List of Syrian monarchs explained

The title King of Syria appeared in the second century BC in referring to the Seleucid kings who ruled the entirety of the region of Syria. It was also used to refer to Aramean kings in the Greek translations of the Old Testament, mainly indicating the kings of Aram-Damascus. Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, the region came under the rule of France, the United Kingdom and Prince Faisal of Hejaz, who was proclaimed King of Syria on 8 March 1920. Faisal's reign lasted a few months before he was overthrown by France and the title fell out of use.

Background

See main article: Syria (region) and Name of Syria. The term Syria was first applied by Herodotus in the 5th century BC to indicate a region generally extending between Anatolia and Egypt. With the advent of the Hellenistic period, Greeks and their Seleucid dynasty used the term "Syria" to designate the region between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates. The usage of the name in referring to the region during the Iron Age (ended 586 BC) is a modern practice.

List of monarchs

Seleucid dynasty

According to Polybius, King Antigonus I Monophthalmus established the Syrian kingdom which included Coele-Syria. The Seleucid king Antiochus III the Great defeated the Ptolemaic Kingdom in the Battle of Panium (200 BC); he annexed the Syrian lands controlled by Egypt (Coele-Syria) and united them with his Syrian lands, thus gaining control of the entirety of Syria. Starting from the 2nd century BC, ancient writers, such as Polybius and Posidonius, began referring to the Seleucid ruler as the king of Syria. The evidence for this title's usage by the kings is provided by the inscription of Antigonus son of Menophilus, who described himself as the "admiral of Alexander, king of Syria" (Alexander refers either to Alexander I Balas or Alexander II Zabinas).

width=10% Portraitwidth=20% Monarch
(and lifespan)		width=10% Reignwidth=15% Consort
(and tenure)		Parents, co-regents, and notes
Antiochus III the Great
(c. 241–187 BC)		200–187 BCLaodice III
(200–187 BC)
Euboea
(191–187 BC)
110pxSeleucus IV Philopator
(c. 218–175 BC)		187–175 BCLaodice IV
(187–175 BC)
  • Son of Antiochus III and Laodice III. He married Laodice IV, his brother Antiochus' widow.
110pxAntiochus
(c. 180–170 BC)		175–170 BCUnmarried
  • Son of Seleucus IV and Laodice IV. The minister Heliodorus held real power, then Antiochus was made co-king by his uncle Antiochus IV.
110pxAntiochus IV Epiphanes
(c. 215–164 BC)		175–164 BCLaodice IV
(c. 175–c. 164 BC)
  • Son of Antiochus III and Laodice III. Married his brother's widow.
Antiochus V Eupator
(172–161 BC)		164–162 BCUnmarried
  • Son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and possibly Laodice IV. His regent Lysias held actual power.
110pxDemetrius I Soter
(187–150 BC) 		162–150 BC
  • Son of Seleucus IV and Laodice IV. Might have married his sister Laodice V, the former wife of Perseus of Macedon.
110pxAntiochus150 BC
  • Known from a coin minted in the same year Demetrius I lost his throne; his identity is left to speculations.
110pxAlexander I Balas
(–145 BC)		150–145 BCCleopatra Thea
(150–145 BC)
  • Claimed to be a son of Antiochus IV. He could have been an illegitimate son of Antiochus by a concubine named Antiochis.
110pxDemetrius II Nicator
(–125 BC)		145–138 BC
(first reign)		Cleopatra Thea
(145–138 BC)
  • Son of Demetrius I and possibly Laodice V.
  • First reign; Ptolemy VI Philometor of Egypt divorced his daughter Cleopatra Thea from Alexander I and married her to Demetrius.
110pxAntiochus VI Dionysus
(148 BC–142/141 BC)		144–142/141 BCUnmarried
  • Son of Alexander I and Cleopatra Thea. Was proclaimed king against Demetrius II by general Diodotus Tryphon who held actual power and eventually killed Antiochus.

