε καὶ γένει παντὶ τῷ περιοίκῳ. ποῦ γὰρ ἔτι τὰ ἡμέτερα ἰσχύσει, δυνατωτέρου γένους παρῳκισμένου; ἡ μὲν δὴ πόλις σοι γέγονε σὺν τύχῃ καὶ μεγιστεύσει καὶ χρόνιος ἔσται· σὺ δὲ ἡμῖν, ἐξαμαρτοῦσιν ὑπὸ δέους οἰκείων ἀγαθῶν ἀφαιρέσεως, τὴν συγγνώμην βεβαίου. ταῦτα τῶν μάγων εἰπόντων ὁ βασιλεὺς ἥσθη καὶ συνέγνω.
10.59. Seleucus, while still living, appointed his son, Antiochus, king of upper Asia in place of himself. If this seems noble and kingly on his part, even nobler and wiser was his behavior in reference to his son’s falling in love, and his self-restraint in suffering; for Antiochus was in love with Stratonice, the wife of Seleucus, his own stepmother, who had already borne a child to Seleucus. Recognizing the wickedness of this passion, Antiochus did nothing wrong, nor did he show his feelings, but he fell sick, took to his bed, and longed for death. Nor could the celebrated physician, Erasistratus, who was serving Seleucus at a very high salary, form any diagnosis of his malady. At length, observing that his body was free from all the symptoms of disease, he conjectured that this was some condition of the mind, through which the body is often strengthened or weakened by sympathy. Grief, anger, and other passions disclose themselves; love only is concealed by the modest. As Antiochus would confess nothing when the physician asked him in confidence, he took a seat by his side and watched the changes of his body to see how he was affected by each person who entered his room. He found that when others came the patient was all the time weakening and wasting away at a uniform pace, but when Stratonice came to visit him his mind was greatly agitated by the struggles of modesty and conscience, and he remained silent. But his body in spite of himself became more vigorous and lively, and when she went away he became weaker again. So the physician told Seleucus that his son had an incurable disease. The king was overwhelmed with grief and cried aloud. Then the physician added, “His disease is love, love for a woman, but a hopeless love.”
10.59. τοιάδε μὲν ἐπυθόμην περὶ Σελευκείας· ὁ δὲ Σέλευκος τὸν υἱὸν Ἀντίοχον, περιὼν ἔτι, τῆς ἄνω γῆς βασιλεύειν ἀπέφηνεν ἀνθʼ ἑαυτοῦ. καὶ εἴ τῳ μεγαλόφρον εἶναι τόδε φαίνεται καὶ βασιλικόν, μεγαλοφρονέστερον ἔτι καὶ σοφώτερον ἤνεγκε τὸν ἔρωτα τοῦ παιδὸς καὶ τὴν ἐς τὸ πάθος αὐτοῦ σωφροσύνην. ἤρα μὲν γὰρ ὀ Ἀντίοχος Στρατονίκης τῆς αὐτοῦ Σελεύκου γυναικός, μητρυιᾶς οἱ γενομένης καὶ παῖδα ἤδη τῷ Σελεύκῳ πεποιημένης, συγγιγνώσκων δὲ τὴν ἀθεμιστίαν τοῦ πάθους οὔτε ἐπεχείρει τῷ κακῷ οὔτε προύφερεν, ἀλλʼ ἐνόσει καὶ παρεῖτο καὶ ἑκὼν ἐς τὸν θάνατον συνήργει. οὐδʼ ὁ περιώνυμος ἰατρὸς Ἐρασίστρατος, ἐπὶ μεγίσταις συντάξεσι Σελεύκῳ συνών, εἶχε τεκμήρασθαι τοῦ πάθους, μέχρι φυλάξας καθαρὸν ἐκ πάντων τὸ σῶμα, εἴκασεν εἶναι τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν νόσον, ᾗ δὴ καὶ ἐρρωμένῃ καὶ νοσούσῃ τὸ σῶμα συναίσθεται. λύπας μὲν οὖν καὶ ὀργὰς καὶ ἐπιθυμίας ἄλλας ὁμολογεῖσθαι, ἔρωτα δʼ ἐπικρύπτεσθαι πρὸς τῶν σωφρόνων. οὐδὲν δὲ οὐδʼ ὣς τοῦ Ἀντιόχου φράζοντος αὐτῷ λιπαροῦντι μαθεῖν ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ, παρεκαθέζετο καὶ ἐφύλασσε τὰς τοῦ σώματος μεταβολάς, ὅπως ἔχοι πρὸς ἕκαστον τῶν ἐσιόντων. ὡς δὲ ηὗρεν ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων σβεννύμενον ἀεὶ τὸ σῶμα καὶ μαραινόμενον ὁμαλῶς, ὅτε δὲ ἡ Στρατονίκη παρίοι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπισκεψομένη, τὴν μὲν γνώμην ὑπʼ αἰδοῦς καὶ συνειδότος τότε μάλιστα αὐτὸν ἐνοχλούμενον καὶ σιωπῶντα, τὸ δὲ σῶμα καὶ ἄκοντος αὐτοῦ θαλερώτερόν τε γιγνόμενον αὐτῷ καὶ ζωτικώτερον, καὶ αὖθις ἀπιούσης ἀσθενέστερον, ἔφη τῷ Σελεύκῳ τὸν υἱὸν ἀνιάτως ἔχειν αὐτῷ. ὑπεραλγήσαντος δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἐκβοήσαντος εἶπεν· ἔρως ἔστὶ τὸ πάθος, καὶ ἔρως γυναικός, ἀλλʼ ἀδύνατος.
