Laodice IV
Encyclopedia
Laodice IV was a Greek Princess, Head Priestess and Queen of the Seleucid Empire
.
and Persian descent
. She was one of the daughters and among the children born to the Seleucid Monarchs Antiochus III the Great
and Laodice III
. Her paternal grandparents were the former Seleucid Monarchs Seleucus II Callinicus
and Laodice II
, while her maternal grandparents were King Mithridates II of Pontus
and his wife Laodice
.
The parents of Laodice IV were first cousins, because her paternal grandfather and with her maternal grandmother were brother and sister, and were among the children of Antiochus II Theos
and Laodice I
. She was born and raised in the Seleucid Empire. Laodice was commemorated with an honorific inscription dedicated to her at Delos
.
was appointed as successor by her father to succeed him. In that year Antiochus III, married Laodice to her eldest brother crown prince Antiochus. The marriage of Laodice IV and Antiochus was the first sibling marriage to occur in the Seleucid dynasty. From their sibling union Laodice IV bore Antiochus, a daughter called Nysa.
Antiochus III appointed Laodice in 193 BC, as the chief priestess of the state cult dedicated to her late mother Laodice III in Media
. Later that year, her brother-husband died. The family were in complete grief of his death, in particular Antiochus III.
. Seleucus IV became co-ruler with their father and was appointed as their father’s successor. In their union, they had three children, two sons: Antiochus, Demetrius I Soter
and a daughter called Laodice V
.
In 187 BC, her father died and her second husband succeeded their father. Seleucus IV became the Seleucid King and Laodice IV became the Seleucid Queen. They reigned as the Seleucid imperial couple from 187 BC until 175 BC, when Seleucus IV died. There is no surviving record on how Laodice IV, reigned as queen or how her contemporaries viewed her. Briefly in 175 BC, Laodice’s first son was briefly King. There are surviving coins dating from 175 BC, that show portraits of Laodice IV and her first son with Seleucus IV, Antiochus making them the first Seleucid King and Queen depicted on coins.
. Antiochus IV succeeded his second eldest brother as King. Antiochus IV co-ruled with his nephew Antiochus and adopted him as his son. Antiochus IV had his adopted son assassinated in 170 BC.
Laodice bore Antiochus IV three children: a son Antiochus V
Eupator, a daughter Laodice VI
and a son Alexander Balas
. When Laodice’s youngest brother and first son co-ruled, her second son Demetrius I Soter
was sent as a political hostage in Rome
. When Antiochus IV died the first son of Laodice IV and Antiochus IV, Antiochus V Eupator succeeded his father as Seleucid King.
Seleucid Empire
The Seleucid Empire was a Greek-Macedonian state that was created out of the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.The Seleucid Empire was a major centre...
.
Ancestry, Family & Early Life
Laodice was of Greek MacedonianMacedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
and Persian descent
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
. She was one of the daughters and among the children born to the Seleucid Monarchs Antiochus III the Great
Antiochus III the Great
Antiochus III the Great Seleucid Greek king who became the 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire as a youth of about eighteen in 223 BC. Antiochus was an ambitious ruler who ruled over Greater Syria and western Asia towards the end of the 3rd century BC...
and Laodice III
Laodice III
Laodice III , was a Princess of Pontus and a daughter born to King Mithridates II of Pontus and his wife Laodice. Her sister was Laodice of Pontus and her brother was Mithridates III of Pontus....
. Her paternal grandparents were the former Seleucid Monarchs Seleucus II Callinicus
Seleucus II Callinicus
Seleucus II Callinicus or Pogon , was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire, who reigned from 246 to 225 BC...
and Laodice II
Laodice II
Laodice , wife of her cousin Seleucus II Callinicus, was, according to the express statement of Polybius, she was the daughter of Andromachus and sister of Seleucid General Achaeus. Laodice II bore Seleucus II five children, among them were: Antiochis, Seleucus III Ceraunus and Antiochus III the...
, while her maternal grandparents were King Mithridates II of Pontus
Mithridates II of Pontus
Mithridates II , third king of Pontus and son of Ariobarzanes, whom he succeeded on the throne. He was a minor when his father died, but the period of his accession cannot be determined...
and his wife Laodice
Laodice (wife of Mithridates II of Pontus)
Laodice was a Greek Princess of the Seleucid Empire. Laodice was of Greek Macedonian and Persian descent. She was one of the daughters and youngest child born to the Seleucid Monarchs Antiochus II Theos and Laodice I. Among her siblings were her brothers Seleucus II Callinicus and Antiochus Hierax...
.