Non-dynastic

Diodotus Tryphon, who opposed Demetrius II by raising Antiochus VI to the throne, killed his protege and declared himself king ruling until 138 when the Seleucids unified Syria again.

width=10% Portraitwidth=20% Monarch
(and lifespan)		width=10% Reignwidth=15% Consort
(and tenure)		Parents, co-regents, and notes
110pxDiodotus Tryphon
(–138 BC)		142/141–138 BC
  • Last coins date to 138 BC but his reign might have lasted into early 137 BC.

Seleucid dynasty

width=10% Portraitwidth=20% Monarch
(and lifespan)		width=10% Reignwidth=15% Consort
(and tenure)		Parents, co-regents, and notes
110pxAntiochus VII Sidetes
(–129 BC)		138–129 BCCleopatra Thea
(138–129 BC)
  • Son of Demetrius I and possibly Laodice V. Married his brother's wife after Demetrius II was captured by the Parthians.
110pxDemetrius II Nicator
(–125 BC)		129–125 BC
(second reign)		Cleopatra Thea
(129–125 BC)
  • Was released by the Parthians and regained his throne and wife following Antiochus VII's death in a battle against Parthia.
110pxAntiochus VIII Grypus
(–96 BC)		128 BC
(first reign)
  • Son of Demetrius II and Cleopatra Thea. He was elevated as king by his mother in an attempt to establish her authority.
110pxAlexander II Zabinas
(–123 BC)		128–123 BC
  • Claimed to be of Seleucid heritage. Declared himself king in opposition to Demetrius II.

Ptolemaic dynasty

width=10% Portraitwidth=20% Monarch
(and lifespan)		width=10% Reignwidth=15% Consort
(and tenure)		Parents, co-regents, and notes
110pxCleopatra Thea
(c. 165–121 BC)		125–121 BC
  • Daughter of Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II of Egypt.
  • Cleopatra Thea assumed power in her own right; she abandoned her husband Demetrius II and arranged his murder in 125 BC.

Seleucid dynasty

width=10% Portraitwidth=20% Monarch
(and lifespan)		width=10% Reignwidth=15% Consort
(and tenure)		Parents, co-regents, and notes
Seleucus V Philometor
(–125 BC)		125 BC
  • Son of Demetrius II and Cleopatra Thea.
  • He declared himself king following his father's murder against the wishes of his mother who killed him.
110pxAntiochus VIII Grypus
(–96 BC)		125–96 BC
(second reign)		Tryphaena
(124–111 BC)
Cleopatra Selene
(103–96 BC)
  • Due to the discontent arising from her becoming a queen regnant, Cleopatra Thea elevated Antiochus VIII as co-king.
110pxAntiochus IX Cyzicenus
(–95 BC)		114–95 BCCleopatra IV
(114–112 BC)
Cleopatra Selene
(96–95 BC)
  • Son of Antiochus VII and Cleopatra Thea.
  • He rose against Antiochus VIII with the help of Cleopatra IV.
Antiochus VIII died in 96 BC and Antiochus IX followed him in 95 BC; the country became embroiled in a civil war in which Antiochus VIII's five sons and the descendants of Antiochus IX fought between themselves. The chronology of all those monarchs is problematic and is specially vague regarding Seleucus VI's successors.
110pxDemetrius III Eucaerus
(–88 BC)		96–88 BC
  • Son of Antiochus VIII and Tryphaena.
  • Declared king in Damascus.
110pxSeleucus VI Epiphanes
(–94/93 BC)		96–94/93 BC
  • Son of Antiochus VIII and Tryphaena. Defeated Antiochus IX but was soon killed.
110pxAntiochus X Eusebes
(–92)		95–92 BC Cleopatra Selene
(95–92 BC)
  • Son of Antiochus IX and a first wife whose name is lost.
  • Avenged his father and killed Seleucus VI. He married his step-mother.
110pxAntiochus XI Epiphanes
(–93 BC) 		94–93 BC
  • Son of Antiochus VIII and Tryphaena. Killed by Antiochus X.
110pxPhilip I Philadelphus
(–83 BC) 		94–84/83 BC
  • Son of Antiochus VIII and Tryphaena. Took the throne with his twin Antiochus XI.
110pxAntiochus XII Dionysus
(–84 BC)		87–84/83 BC
  • Son of Antiochus VIII and Tryphaena. Ruled only in Damascus.

