An Empire on the Brink of Destruction: The Stability of the Seleucid Empire Under Antiochus IV (175 B.C. - 164 B.C.)

The Seleucid Empire expanded its territory to stretch from Thrace to India under the leadership of Antiochus III, making it one of the most expansive empires in the Hellenistic World. Antiochus III\u27s subsequent loss at the Battle of Magnesia to Rome in 190 B.C. caused some of the satrapies of the empire to begin to rebel, and has led some historians to believe that the empire began an unrecoverable decline. In this investigation I will argue that the myth of decline in the post-Antiochus III era is invalid through analyzing the stability brought to the empire during the reign of his son, Antiochus IV. An investigation into Antiochus IV\u27s stabilization of the Seleucid Empire has not been completed in English since 1966. Through analyzing his involvement in the southern and eastern regions of the Seleucid Empire as well as the internal reforms a clear picture of Antiochus IV\u27s efforts towards stabilization becomes apparent