10.60. Seleucus was astonished that there could be any woman whom he, king of Asia, could not prevail upon to marry such a son as his, by entreaties, by gold, by gifts, by the whole of this great kingdom, the eventual inheritance of the sick prince, which the father would give to him even now, if he wished it, in order to save him. Desiring to learn only one thing more, he asked, “Who is this woman?” Erasistratus replied, “He is in love with my wife.” “Well then, my good fellow,” rejoined Seleucus, “since you are so bound to us by friendship and favors, and are a model of goodness and wisdom in matters of small moment, will you not save this princely young man for me, the son of your friend and king, unfortunate in love but virtuous, who has concealed his sinful passion and prefers to die rather than confess it? Do you so despise Antiochus? Do you despise his father also?” Then Erasistratus changed his tactics, and, as though he were giving him a knock-down argument, said, “You would not give Antiochus your wife if he were in love with her, although you are his father.” Seleucus swore by all the gods of his royal house that he would willingly and cheerfully give her, and make himself an illustrious example of a kind and good father to a chaste son who controlled his passion and did not deserve such suffering. Much more he added of the same sort, and, finally, began to lament that he could not himself be the physician to his unhappy boy, but must needs depend on Erasistratus in this matter also.
10.60. Σελεύκου δὲ θαυμάσαντος εἴ τινα μὴ δύναιτο πεῖσαι Σέλευκος ὁ τῆς Ἀσίας βασιλεύς, ἐπὶ γάμῳ τοιοῦδε παιδός, ἱκεσίᾳ τε καὶ χρήμασι καὶ δωρεαῖς καὶ ὅλῃ τῇ τοσῇδε βασιλείᾳ, περιιούσῃ μὲν ἐς τόνδε τὸν κάμνοντα βασιλέα, δοθησομένῃ δὲ καὶ νῦν ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας εἰ ἤδη τις ἐθέλοι, καὶ μόνον ἀξιοῦντος μαθεῖν τίς ἔστι τὸ γύναιον, ὁ Ἐρασίστρατος ἔφη· τῆς ἐμῆς γυναικὸς ἐρᾷ. καὶ ὁ Σέλευκος, εἶτʼ ὦ?̓γαθέ, ἔφη, φιλίας μὲν οὕτω καὶ χαρίτων ἔχων ἐφʼ ἡμῖν, ἀρετῆς δὲ καὶ σοφίας ἐν ὀλίγοις, οὐ σώσεις μοι νέον ἄνδρα καὶ βασιλικόν, φίλου καὶ βασιλέως υἱόν, ἀτυχοῦντα καὶ σωφρονοῦντα καὶ τὸ κακὸν ἐπικρύπτοντα καὶ προτιμώμενον αὑτῷ θανάτου, ἀλλʼ ὑπερόψει μὲν οὕτως Ἀντιόχον, ὑπερόψει δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ καὶ Σέλευκον; ὁ δʼ ἀπομαχόμενος εἶπε λόγον ὡς ἄφυκτον, ὅτι μηδʼ ἂν σύ, καίπερ ὢν πατήρ, τῆς σῆς Ἀντιόχος εἰ ἤρα γυναικός, μεθῆκας ἂν αὐτῷ τὴν γυναῖκα. ἔνθα δὴ πάντας ὤμνυ τοὺς βασιλείους θεοὺς ὁ Σέλευκος, ἦ μὴν ἑκὼν ἂν καὶ χαίρων μεθεῖναι καὶ διήγημα γενέσθαι καλὸν εὐνοίας ἀγαθοῦ πατρὸς ἐς παῖδα σώφρονα καὶ ἐγκρατῆ τοῦ κακοῦ καὶ ἀνάξιον τῆς συμφορᾶς. πολλά τε ὅμοια ἐπενεγκών, ἤρξατο ἄχθεσθαι ὅτι μὴ αὐτὸς αὐτῷ γίγνοιτο ἰατρὸς ἀτυχοῦντι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐς ταῦτα δέοιτο Ἐρασιστράτου.
10.61. When Erasistratus saw that the king was in earnest and not hypocritical, he told the whole truth. He related how he had discovered the nature of the malady, and how he had detected the secret passion. Seleucus was overjoyed, but it was a difficult matter to persuade his son and not less so to persuade his wife; but he succeeded finally. Then he assembled his army, which was perhaps expecting something of the kind, and told them of his exploits and of the extent of his empire, showing that it surpassed that of any of the other successors of Alexander, and saying that as he was now growing old it was hard for him to govern it on account of its size. “I wish,” he said, “to divide it, and so at the same time to provide for your safety in the future and give a part of it now to those who are dearest to me. It is fitting that all of you, who had advanced to such greatness of dominion and power under me since the time of Alexander, should coöperate with me in everything. The dearest to me, and well worthy to reign, are my grownup son and my wife. As they are young, I pray they may soon have children to be an ample guarantee to you of the permanency of the dynasty. I will join them in marriage in your presence and will send them to be sovereigns of the upper provinces now. And I charge you that none of the customs of the Persians and other nations is more worthy of observance than this one law, which is common to all of them, ‘That what the king ordains is always right.’” When he had thus spoken the army shouted that he was the greatest king of all the successors of Alexander and the best father. Seleucus laid the same injunctions on Stratonice and his son, then joined them in marriage, and sent them to their kingdom, showing himself even stronger in this famous act than in his deeds of arms.
