Editing Demetrius II Nicator (section)

===First reign (147–139 BC)===

====Victory over Alexander Balas====
About 147 BC he returned to Syria with a force of [[Cretan]] mercenaries led by a man called [[Lasthenes (mercenary leader)|Lasthenes]], while Alexander Balas was occupied with a revolt in [[Cilicia]]. In 145 BC [[Ptolemy VI Philometor]], king of Egypt, marched with an army into Syria ostensibly in support of Alexander Balas, but he soon switched his support to Demetrius, perhaps after receiving an offer to formalize the Ptolemaic occupation of [[Coele-Syria]].<ref>Grainger 2010, p, 351&ndash;355</ref> Ptolemy sealed the alliance by divorcing his daughter [[Cleopatra Thea]] from Alexander and remarrying her to Demetrius. Shortly after, Antioch surrendered to the Egyptian forces and offered the kingship to Ptolemy VI. However, he insisted Demetrius would become king, believing that Rome would not tolerate the unification of Egypt and Syria. Ptolemy pledged to serve as "a tutor in goodness and a guide" to Demetrius II. He probably intended for Demetrius to serve as a puppet ruler.<ref>[[I Maccabees]] 11; Josephus ''Antiquities of the Jews'' 13.106-107, 115</ref><ref name="Bevan Chap 9">{{Cite web|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Africa/Egypt/_Texts/BEVHOP/9*.html|title=E. R. Bevan: The House of Ptolemy • Chap. IX|website=penelope.uchicago.edu}}</ref>{{sfn|Chrubasik|2016|pages=133–134}}

Alexander returned from Cilicia with his army, but Ptolemy VI and Demetrius II defeated his forces at [[Battle of the Oenoparus]] river.<ref>Strabo 16.2.8.</ref> Alexander then fled to Arabia, where he was killed. Ptolemy was wounded in the battle and died three days later.<ref>[[I Maccabees]] 11.1-11.19</ref> With both his rival and his self-appointed guardian gone, Demetrius took the opportunity to assert his control over his kingdom. By late 145, Demetrius II had expelled all Ptolemaic troops from Syria and reasserted Seleucid control by leading his own forces all the way down to the Egyptian border.<ref>Josephus, ''Antiquites of the Jews'' 13.120; ''[[Astronomical Diaries]]'' III.144 obv. 35</ref><ref name="Bevan Chap 9"/>{{sfn|Chrubasik|2016|pages=134–135}}

====Antiochene riots====
[[Image:Coin of Demetrius II Nicator, Ptolemais in Phoenicia mint.jpg|thumb|290px|Coin of Demetrius II. The reverse shows [[Zeus]] bearing [[Nike (mythology)|Nike]]. The [[Greek language|Greek]] inscription reads ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΝΙΚΑΤΟΡΟΣ, i.e. "of God King Demetrius, the Victor ". The date ΔΠΡ is year 184 of the [[Seleucid dynasty|Seleucid era]], corresponding to 129–128 BC.]]
However, new troubles soon arose. Once he had expelled the Egyptian forces, he demobilised a large portion of his army.<ref>I Maccabees 11.38; Josephus ''AJ'' 13.129.</ref> It appears that his financial situation led him to cut the soldiers' wages and debase the coinage.{{sfn|Chrubasik|2016|loc=p. 135 n. 45}} Demetrius had also punished the city of Antioch severely for having supported Alexander against his father and for speaking to him disrespectfully. He disarmed the citizens and the Cretan mercenaries under Lasthenes slaughtered those who resisted, including women and children. This led the Antiochenes to rise up and besiege Demetrius in his palace. Jewish troops violently restored Demetrius' control, burning down a large portion of the city in the process. This left the city even more hostile to him.<ref>Diodorus ''Bibliotheca'' 33.4.2–3; I Maccabees 11.45–50; Josephus ''AJ'' 13.137–41</ref>{{sfn|Chrubasik|2016|pp=135–136}}

====Rebellion of Diodotus====
In order to secure his hold on power, Demetrius had eliminated officials associated with Alexander Balas. One of these officials, the general [[Diodotus Tryphon|Diodotus]], fled into Arabia, where he secured the infant son of Alexander Balas with [[Cleopatra Thea]] and proclaimed him king as [[Antiochus VI Dionysus]].<ref>Diodoros ''Bibliotheca'' 33.4.2; 1 Maccabees 11.39–40</ref>{{sfn|Chrubasik|2016|pp=135–136}} Many of Demetrius' soldiers defected to Diodotus, out of anger at his conduct or the cuts to their pay. Demetrius was defeated in battle and lost control of [[Apamea, Syria|Apamea]] and Antioch to Diodotus.<ref>Diodoros ''Bibliotheca'' 33.4a; 1 Maccabees 11.55-56; Josephus ''AJ'' 13.144</ref> Numismatic evidence indicates that Apamea was lost in early 144 and Antioch in late 144 or early 143.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Houghton |first1=Arthur |title=The Revolt of Tryphon and the Accession of Antiochos VI at Apamea |journal=[[Schweizerische Numismatische Rundschau]] |date=1992 |volume=71 |pages=119–141}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Chrubasik|2016|pp=136–7}}</ref>