Artaxiad dynasty

width=10% Portraitwidth=20% Monarch
(and lifespan)		width=10% Reignwidth=15% Consort
(and tenure)		Parents, co-regents, and notes
110pxTigranes the Great
(140–55 BC)		83/74–69 BC
  • King of Armenia, invaded Syria; the year of the invasion is up to debate and is traditionally given as 83 BC based on the account of Appian. The date of the invasion might actually be later, around 74 BC. The Armenian king captured Cleopatra Selene and killed her in 69 BC, but he was forced by the Romans to evacuate Syria the same year.

Seleucid dynasty

PortraitMonarch
(and lifespan)		ReignConsort
(and tenure)		Parents, co-regents, and notes
110pxAntiochus XIII Asiaticus
(c. 94–63 BC)		69–67 BC
(second reign)
  • The Roman general Pompey confirmed Antiochus as king following Tigranes departure.
Philip II Philoromaeus
(–after 57 BC)		67–65 BC
  • Son of Philip I. Elevated by the people of Antioch following Antiochus XIII's capture by Sampsiceramus I of Emesa.
110pxAntiochus XIII Asiaticus
(c. 94–63 BC)		65–64 BC
(third reign)
  • Freed by his captor, he ruled for one year before being deposed by Pompey who annexed Syria as a Roman province.

Antonian dynasty

width=10% Portraitwidth=20% Monarch
(and lifespan)		width=10% Reignwidth=15% Consort
(and tenure)		Parents, co-regents, and notes
Ptolemy Philadelphus
(36–after 30 BC)		34–30 BC

Hashemite dynasty

On 8 March 1920, prince Faysal of the House of Hashim, supported by the Syrian National Congress, declared himself king of the Arab Kingdom of Syria; the kingdom collapsed on 24 July of the same year.

width=10% Portraitwidth=20% Name
(and lifespan)		width=10% Reignwidth=15% Consort
(and tenure)		width= 10% StandardNotes
110pxFaisal
(20 May 1885 – 8 September 1933)		8 March 1920 – 24 July 1920Huzaima bint Nasser
(8 March 1920 – 24 July 1920)

Biblical usage for Aramean kings

In the first translation of the Old Testament into Greek written during the third century BC (called the Septuagint), Aram and Arameans were often translated as Syria and the Syrians; hence, the king was referred to as the king of Syria, and this was carried on by many English translations. Aram in the Hebrew Old Testament and Syria in the translation indicated the kingdom of Aram-Damascus most of the times. Occasionally, other Aramean regions were also referred to as Syria. In the view of W. Edward Glenny, the rendering of Aram by Syria might be explained by an anti-Syrian bias, since at the time of the translation, Syria belonged to the Seleucids, the Jews' main enemy; Aram-Damascus was the Jews' enemy during its Iron Age prime in the 9th century BC.

Aramean kings referred to as "kings of Syria"

width=10% Portraitwidth=20% Namewidth=15% ReignNotes
Rezon10th century BC
  • Mentioned as "ruling over Syria" in 1 Kings 11:25.
  • Also named "Ezron", and known only from the Old Testament.
Hezion10th century BC
  • The name "Hazib" was also used for him. Known only from the Old Testament.
Ben-Hadad I
  • Known only from the Old Testament.
Ben-Hadad II
  • Equated by many Biblical scholars with Adad-Idri who was mentioned in Assyrian sources.
c. 842–800 BC
  • Probably a usurper; described in Assyrian records as "the son of a nobody".
Ben-Hadad III
  • The only king mentioned by the name "Ben-Hadad" both in the Old Testament and extra-biblical sources.
Rezin750s–733 BC
  • Known in Assyrian inscription as Raqyan.

See also

References

Sources

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