10.61. ὁ δʼ ἐπεὶ κατεῖδε τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἔργον ὑποφαίνουσαν, οὐχ ὑπόκρισιν, ἀνεκάλυπτε τὸ πάθος, καὶ ὅπως αὐτὸ εὕροι κρυπτόμενον διηγεῖτο. Σελεύκῳ δὲ ἡσθέντι ἔργον μὲν ἐγένετο πεῖσαι τὸν υἱόν, ἔργον δʼ ἐπʼ ἐκείνῳ τὴν γυναῖκα· ὡς δʼ ἔπεισε, τὴν στρατιὰν συναγαγών, αἰσθομένην ἴσως ἤδη τι τούτων, κατελογίζετο μὲν αὐτοῖς τὰ ἔργα τὰ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀρχήν, ὅτι δὴ μάλιστα τῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου διαδόχων ἐπὶ μήκιστον προαγάγοι· διὸ καὶ γηρῶντι ἤδη δυσκράτητον εἶναι διὰ τὸ μέγεθος. ἐθέλω δέ, ἔφη, διελεῖν τὸ μέγεθος ἐς τὴν ὑμετέραν τοῦ μέλλοντος ἀμεριμνίαν, καὶ τὸ μέρος ἤδη δοῦναι τοῖς ἐμοῖς φιλτάτοις. δίκαιοι δʼ ἐστέ μοι πάντες ἐς πάντα συνεργεῖν, οἳ ἐς τοσοῦτον ἀρχῆς καὶ δυνάμεως ηὐξήθητε ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ μετʼ Ἀλέξανδρον. φίλτατοι δʼ εἰσί μοι καὶ ἀρχῆς ἄξιοι τῶν τε παίδων ὁ τέλειος ἤδη καὶ ἡ γυνή. ἤδη δʼ αὐτοῖς καὶ παῖδες, ὡς νέοις, γένοιντο ταχέως, καὶ πλέονες φύλακες ὑμῖν τῆς ἡγεμονίας εἶεν. ἁρμόζω σφίσιν ἀλλήλους ἐφʼ ὑμῶν, καὶ πέμπω βασιλέας εἶναι τῶν ἐθνῶν ἤδη τῶν ἄνω. καὶ οὐ Περσῶν ὑμῖν ἔθη καὶ ἑτέρων ἐθνῶν μᾶλλον ἢ τόνδε τὸν κοινὸν ἅπασιν ἐπιθήσω νόμον, ἀεὶ δίκαιον εἶναι τὸ πρὸς βασιλέως ὁριζόμενον. ὁ μὲν δὴ οὕτως εἶπεν, ἡ στρατιὰ δὲ ὡς βασιλέα τε τῶν ἐπὶ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ μέγιστον καὶ πατέρα ἄριστον ηὐφήμει καὶ ὁ Σέλευκος Στρατονίκῃ καὶ τῷ παιδὶ τὰ αὐτὰ προστάξας ἐζεύγνυ τὸν γάμον καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐξέπεμψεν, ἔργον ἀοίδιμον τόδε καὶ δυνατώτερον τῶν ἐν πολέμοις αὐτῷ γενομένων ἐργασάμενος.
10.62. Seleucus had seventy-two satraps under him, so extensive was the territory over which he ruled. The greater part he had transferred to his son, but he continued to reign over the country which lies between the Euphrates and the sea. The last war that he waged was with Lysimachus, for the possession of Phrygia on the Hellespont. Lysimachus was defeated and slain in battle. Then Seleucus crossed the Hellespont in order to possess himself of Lysimacheia, but he was killed by Ptolemy Ceraunus who accompanied him. This Ceraunus was the son of Ptolemy Soter and Euridice, the daughter of Antipater. He had left Egypt from fear, because his father had decided to leave the kingdom to his youngest son. Seleucus had received him as the unfortunate son of his friend, and thus he supported, and took around with himself everywhere, his own murderer.
10.62. Σατραπεῖαι δὲ ἦσαν ὑπʼ αὐτῷ δύο καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα· τοσαύτης ἐβασίλευε γῆς. καὶ τὴν πλείονα τῷ παιδὶ παραδούς, ἦρχε τῶν ἀπὸ θαλάσσης ἐπὶ Εὐφράτην μόνων. καὶ πόλεμον τελευταῖον Λυσιμάχῳ περὶ Φρυγίαν τὴν ἐφʼ Ἑλλησπόντῳ πολεμῶν, Λυσιμάχου μὲν ἐκράτει πεσόντος ἐν τῇ μάχῃ, αὐτὸς δὲ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον ἐπέρα. καὶ ἐς Λυσιμάχειαν ἀναβαίνων κτείνεται. Πτολεμαῖος δʼ αὐτὸν ἑπόμενος ἔκτεινεν, ὅτῳ κεραυνὸς ἐπίκλησις. υἱὸς δʼ ἦν ὁ κεραυνος ὅδε Πτολεμαίου τοῦ σωτῆρος καὶ Εὐρυδίκης τῆς Ἀντιπάτρου· καὶ αὐτὸν ἐκπεσόντα Αἰγύπτου διὰ δέος, ὅτι νεωτάτῳ παιδὶ ὁ Πτολεμαῖος τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπενόει δοῦναι, ὁ Σέλευκος οἷα φίλου παῖδα ἀτυχοῦντα ὑπεδέξατο, καὶ ἔφερβε καὶ ἐπήγετο πάντῃ φονέα ἑαυτοῦ.
