167: King Achaeus
Summary
This episode details the consolidation of Seleucid power in Anatolia under Antiochus III following the Battle of Raphia. It covers the rise and brutal execution of the rebel king Achaeus, the complex war between Rhodes and Byzantium, and Attalus I of Pergamon’s alliance with Antiochus. The host also explains the region’s fragmented political geography and Antiochus’s efforts to centralize control through administrative reforms, Jewish resettlement, and a royal cult before marching east in 212 BCE.
Topics discussed
Intro: Recap of Ptolemy IV and Antiochus III's defeat at Raphia
Achaeus consolidates power in Anatolia and defeats Selge
The War of the Bosporus: Rhodes, Byzantium, and Bithynia
Attalus I's campaign in Aeolis and the Gallic mercenaries
Antiochus III's alliance with Attalus and the fall of Achaeus
Political geography of Seleucid Anatolia and minor kingdoms
Antiochus III's administrative reforms and Jewish resettlement
Antiochus departs for the East and episode conclusion
Listen ad-free on Castria