The parents of Laodice IV were first cousins, because her paternal grandfather and with her maternal grandmother were brother and sister, and were among the children of Antiochus II Theos
Antiochus II Theos
Antiochus II Theos was a king of the Hellenistic Seleucid Kingdom who reigned 261 BC – 246 BC). He succeeded his father Antiochus I Soter in the winter of 262–61 BC...
and Laodice I
Laodice I
Laodice I was an Anatolian noblewoman who was a close relative of the early Seleucid Dynasty and was the first wife of the Seleucid Greek King Antiochus II Theos. -Family Background:...
. She was born and raised in the Seleucid Empire. Laodice was commemorated with an honorific inscription dedicated to her at Delos
Delos
The island of Delos , isolated in the centre of the roughly circular ring of islands called the Cyclades, near Mykonos, is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece...
.
Ancestry
First Marriage
In 196 BC, her eldest brother crown prince AntiochusAntiochus (son of Antiochus III the Great)
Antiochus was a Greek Seleucid Prince, first born child to the Seleucid Monarchs Antiochus III the Great and Laodice III and his father’s first heir....
was appointed as successor by her father to succeed him. In that year Antiochus III, married Laodice to her eldest brother crown prince Antiochus. The marriage of Laodice IV and Antiochus was the first sibling marriage to occur in the Seleucid dynasty. From their sibling union Laodice IV bore Antiochus, a daughter called Nysa.
Antiochus III appointed Laodice in 193 BC, as the chief priestess of the state cult dedicated to her late mother Laodice III in Media
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
. Later that year, her brother-husband died. The family were in complete grief of his death, in particular Antiochus III.
Second Marriage
Antiochus III arranged for her to marry for a second time her second eldest brother Seleucus IV PhilopatorSeleucus IV Philopator
Seleucus IV Philopator , ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire, reigned from 187 BC to 175 BC over a realm consisting of Syria , Mesopotamia, Babylonia and Nearer Iran . He was the second son and successor of Antiochus III the Great and Laodice III...
. Seleucus IV became co-ruler with their father and was appointed as their father’s successor. In their union, they had three children, two sons: Antiochus, Demetrius I Soter
Demetrius I Soter
Demetrius I , surnamed Soter , was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire....
and a daughter called Laodice V
Laodice V
Laodice V was a Greek Princess of the Seleucid Empire. Through marriage she was a Queen of the ruling Antigonid dynasty in Macedonia and possibly later of the Seleucid dynasty.-Family and Early Life:...
.
In 187 BC, her father died and her second husband succeeded their father. Seleucus IV became the Seleucid King and Laodice IV became the Seleucid Queen. They reigned as the Seleucid imperial couple from 187 BC until 175 BC, when Seleucus IV died. There is no surviving record on how Laodice IV, reigned as queen or how her contemporaries viewed her. Briefly in 175 BC, Laodice’s first son was briefly King. There are surviving coins dating from 175 BC, that show portraits of Laodice IV and her first son with Seleucus IV, Antiochus making them the first Seleucid King and Queen depicted on coins.
Third Marriage
After the death of Seleucus IV, Laodice married for the third time her youngest brother Antiochus IV EpiphanesAntiochus IV Epiphanes
Antiochus IV Epiphanes ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC. He was a son of King Antiochus III the Great. His original name was Mithridates; he assumed the name Antiochus after he ascended the throne....
. Antiochus IV succeeded his second eldest brother as King. Antiochus IV co-ruled with his nephew Antiochus and adopted him as his son. Antiochus IV had his adopted son assassinated in 170 BC.
Laodice bore Antiochus IV three children: a son Antiochus V
Antiochus V
Antiochus V Eupator , was a ruler of the Greek Seleucid Empire who reigned 163-161 BC, ....
Eupator, a daughter Laodice VI
Laodice VI
Laodice VI was a Greek Seleucid Princess and through marriage was a Queen of the Kingdom of Pontus....
and a son Alexander Balas
Alexander Balas
Alexander Balas , ruler of the Greek Seleucid kingdom 150-146 BC, was a native of Smyrna of humble origin, but gave himself out to be the son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and Laodice IV and heir to the Seleucid throne...
. When Laodice’s youngest brother and first son co-ruled, her second son Demetrius I Soter
Demetrius I Soter
Demetrius I , surnamed Soter , was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire....
was sent as a political hostage in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. When Antiochus IV died the first son of Laodice IV and Antiochus IV, Antiochus V Eupator succeeded his father as Seleucid King.
External links
Sources
- http://www.livius.org/la-ld/laodice/laodice_iv.html
- http://www.livius.org/la-ld/laodice/laodice_iii.html
- http://www.livius.org/am-ao/antiochus/antiochus_iii.html
- http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laodike_(Tochter_des_Antiochos_III.)
- J.D. Grainger, A Seleukid prosopography and gazetteer, BRILL 1997