10.63. Thus Seleucus died at the age of seventy-three, having reigned forty-two years. It seems to me that the oracle hit the mark in his case when it said to him, “Do not hurry back to Europe; Asia will be much better for you,” for Lysimacheia is in Europe, and he then crossed over to Europe for the first time after leaving it with the army of Alexander. It is said also that once when he consulted an oracle in reference to his own death he received this answer:— “If you keep away from Argos you will reach your allotted year, but if you approach that place you will die before your time.” There is an Argos in Peloponnesus, another in Amphilochia, another in Orestea (whence come the Macedonian Argeadae), and the one on the Ionian sea, said to have been built by Diomedes during his wanderings, — all these, and every place named Argos in every other country, Seleucus inquired about and avoided. While he was advancing from the Hellespont to Lysimacheia a splendid great altar presented itself to his view, which he was told had been built either by the Argonauts on their way to Colchis, or by the Achaeans who besieged Troy, for which reason the people in the neighborhood still called it Argos, either by a corruption of the name of the ship Argo, or from the native place of the sons of Atreus. While he was learning these things he was killed by Ptolemy, who stabbed him in the back. Philetzerus, the prince of Pergamus, bought the body of Seleucus from Ceraunus for a large sum of money, burned it, and sent the ashes to his son Antiochus. The latter deposited them at Seleucia-by-the-Sea, where he erected a temple to his father on consecrated ground, to which ground he gave the name of Nicatoreum.
10.63. καὶ Σέλευκος μὲν οὕτω τελευτᾷ, τρία καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη βιώσας, καὶ βασιλεύσας αὐτῶν δύο καὶ τεσσαράκοντα. καὶ μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ἐς τοῦτο αὐτῷ συνενεχθῆναι τὸ αὐτὸ λόγιον, μὴ σπεῦδʼ Εὐρώπηνδʼ· Ἀσίη τοι πολλὸν ἀμείνων. ἡ γὰρ Λυσιμάχεια τῆς Εὐρώπης ἐστί, καὶ τότε πρῶτον ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου στρατείας ἐς τὴν Εὐρώπην διεπέρα. λέγεται δὲ καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θανάτου ποτὲ αὐτῷ χρωμένῳ λόγιον προαγορευθῆναι Ἄργος ἀλευόμενος τὸ πεπρωμένον εἰς ἔτος ἥξεις· εἰ δʼ Ἄργει πελάσαις, τότε κεν παρὰ μοῖραν ὄλοιο. ὁ μὲν δὴ Ἄργος τὸ Πελοποννήσιον καὶ Ἄργος τὸ Ἀμφιλοχικὸν καὶ Ἄργος τὸ ἐν Ὀρεστείᾳ (ὅθεν οἱ Ἀργεάδαι Μακεδόνες) καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ Ἰονίῳ λεγόμενον οἰκίσαι Διομήδην ἀλώμενον, καὶ εἴ τί που γῆς ἄλλο Ἄργος ἐκαλεῖτο, πάντα ἀνεζήτει καὶ ἐφυλάσσετο· ἀναβαίνοντι δʼ ἐς τὴν Λυσιμάχειαν αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου βωμὸς ἦν ἐν ὄψει μέγας τε καὶ περιφανής, καὶ πυθόμενος αὐτὸν ἢ τοὺς Ἀργοναύτας στήσασθαι παραπλέοντας ἐς Κόλχους ἢ τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς ἐπὶ Ἴλιον στρατεύοντας, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἔτι τὸν βωμὸν τοὺς περιχώρους Ἄργος καλεῖν, ἢ διὰ τὴν ναῦν διαφθείροντας τὸ ὄνομα ἢ διὰ τὴν πατρίδα τῶν Ἀτρειδῶν, κτείνεται, ταῦτα ἔτι μανθάνων, ὑπὸ τοῦ Πτολεμαίου προσπεσόντος ὄπισθεν. καὶ Σέλευκον μὲν ἔκαιε Φιλέταιρος ὁ Περγάμου δυναστεύσας, πολλῶν χρημάτων τὸ σῶμα τὸν κεραυνὸν αἰτήσας, καὶ τὰ λείψανα ἔπεμπεν Ἀντιόχῳ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ. ὁ δʼ ἐν Σελευκείᾳ τῇ πρὸς θαλάσσῃ ἀπέθετο, καὶ νεὼν αὐτῷ ἐπέστησε καὶ τέμενος περιέθηκε· καὶ τὸ τέμενος Νικατόρειον ἐπικλῄζεται.
10.64. I have heard that Lysimachus, who was one of the armor-bearers of Alexander, was once running by his side for a long distance, and, being fatigued, took hold of the tail of the king’s horse and continued to run; that he was struck in the forehead by the point of the king’s spear, which opened one of his veins from which the blood flowed profusely; that Alexander, for want of a bandage, bound up the wound with his own diadem which was thus saturated with blood; and that Aristandrus, Alexander’s soothsayer, when he saw Lysimachus carried away wounded in this manner, said, “That man will be a king, but he will reign with toil and trouble.” He reigned nearly forty years, counting those in which he was satrap, and he did reign with toil and trouble. He fell in battle, while still commanding his army, at the age of seventy. Seleucus did not long survive him. Lysimachus’ dog watched his body lying on the ground for a long time, and kept it unharmed by birds or beasts until Thorax of Pharsalia found and buried it. Some say that he was buried by his own son, Alexander, who fled to Seleucus from fear when Lysimachus put to death his other son, Agathocles; that he searched for the body a long time and found it at last by means of the dog, and that it was already partly decomposed. The Lysimacheians deposited the bones in their temple and named the temple itself the Lysimacheum. Thus did these two kings, the bravest and most renowned for bodily size, come to their end at nearly the same time, one of them at the age of seventy, the other three years older, and both fighting with their own hands until the day of their death.
