Later, Seleucus named a number of cities after his parents. Seleucus' mother was supposedly called Laodice, but nothing else is known of her. It is possible that Antiochus was a member of an upper Macedonian noble family. Historian Junianus Justinus claims that Antiochus was one of Philip II of Macedon's generals, but no such general is mentioned in any other sources, and nothing is known of his supposed career under Philip.

7.1 Chandragupta and the Eastern Provinces.

7 King of the Seleucid empire (306–281 BC).

3 Senior officer under Perdiccas (323–321 BC).

2 Early career under Alexander the Great.

305 BC), a foundation that eventually depopulated Babylon. Seleucus founded a number of new cities during his reign, including Antioch (300 BC), Edessa and Seleucia on the Tigris (c. Seleucus was succeeded by his son Antiochus I as ruler of the Seleucid Empire. The assassination of Seleucus destroyed Seleucid prospects in Thrace and Macedon, and paved the way for Ptolemy Ceraunus to absorb much of Lysimachus' former power in Macedon. But upon arriving in Thrace in 281 BC, Seleucus was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus, who had taken refuge at the Seleucid court with his sister Lysandra. However, Seleucus also hoped to take control of Lysimachus' European territories, primarily Thrace and Macedon itself.

Seleucus' victories against Antigonus and Lysimachus left the Seleucid dynasty virtually unopposed amongst the Diadochi. In 281 BC, he also defeated Lysimachus at the Battle of Corupedium, adding Asia Minor to his empire. Furthermore, the Seleucid Empire received a considerable military force of 500 war elephants with mahouts, which would play a decisive role against Antigonus at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC.

Additionally, a marriage alliance was formed, with Chandragupta marrying a daughter of Seleucus, according to Strabo and Appian. The conflict was ultimately resolved by a treaty resulting in the Maurya Empire annexing the eastern satraps. However these ambitions were contested by Chandragupta Maurya, resulting in the Seleucid–Mauryan War (305–303 BC). Seleucus further made claim to the former satraps in Gandhara and in eastern India. Seleucus ruled not only Babylonia, but the entire enormous eastern part of Alexander's empire. From 312 BC, Seleucus ruthlessly expanded his dominions and eventually conquered the Persian and Median lands. Seleucus was only able to return to Babylon in 312 BC with the support of Ptolemy. But almost immediately, the wars between the Diadochi resumed and one of the most powerful of the Diadochi, Antigonus, forced Seleucus to flee Babylon. At the Partition of Triparadisus in 321 BC, Seleucus was appointed Satrap of Babylon under the new regent Antipater. Perdiccas was betrayed and assassinated in a conspiracy by Seleucus, Peithon and Antigenes in Pelusium sometime in either 321 or 320 BC. However, after the outbreak of the Wars of the Diadochi in 322, Perdiccas' military failures against Ptolemy in Egypt led to the mutiny of his troops in Pelusium. The state he established on these territories, the Seleucid Empire, was one of the major powers of the Hellenistic world, until being overcome by the Roman Republic and Parthian Empire in the late second and early first centuries BC.Īfter the death of Alexander in June 323 BC, Seleucus initially supported Perdiccas, the regent of Alexander's empire, and was appointed Commander of the Companions and chiliarch at the Partition of Babylon in 323 BC. In the power struggles that followed Alexander's death, Seleucus rose from being a secondary player to becoming total ruler of Asia Minor, Syria, Mesopotamia, and the Iranian Plateau, eventually assuming the title of basileus (king). Seleucus was the founder of the eponymous Seleucid Empire. 358 – 281 BC Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ Séleukos Nikátōr, 'the Victorious') was a Macedonian Greek general who was an officer and successor ( diadochus) of Alexander the Great. Seleucus I Nicator ( / s ə ˈ lj uː k ə s n aɪ ˈ k eɪ t ər/ c.

Eastward physical copy