Селевкид әулетінің билеушісі: Деметрий I Сотер

Ruler of the Seleucid Empire

Demetrius I (Δημήτριος Α`, 185 – June 150 BC), surnamed Soter (Σωτήρ), reigned as king (basileus) of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire from November 162 to June 150 BC. Demetrius grew up in Rome as a hostage, but returned to Greek Syria and overthrew his young cousin Antiochus V Eupator and regent Lysias. Demetrius took control during a turbulent time of the Empire, and spent much of his time fighting off revolts and challenges to his power from threats such as Timarchus and Alexander Balas.

Demetrius was born around 185 BC. He was sent to Rome as a hostage at a young age during the reign of his father Seleucus IV Philopator and his mother Laodice IV. Rome taking prominent Seleucid family members hostage was one of the terms of the Treaty of Apamea that had ended the Roman Seleucid War. His father was likely murdered by his finance minister Heliodorus in 175 BC; his uncle Antiochus IV Epiphanes overthrew Heliodorus and took the throne himself. While the throne should have gone to Demetrius, he was both too young and also still held as a hostage in Rome. Antiochus IV died around October–November 164 BC while on campaign in Babylonia and Persia. His 9 year old son Antiochus V Eupator became king, although real power rested in the regent Antiochus IV had left in Antioch, Lysias. Demetrius was then 22 years old. He requested the Roman Senate to restore the Syrian throne to him, but was rejected, since the Romans preferred a weak Syria and would rather it be ruled by a boy rather than a man. He immediately executed Antiochus V and Lysias. This phase of Demetrius's life is unusually well chronicled, as Polybius was an active participant and advisor to Demetrius, and his book The Histories survived out of antiquity rather than being a lost book.

The Romans were not enthusiastic about Demetrius's new rule. They offered their indirect support and encouragement to any who would seek to divide the Seleucid Empire, and hence weaken it. Notably, this included the satrap Timarchus; the Jewish Maccabees; Ptolemaeus of Commagene; and Artaxias I of Armenia. In Judea, Demetrius instituted measure to suppress the Maccabean Revolt which were recorded in the books of the Maccabees. Demetrius is recorded as sending a new High Priest to Judea, Alcimus, shortly after his reign started. Alcimus was able to successfully bring back at least some Jews to following the government. Demetrius also dispatched an expedition under Bacchides which broke Maccabee influence over the Judean cities. Bacchides and his forces defeated and killed the rebel leader Judas Maccabaeus at the Battle of Elasa in 160 BC, restoring Seleucid control to the province for a number of years. Demetrius acquired his surname of Soter, Savior, from the Babylonians, where he defeated the rebellious Median satrap Timarchus. When Demetrius heard of it, he wrote a letter offering more privileges to Jonathan (1 Macc. 10:25 45). Jonathan did not accept the offer, whether from trust in Balas, distrust in Demetrius, belief that Balas was likely to win the civil war, or a combination of all three. Balas defeated and killed Demetrius I in 150 BC, becoming the sole king of Syria.

In 1919 Constantine Cavafy published a poem about Demetrius's time as a hostage in Rome.