10.64. Λυσίμαχον δὲ πυνθάνομαι, τῶν ὑπασπιστῶν ὄντα τῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου, παρατροχάσαι ποτὲ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον αὐτῷ, καὶ καμόντα, τῆς οὐρᾶς τοῦ βασιλέως ἵππου λαβόμενον, ἔτι συντρέχειν, πληγέντα δὲ ἐς τὸ μέτωπον ἐπὶ τὴν φλέβα τῷ τέλει τοῦ βασιλείου δόρατος αἱμορροεῖν· τὸν δὲ Ἀλέξανδρον, ἀπορίᾳ τελαμῶνος, τῷ διαδήματι αὐτοῦ τὸ τραῦμα περιδῆσαι, καὶ ἐμπλησθῆναι μὲν αἵματος τὸ διάδημα, τὸν δὲ Ἀλεξάνδρου μάντιν Ἀρίστανδρον φερομένῳ τῷ Λυσιμάχῳ καὶ ὧδε ἔχοντι ἐπειπεῖν ὅτι βασιλεύσει μὲν οὗτος ὁ ἀνήρ, βασιλεύσει δʼ ἐπιπόνως. ὁ μὲν δὴ καὶ ἐβασίλευσε τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη μάλιστα σὺν οἷς ἐσατράπευσε, καὶ ἐπιπόνως ἐβασίλευσε, καὶ ἑβδομηκοντούτης ὢν στρατευόμενος καὶ μαχόμενος ἔπεσεν. εὐθὺς δʼ ἐπαναιρεθέντος αὐτῷ τοῦ Σελεύκου, κείμενον τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Λυσιμάχου κύων οἰκεῖος, ἐς πολὺ ὑπερμαχῶν, ἀλύμαντον ἐξ ὀρνέων καὶ θηρίων διεφύλασσε, μέχρι Θώραξ ὁ Φαρσάλιος εὑρὼν ἔθαψεν. οἱ δὲ Ἀλέξανδρόν φασι θάψαι, τὸν αὐτοῦ Λυσιμάχου παῖδα, φυγόντα μὲν ὑπὸ δέους πρὸς Σέλευκον ὅτε Λυσίμαχος Ἀγαθοκλέα τὸν ἕτερον αὐτοῦ παῖδα ἀνεῖλεν, ἐρευνησάμενον δὲ ἐν τῷ τότε τὸ σῶμα, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κυνὸς μάλιστα ἀνευρόντα ἤδη διεφθαρμένον. τὰ δὲ ὀστᾶ τοὺς Λυσιμαχέας ἐνθέσθαι τῷ σφετέρῳ ἱερῷ, καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν Λυσιμάχείον προσαγορεῦσαι. τοιόνδε μὲν δὴ τέλος ἑκατέρῳ τῶνδε τῶν βασιλέων συνηνέχθη, ἀνδρειοτάτων τε καὶ τὰ σώματα μεγίστων γενομένων, τοῦ μὲν ἐς ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη, τοῦ δὲ ἐς πλέονα τούτων ἔτι ἄλλα τρία, μεμαχημένων ἐκ χειρὸς οἰκείας ἀεὶ μέχρι τοῦ θανάτου.
11.65. After the death of Seleucus, the kingdom of Syria passed in regular succession from father to son as follows: the first was the same Antiochus who fell in love with his stepmother, to whom was given the surname of Soter (the Protector) for driving out the Gauls who had made an incursion into Asia from Europe. The second was another Antiochus, born of this marriage, who received the surname of Theos(the Divine) from the Milesians in the first instance, because he slew their tyrant, Timarchus. This Theos was poisoned by his wife. He had two wives, Laodice and Berenice, the former a love-match, the latter a daughter pledged to him by Ptolemy Philadelphus. Laodice assassinated him and afterward Berenice and her child. Ptolemy, the son of Philadelphus, avenged these crimes by killing Laodice. He invaded Syria and advanced as far as Babylon. The Parthians now began their revolt, taking advantage of the confusion in the house of the Seleucidae.
11.65. Σελεύκου δʼ ἀποθανόντος διάδοχοι, παῖς παρὰ πατρὸς ἐκδεχόμενοι τὴν Σύρων ἀρχήν, ἐγένοντο οἵδε, Ἀντίοχος μὲν πρῶτος ὅδε ὁ τῆς μητρυιᾶς ἐρασθείς, ὃς καὶ σωτὴρ ἐπεκλήθη Γαλάτας ἐκ τῆς Εὐρώπης ἐς τὴν Ἀσίαν ἐσβαλόντας, ἐξελάσας, δεύτερος δὲ Ἀντίοχος ἕτερος, ἐκ τῶνδε τῶν γάμων γενόμενος, ὅτῳ θεὸς ἐπώνυμον ὑπὸ Μιλησίων γίγνεται πρῶτον, ὅτι αὐτοῖς Τίμαρχον τύραννον καθεῖλεν. ἀλλὰ τόνδε μὲν τὸν θεὸν ἔκτεινεν ἡ γυνὴ φαρμάκῳ. δύο δὲ εἶχε, Λαοδίκην καὶ Βερενίκην, ἐξ ἔρωτός τε καὶ ἐγγύης, … Πτολεμαίου τοῦ φιλαδέλφου θυγατέρα· καὶ αὐτὸν ἔκτεινε Λαοδίκη, καὶ ἐπʼ ἐκείνῳ Βερενίκην τε καὶ τὸ Βερενίκης βρέφος. καὶ Πτολεμαῖος ὁ τοῦ φιλαδέλφου, ταῦτα τινύμενος, Λαοδίκην τε ἔκτεινε καὶ ἐς Συρίαν ἐνέβαλε καὶ ἐς Βαβυλῶνα ἤλασεν. καὶ Παρθυαῖοι τῆς ἀποστάσεως τότε ἦρξαν ὡς τεταραγμένης τῆς τῶν Σελευκιδῶν ἀρχῆς.
