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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David@PCC, post: 5011269, member: 80556&quot;]Typically kings of the Seleucid line have epitaphs such as Nicator (victor) or Soter (saviour), but if you are king and don&#039;t live long enough, then such a name will not follow you. We&#039;ll start with the death of Seleucus IV Philopator in 175 BC. It is believed he was murdered by his minister Heliodorus. He had two sons by his wife Laodice. His oldest, Demetrius went to Rome as a hostage. This was the the price to pay for losing to Rome during the reign of Antiochus III and signed into the treaty of Apamea. He replaces his uncle Antiochus per the agreement.</p><p>With no heir on the throne, Seleucus&#039;s youngest son also named Antiochus, believed to be 5 years old at the time becomes ruler of one of the largest kingdoms in the ancient world. Initially he is seen on gold Oktadrachms along side his mother, most likely to enforce the idea that he is the next ruler. At a later point silver coins are minted with his image showing a boy approximately age 5 from 3 different mints with the inscription ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY. </p><p>At the same time Antiochus IV is released from Rome and returns to Syria. Being the son of Antiochus III, he has ambitions to be king. Only problem is Demetrius the older son of Seleucus IV is the legitimate heir. You can see where this is going. Either because he is too young or the dealings of Antiochus IV, he becomes co-ruler with the young king while Demetrius is still a hostage. It is unclear when or how, but the young king was assassinated before his tenth birthday. It is widely believed Antiochus IV was responsible. As far as when, possiby after his son Antiochus V was born around 172 BC, but certainly by 170 BC when we see coins with Antiochus IV Epiphanes appear. If it wasn&#039;t for numismatic evidence history may have been unaware of this short lived young king.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1201879[/ATTACH] </p><p>Antiochus Son of Seleucus IV</p><p>Mint: Tarsus</p><p>AR Drachm</p><p>October/November 175 BC</p><p>Obvs: Diademed head of the child Antiochus right, dotted border.</p><p>Revs: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ on right ANTIOXOY on left, Apollo seated left on omphalos testing arrow and resting hand on grounded bow with grip marked by 3 pellets. ΣA outer left, ΠA monogram outer right. Club lower left field.</p><p>17mm, 4.12g</p><p>Ref: SC 1367; HGC 9, 611(R3)</p><p><br /></p><p>References will date these to a few months in 175 BC, but it&#039;s certainly possible these could have been minted from 175 to the early 170&#039;s especially for Antioch which had a greater output. This coin is possibly the second known with the last being sold at Glendining in December 1974. This particular coin is also important because it shows the link to other magistrates with the ΠA monogram. Something not known and off flan on the other example. This coin also suffers from a severe die shift on the reverse obliterating details on Apollo.</p><p><br /></p><p>Please post your related examples from this sorted tale of Antiochus IV, Seleucus IV, Laodice, Demetrius I.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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