Rome and the Seleukid East

Selected Papers from Seleukid Study Day V, Brussels, 21-23 August 2015

Edited by A. Coskun Edited by D. Engels

Book cover: Rome and the Seleukid East

Extent: 512 pages

Publisher: Peeters Publishers

Subjects: Ancient Near East, Classical Studies

Series: Collection Latomus

Series volume number: 360

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(April 2019)

ISBN: 9789042939271

Price: $105.00

In stock

eBook (Published)

(April 2019)

ISBN: 9789042939288

Price: $131.25

Seleukos I (312-281) was the strongest among the Successors of Alexander the Great, and his territory extended as far as Thrace in the West and Pakistan in the East for over a century. His kingdom reached a new pinnacle under Antiochos III (223-187), who combined military vigor with political skill, but also bears responsibility for its harsh defeat at the hands of the Romans, the ascending superpower in the Mediterranean. The book tries to redress the balance of Seleukid weaknesses and strengths. Case studies either focus on power, politics and ideology of the Seleukid center, or on continuity and change in 2nd-century Anatolia, Judaea and Babylon, before trying to integrate into a broader picture the factors that led to Seleukid disintegration.


Seleukos I (312-281) was the strongest among the Successors of Alexander the Great, and his territory extended as far as Thrace in the West and Pakistan in the East for over a century. His kingdom reached a new pinnacle under Antiochos III (223-187), who combined military vigour with political skill, but also bears responsibility for its harsh defeat at the hands of the Romans, the ascending superpower in the Mediterranean. This failure did not yet trigger the dynasty’s collapse albeit. It was resilient and re-established itself as the leading power in the Near East under Antiochos IV (175-164), who was able to maintain friendship with Rome. Gradually, however, Seleukid rule was reduced to Syria or parts thereof by 129. The book tries to redress the balance of Seleukid weaknesses and strengths. Case studies either focus on power, politics and ideology of the Seleukid centre, or on continuity and change in 2nd-century Anatolia, Judaea and Babylon, before trying to integrate into a braoder picture the factors that led to Seleukid disintegration.

  • Edited by A. Coskun
  • Edited by D. Engels

"A great strength is the diversity of thought, as the reader often gets several takes on the same issue. . . . The past decade has proven a heady time for Seleucid studies, which has metamorphosed from a marginalized sub-field marooned in the void between Ancient History and Near Eastern Studies to a vibrant locus of interdisciplinary study . . . Such interdisciplinary vitality is on full display throughout this excellent volume." --Taylor, Michael J., University at Albany, SUNY, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2019.12.31
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