11.66. Seleucus, the son of Theos and Laodice, surnamed Callinicus (the Triumphant), succeeded Theos as king of Syria. After Seleucus his two sons, Seleucus and Antiochus, succeeded in the order of their age. As Seleucus was sickly and poor and unable to command the obedience of the army, he was poisoned by a court conspiracy in the second year of his reign. His brother was Antiochus the Great, who went to war with the Romans, of whom I have written above. He reigned thirty-seven years. I have already spoken of his two sons, Seleucus and Antiochus, both of whom ascended the throne. The former reigned twelve years, but feebly and without success by reason of his father’s misfortune. Antiochus (Epiphanes) reigned not quite twelve years, in the course of which he captured Artaxias the Armenian and made an expedition into Egypt against Ptolemy VI., who had been left an orphan with one brother. While he was encamped near Alexandria, Popilius came to him as Roman ambassador, bringing an order in writing that he should not attack the Ptolemies. When he had read it he replied that he would think about it. Popilius drew a circle around him with a stick and said, “Think about it here.” He was terrified and withdrew from the country, and robbed the temple of Venus Elymais; then died of a wasting disease, leaving a son nine years of age, the Antiochus Eupator already mentioned.
11.66. ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ θεῷ βασιλεὺς γίγνεται Συρίας Σέλευκος, υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τε καὶ Λαοδίκης, ᾧ καλλίνικος ἐπώνυμον. ἐπὶ δὲ Σελεύκῳ δύο παῖδες αὐτοῦ Σελεύκου, καθʼ ἡλικίαν ἑκάτερος αὐτῶν, Σέλευκός τε καὶ Ἀντίοχος. Σελεύκῳ μὲν δὴ ἀσθενεῖ τε ὄντι καὶ πενομένῳ καὶ δυσπειθῆ τὸν στρατὸν ἔχοντι ἐπεβούλευσαν οἱ φίλοι διὰ φαρμάκων, καὶ ἐς ἔτη δύο μόνα ἐβασίλευσεν· ὁ δὲ Ἀντίοχος ὅδε ἐστὶν ὁ μέγας ἐπίκλην, περὶ οὗ μοι πάλαι εἴρηται, Ῥωμαίοις πεπολεμηκότος. ἐβασίλευσε δὲ ἔτη ἑπτὰ καὶ τριάκοντα. καὶ αὐτοῦ περὶ τοῖν παίδοιν προεῖπον ἀμφοῖν βεβασιλευκότοιν, Σελεύκου τε καὶ Ἀντιόχου, Σελεύκου μὲν ἔτεσι δώδεκα, ἀπράκτως ἅμα καὶ ἀσθενῶς διὰ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς συμφοράν, Ἀντιόχου δὲ δώδεκα οὐ πλήρεσιν, ἐν οἷς Ἀρταξίαν τὸν Ἀρμένιον εἷλε, καὶ ἐς Αἴγυπτον ἐστράτευσεν ἐπὶ ἕκτον Πτολεμαῖον, ὀρφανευόμενον μετʼ ἀδελφοῦ. καὶ αὐτῷ στρατοπεδεύοντι περὶ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν Ποπίλιος παρὰ Ῥωμαίων πρεσβευτὴς ἧκε, φέρων δέλτον ἐν ᾗ τάδε ἐγέγραπτο, μὴ πολεμεῖν Πτολεμαίοις Ἀντίοχον. ἀναγνόντι δὲ αὐτῷ, καὶ λέγοντι βουλεύσεσθαι, κύκλον τῇ ῥάβδῳ περιέγραψεν ὁ Ποπίλιος, καὶ εἶπεν· ἐνταῦθα βουλεύου. ὁ μὲν δὴ καταπλαγεὶς ἀνέζευξε, καὶ τὸ τῆς Ἐλυμαίας Ἀφροδίτης ἱερὸν ἐσύλησε, καὶ φθίνων ἐτελεύτησε, παιδίον ἐνναετὲς ἀπολιπών, Ἀντίοχον τὸν εὐπάτορα, ὥς μοι καὶ περὶ τοῦδε εἴρηται.
11.67. I have also spoken of Demetrius, his successor, who had been a hostage in Rome and who escaped and became king. He was also called Soter by the Syrians, the next who bore that title after the son of Seleucus Nicator. Against him a certain Alexander took up arms, falsely pretending to be of the family of the Seleucidae, to whom Ptolemy, king of Egypt, gave aid because he hated Demetrius. The latter was deprived of his kingdom by this means and died. His son, Demetrius, drove out Alexander. For his victory over this bastard of the family he was surnamed Nicator by the Syrians, the next who bore that title after Seleucus. Following the example of Seleucus he made an expedition against the Parthians. He was taken prisoner by them and lived in the palace of King Phraates, who gave him his sister, Rhodoguna, in marriage.