Demetrius proved unable to retake the capital, instead establishing himself in [[Seleucia Pieria]].<ref>Livy ''Periochae'' 52</ref> Antiochus VI died in 142 or 141, and Diodotus made himself king as Tryphon.  The division of the kingdom between Demetrius in Seleucia and Diodotus in Antioch persisted. Initially, Diodotus succeeded in bringing the leader of the Jews, [[Jonathan Apphus]], onto his side, but this relationship broke down; ultimately Diodotus captured and executed Jonathan. By means of adroit diplomacy and grants of extensive freedoms, Demetrios II was able to secure Jonathan's brother [[Simon Thassi]] as a close ally. These grants were later seen by the [[Hasmonean kingdom|Hasmonean Jewish state]] as the moment when they achieved full independence.<ref>I Maccabees 13.35-49</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Chrubasik|2016|pp=139–140}}</ref>

====Parthian war and captivity (139–130 BC)====
[[File:Demetrius Nicator, King of Syria, Killed as He Attempts to Land at Tyre - Google Art Project.jpg|thumbnail|Demetrius Nicator, King of Syria, Killed as He Attempts to Land at Tyre]]
[[File:Parthian conquest of Babylonia, defeat of the Seleucid king Demetrius II Nicator by the Parthian ruler Mithradates I in 141 BCE. From Babylon, Iraq. British Museum.jpg|thumb|Parthian conquest of Babylonia, the defeat of the Seleucid king Demetrius II Nicator by the Parthian ruler Mithradates I in 141 BCE. From Babylon, Iraq. British Museum]]
[[Mithridates I of Parthia|Mithridates I]], king of [[Parthian Empire|Parthia]] had taken advantage of the conflict between Demetrius and Tryphon to seize control of [[Susa]] and [[Elymais]] in 144 and of Mesopotamia in mid-141 BC.<ref>{{harvnb|Chrubasik|2016|p=137 n. 50 & 51}}</ref> In 139/8, Demetrius journeyed east to reclaim these territories from the Parthians. As late as 140 vassal rulers of [[Persis]], [[Elam]], and even [[Bactria]] sent auxiliary troops (mostly [[persians]] and [[Babylonia|babylonians]]) to support Demetrius II in his war against the Parthians.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Encyclopaedia Iranica |title=SELEUCID EMPIRE |url=https://iranicaonline.org/ |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=iranicaonline.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

He was initially successful, but was defeated in the Iranian mountains and taken prisoner in July or August of 138 BC. Parthian control of Mesopotamia was thus reaffirmed. In Syria, Tryphon was briefly left as uncontested ruler of the remaining Seleucid territories, but the Seleucid dynasty's grip was reestablished under [[Antiochus VII Sidetes]], the younger brother of Demetrius, who also married Cleopatra Thea.<ref>''Astronomical Diaries'' III 137 A rev. 8–11; I Maccabees 14.1-3; Josephus ''AJ'' 13.186; [[Porphyry (Historian)|Porphyry]] ''[[FGrH]]'' 260 F32.16; {{cite journal |last1=van der Spek |first1=Robertus |date=August 1997 |title=New Evidence from the Babylonian Astronomical Diaries Concerning Seleucid and Asarcid Chronology |url=https://www.academia.edu/826620 |journal=Archiv für Orientforschung |volume=44/45 |page=172}}; {{harvnb|Chrubasik|2016|p=140}}</ref>

King Mithridates had kept Demetrius II alive and even married him to a Parthian princess named [[Rhodogune of Parthia|Rhodogune]], with whom he had children. However, Demetrius was restless and twice tried to escape from his exile in [[Hyrcania]] on the shores of the [[Caspian Sea]], once with the help of his friend Kallimander, who had gone to great lengths to rescue the king: he had travelled incognito through Babylonia and Parthia. When the two friends were captured, the Parthian king did not punish Kallimander but rewarded him for his fidelity to Demetrius. The second time Demetrius was captured when he tried to escape, Mithridates humiliated him by giving him a golden set of dice, thus hinting that Demetrius II was a restless child who needed toys. It was however for political reasons that the Parthians treated Demetrius II kindly.

In 130 BC Antiochus Sidetes felt secure enough to march against Parthia, and scored massive initial successes. Now [[Phraates II of Parthia|Phraates II]] made what he thought was a powerful move: he released Demetrius, hoping that the two brothers would start a civil war. However, Sidetes was defeated soon after his brother's release and never met him. Phraates II sent people to pursue Demetrius, but he managed to safely return home to Syria and regained his throne and his queen as well.