Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Antiochus IV Epiphanes (c. 215 BC–November/December 164 BC) was king of the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC. Notable events during Antiochus' reign include his near-conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt, his persecution of the Jews of Judea and Samaria, and the rebellion of the Jewish Maccabees. The son of King Antiochus III the Great, Antiochus IV accession to the throne was controversial, as he was seen as a usurper by some. After the death of his brother Seleucus IV Philopator in 175 BC, the "true" heir should have been Seleucus's son Demetrius I. However, Demetrius I was very young and a hostage in Rome at the time, and Antiochus seized the opportunity to declare himself king instead, successfully rallying enough of the Greek ruling class in Antioch to support his claim. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in 54 different languages on Wikipedia. Antiochus IV Epiphanes is the 1,126th most popular politician (down from 799th in 2024). (down from 55th in 2019)

Antiochus IV Epiphanes was the king of the Seleucid Empire from 175-164 BCE. He was most famous for his persecution of the Jews, which led to the Maccabean revolt.