11.67. εἴρηται δὲ καὶ περὶ Δημητρίου τοῦ μετʼ αὐτόν, ὃς ὡμήρευεν ἐν Ῥώμῃ καὶ τῆς ὁμηρείας ἐκφυγὼν ἐβασίλευσε, σωτὴρ καὶ ὅδε πρὸς τῶν Σύρων, δεύτερος ἐπὶ τῷ Σελεύκου τοῦ νικάτορος παιδὶ ὀνομασθείς. ἐπανίσταται δὲ αὐτῷ τις Ἀλέξανδρος, ψευδόμενος εἶναι τοῦ Σελευκείου γένους· καὶ Πτολεμαῖος ὁ τῆς Αἰγύπτου βασιλεὺς κατὰ μῖσος Δημητρίου συνελάμβανεν Ἀλεξάνδρῳ. καὶ Δημήτριος μὲν διὰ Πτολεμαῖον ἐξέπεσε τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐτελεύτησε· τὸν δὲ Ἀλέξανδρον ἐξέβαλε Δημήτριος ὁ Δημητρίου τοῦδε τοῦ σωτῆρος υἱός, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷδε, ὡς νόθον τοῦ γένους ἄνδρα νικήσας, νικάτωρ ὑπὸ τῶν Σύρων ὠνομάσθη, δεύτερος καὶ ὅδε μετὰ Σέλευκον. ἐπί τε Παρθυαίους καὶ ὅδε μετὰ Σέλευκον ἐστράτευσε, καὶ γενόμενος αἰχμάλωτος δίαιταν εἶχεν ἐν Φραάτου βασιλέως, καὶ Ῥοδογούνην ἔζευξεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀδελφὴν ὁ βασιλεύς.
11.68. While the country was without a government Diodotus, a slave of the royal house, placed on the throne a young boy named Alexander, a son of Alexander the Bastard and of Ptolemy’s daughter. Afterward he put the boy to death and undertook the government himself and assumed the name of Trypho. But Antiochus, the brother of the captive Demetrius, learning in Rhodes of his captivity, came home and, with great difficulty, put Trypho to death. Then he marched with an army against Phraates and demanded his brother. Phraates was afraid of him and sent Demetrius back. Antiochus nevertheless fought with the Parthians, was beaten, and committed suicide. When Demetrius returned to his kingdom he was killed by the craft of his wife, Cleopatra, who was jealous on account of his marriage with Rhodoguna, for which reason also she had previously married his brother Antiochus. She had borne two sons to Demetrius, named Seleucus and Antiochus Grypus (the Hook Nosed); and to Antiochus one son, named Antiochus Cyzicenus. She had sent Grypus to Athens and Cyzicenus to Cyzicus to be educated.
11.68. παρὰ δὲ τὴν ἀναρχίαν τήνδε δοῦλος τῶν βασιλέων Διόδοτος παιδίον Ἀλέξανδρον, ἐξ Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ νόθου καὶ τῆς Πτολεμαίου θυγατρός, ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἤγαγεν. καὶ τὸ παιδίον κτείνας αὐτὸς ἐπετόλμησε τῇ ἀρχῇ, Τρύφων ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ μετονομασθείς. ἀλλʼ αὐτὸν Ἀντίοχος ὁ ἀδελφὸς Δημητρίου τοῦ αἰχμαλώτου, πυθόμενος ἐν Ῥόδῳ περὶ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, κτείνει κατιὼν ἐς τὰ πατρῷα σὺν πόνῳ πολλῷ. καὶ στρατεύει καὶ ὅδε ἐπὶ τὸν Φραάτην, τὸν ἀδελφὸν αἰτῶν. ὁ μὲν δὴ Φραάτης αὐτὸν ἔδεισε καὶ τὸν Δημήτριον ἐξέπεμψεν· ὁ δʼ Ἀντίοχος καὶ ὣς συνέβαλέ τε τοῖς Παρθυαίοις, καὶ ἡσσώμενος ἑαυτὸν ἔκτεινεν. ἔκτεινε δὲ καὶ Δημήτριον ἐς τὴν βασιλείαν ἐπανελθόντα ἡ γυνὴ Κλεοπάτρα, δολοφονήσασα διὰ ζῆλον τοῦ γάμου Ῥοδογούνης, διʼ ὃν δὴ καὶ Ἀντιόχῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ τοῦ Δημητρίου προὐγεγάμητο. καὶ παῖδες ἦσαν αὐτῇ δύο μὲν ἐκ Δημητρίου, Σέλευκός τε καὶ Ἀντίοχος, ὅτῳ γρυπὸς ἐπίκλησις, ἐκ δὲ Ἀντιόχου Ἀντίοχος, ὅτῳ Κυζικηνὸς ἐπώνυμον. τούτων τὸν μὲν γρυπὸν ἐς Ἀθήνας, τὸν δὲ Κυζικηνὸν ἐς Κύζικον ἐπεπόμφει τρέφεσθαι.
