The Syrian Wars (Mnemosyne Supplements. History and Archaeology of Classical Antiquity, 320)

This book examines the causes and courses of the series of wars in the Hellenistic period fought between the kingdom of the Seleukids and the Ptolemies over possession of Syria. This is a subject always mentioned by historians of the period in a glancing or abbreviated way, but which is actually wholly central to the development of both kingdoms and of the period as a whole. Other than relatively brief summaries no serious account has ever been produced. This extended consideration will bring to the centre of research on the Hellinistic period this long sequence of wars. Arguably they were the basic causes of the failure of both kingdoms in the face of Roman aggression and interference. Preliminary Material /J.D. Grainger -- Introduction /J.D. Grainger -- Prologue: Syria's Importance Revealed /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter One. Syria Divided /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Two. Cold War /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Three. The New Kings, And The First Syrian War /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Four. Competitive Developing /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Five. The Second Syrian War /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Six. Increasing Strains /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Seven. The Third War, The 'War Of Laodike' /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Eight. The Seleukid Collapse /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Nine. The Fourth War /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Ten. The Reversal, The Ptolemaic Collapse /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Eleven. The Fifth War, The Triumph Of Antiochos III /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Twelve. Changing Priorities /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Thirteen. The Sixth War, And The 'Day Of Eleusis' /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Fourteen. Mutual Troubles And A New Agenda /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Fifteen. The Seventh War, The Triumph Of Ptolemy Philometor /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Sixteen. The Legacy Of Philometor /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Seventeen. The Eighth War, The Last Chance For Union /J.D. Grainger -- Chapter Eighteen. The Ninth, And Last,War /J.D. Grainger -- Epilogue: The Ambition Of Kleopatra VII /J.D. Grainger -- Conclusion /J.D. Grainger -- Bibliography /J.D. Grainger -- Index /J.D. Grainger The Syrian Wars 4 Contents 6 Maps 8 Abbreviations 16 Introduction 20 Prologue: Syria's Importance Revealed 30 1 Syria Divided 56 2 Cold War 72 3 The New Kings, and the First Syrian War 92 4 Competitive Developing 108 5 The Second Syrian War 136 6 Increasing Strains 156 7 The Third War, the 'War of Laodike' 172 8 The Seleukid Collapse 190 9 The Fourth War 214 10 The Reversal, the Ptolemaic Collapse 238 11 The Fifth War, the Triumph of Antiochos III 264 12 Changing Priorities 292 13 The Sixth War, and the 'Day of Eleusis' 310 14 Mutual Troubles and a New Agenda 328 15 The Seventh War, the Triumph of Ptolemy Philometor 356 16 The Legacy of Philometor 370 17 The Eighth War, the Last Chance for Union 388 18 The Ninth, and Last, War 406 Epilogue: the Ambition of Kleopatra VII 422 Conclusion 430 Bibliography 440 Index 450 The two-century long conflict over Syria between Seleukids and Ptolemies was the central diplomatic and military matter of the Hellinistic period. By examining it for the first time in detail, its importance can at last be seen.