11.69. As soon as Seleucus assumed the diadem after his brother’s death his mother shot him dead with an arrow, either fearing lest he should avenge his father or moved by an insane hatred for everybody. After Seleucus, Grypus became king, and he compelled his mother to drink poison that she had mixed for himself. So justice overtook her at last. Grypus was worthy of such a mother. He laid a plot against Cyzicenus, his half-brother, but the latter found it out, made war on him, drove him out of the kingdom, and became king of Syria in his stead. Then Seleucus, the son of Grypus, made war on his uncle and took the government away from him. The new sovereign was violent and tyrannical and was burned to death in the gymnasium at the city of Mopsus in Cilicia. Antiochus, the son of Cyzicenus, succeeded him. The Syrians thought that he escaped a plot of his cousin Seleucus on account of his piety, for which reason they gave him the name of Antiochus Pius. He was really saved by a handsome prostitute with whom he was in love. I think that the Syrians must have given him this title by way of joke, for this Pius married Selene, who had been the wife of his father, Cyzicenus, and of his uncle, Grypus. For this reason the divine vengeance pursued him and he was expelled the kingdom by Tigranes.
11.69. Σέλευκον δʼ εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τῷ πατρὶ Δημητρίῳ τὸ διάδημα ἐπιθέμενον ἐπιτοξεύσασα ἔκτεινεν, εἴτε δείσασα περὶ τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς δολοφονήσεως, εἴτε καὶ μανιώδει πρὸς πάντας μίσει. μετὰ δὲ Σέλευκον ὁ γρυπὸς ἐγένετο βασιλεύς, καὶ τὴν μητέρα οἱ φάρμακον κεράσασαν πιεῖν ἠνάγκασεν. ἡ μὲν δὴ δίκην ποτὲ ἔδωκεν, ἄξιος δὲ ἄρα τῆς μητρὸς ἦν καὶ ὁ γρυπός· ἐπεβούλευε γὰρ τῷ Κυζικηνῷ καίπερ ὄντι ὁμομητρίῳ. ὁ δὲ μαθὼν ἐπολέμησέ τε αὐτῷ καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτόν ἐξήλασε, καὶ βασιλεὺς ἀντʼ ἐκείνου τοῖς Σύροις ἐγένετο. ἀλλὰ καὶ τόνδε Σέλευκος ὁ Ἀντιόχου τοῦ γρυποῦ παῖς, ἐπιστρατεύσας ὄντι περ θείῳ, παρείλετο τὴν ἀρχήν. βίαιος δὲ καὶ τυραννικώτατος ὢν ἐν Ἑστίᾳ Μόψου τῆς Κιλικίας κατεπρήσθη κατὰ τὸ γυμνάσιον. καὶ αὐτὸν διεδέξατο Ἀντίοχος ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Κυζικηνοῦ· ὃν ἐπιβουλευόμενον ὑπὸ Σελεύκου τοῦ ἀνεψιοῦ οἱ μὲν Σύροι νομίζουσι περισωθῆναι διʼ εὐσέβειαν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εὐσεβῆ παρωνόμασαν (ἑταίρα δʼ αὐτὸν ἔσωσεν, ἐρασθεῖσα τοῦ κάλλους), ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκοῦσιν ἐπὶ γέλωτι αὐτῷ ποιήσασθαι τὸ ὄνομα οἱ Σύροι· ἔγημε γὰρ οὗτος ὁ εὐσεβὴς Σελήνην, ἣ καὶ τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ ἐγεγάμητο τῷ Κυζικηνῷ καὶ τῷ γρυπῷ θείῳ γενομένῳ. τοιγάρτοι αὐτὸν θεοῦ μετιόντος ἐξήλασε τῆς ἀρχῆς Τιγράνης.
11.70. The son of Pius and Selene, who was brought up in Asia and was for that reason called Asiaticus, was deprived of the government of Syria by Pompey, as I have already mentioned. He was the seventeenth king of Syria, reckoning from Seleucus (for I leave out Alexander and his son as being illegitimate, and also their slave, Diodotus), and he reigned only one year, while Pompey was busy elsewhere. The dynasty of the Seleucidae lasted 230 years. To compute the time from Alexander the Great to the beginning of the Roman domination there must be added fourteen years of the rule of Tigranes. So much, in the way of foreign history, concerning the Macedonian kings of Syria.
11.70. καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ἐκείνου τὸν ἐκ τῆς Σελήνης αὐτῷ γενόμενον, ἐν Ἀσίᾳ τε τραφέντα καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦδε Ἀσιατικὸν ἐπίκλην, Πομπήιος ἀφείλετο τὴν Σύρων ἀρχήν, ὥς μοι λέλεκται, ὄντα μὲν ἑπτακαιδέκατον ἐκ Σελεύκου Σύρων βασιλέα (ἐξαίρω γὰρ Ἀλέξανδρόν τε καὶ τὸν Ἀλεξάνδρου παῖδα ὡς νόθους, καὶ τὸν δοῦλον αὐτῶν Διόδοτον), βασιλεύσαντα δʼ ἐν ταῖς ἀσχολίαις ταῖς Πομπηίου ἐπὶ ἓν μόνον ἔτος. ἡ δὲ ἀρχὴ τῶν Σελευκιδῶν ἐς τριάκοντα ἐπὶ διακοσίοις ἐνιαυτοὺς διίκετο· καὶ εἴ τις ἐπισκοποίη τὸν ἐς Ῥωμαίους χρόνον ἀπʼ Ἀλεξάνδρου, προσθετέον ἐπὶ τοῖς διακοσίοις τριάκοντα ἔτεσι τὰ Τιγράνους τεσσαρεσκαίδεκα. τοσάδε μὲν δὴ καὶ περὶ Μακεδόνων τῶν Συρίας βεβασιλευκότων εἶχον εἰπεῖν ὡς ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ συγγραφῇ.