Demetrius I Soter "The Preserver" King of Macedon “Mesopotamia"

• Preferred Name: Demetrius I Soter "The Preserver" King of Macedon “Mesopotamia"^[1]
  
• Gender: M
  
• Birth: 185 BC in Commagene, Syrian Arab Republic at LATI: N4.52 LONG: E7.57 with note: standardized
  
• MilitaryService: defeated and killed Timarchus, satrap of Median, and dethroned Ariarathes, King of Cappadocia160 BC
  
• Clan Name: with note: Description: Seleucid Dynasty
  
• MilitaryService: executed Antiochus V and his guardian Lysias.NOV 162 BC
  
• MilitaryService: killed by Heracleides, brother of Timarchus - who championed the cause of Alexander Balas, a boy who claimed to be a natural son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes.150 BC
  
• http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: King of SyriaBET NOV 162 BC AND JUN 150 BC
  
• Death: JUL 150 BC in Commagene, Syrian Arab Republic at LATI: N4.52 LONG: E7.57 with note: standardized
  
• http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: Basileus of the Seleucid EmpireBET NOV 162 BC AND JUN 150 BC
  
• FSID: LVZV-1KY
  
• MilitaryService: sent to Rome as a hostage at a young age during the reign of his father Seleucus IV Philopator
  
• Notes: with note: Description: Appointed Alcimus high priest
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  Demetrius I (Greek: Δημήτριος Α`, 185 – June 150 BC), surnamed Soter (Greek: Σωτήρ - "Savior"), reigned as king (basileus) of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire from November 162 – June 150 BC. Demetrius grew up in Rome as a hostage, but returned to Greek Syria and overthrew his young cousin Antiochus V Eupator and regent Lysias. Demetrius took control during a turbulent time of the Empire, and spent much of his time fighting off revolts and challenges to his power from threats such as Timarchus and Alexander Balas.
  
  Demetrius' downfall may be attributed to Heracleides, a surviving brother of the defeated rebel Timarchus, who championed the cause of Alexander Balas, a boy who claimed to be a natural son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Heracleides convinced the Roman Senate to support the young pretender against Demetrius I. Balas's mercenary army landed and occupied Ptolemais, and started a reign proclaiming himself as king of the Seleucids in Seleucid year 160 (153–152 BC). The Seleucids now had two kings locked in civil war.
  
  While the Jews were a minor part of Demetrius I's empire, their story was unusually well preserved. Jonathan Apphus, the brother of Judas and the new leader of the Maccabees, was able to negotiate a deal with Demetrius I that would allow him to remove some of the Seleucid forces from Judea to use against Balas. However, Jonathan promptly broke his temporary truce with Demetrius after Alexander Balas offered an even better deal to them. Balas allied with Jonathan: he appointed him as High Priest of Judea and strategos, and Jonathan agreed to send Jewish troops to support Balas's cause. Jonathan, who was born of a priestly family but not from Zadok, the high priestly stock, took the title in Tishri, 152 BC. When Demetrius heard of it, he wrote a letter offering more privileges to Jonathan (1 Macc. 10:25-45). Jonathan did not accept the offer, whether from trust in Balas, distrust in Demetrius, belief that Balas was likely to win the civil war, or a combination of all three.
  
  Balas defeated and killed Demetrius I in 150 BC, becoming the sole king of Syria
  _____
  
  Wikiwand: Demetrius I Soter
  
  Demetrius I (Greek: Δημήτριος Α`, 185 – June 150 BC, reigned September/October 161 – June 150 BC), surnamed Soter (Greek: Σωτήρ - "Savior"), was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire.
  
  Biography
  Early confinement and escape
  Demetrius was sent to Rome as a hostage during the reign of his father Seleucus IV Philopator and his mother Laodice IV. When his father was murdered by his finance minister Heliodorus in 175 BC., his uncle Antiochus IV Epiphanes killed the usurper, but usurped the throne himself. When Antiochus IV died in 163 BC, his 9-year-old son Antiochus V Eupator was made king by Lysias. Demetrius was then 22 years old (thus he was born in 185 BC). He requested the Roman Senate to restore the Syrian throne to him, but was rejected, since the Romans believed that Syria should be ruled by a boy rather than a man. Two years later, Antiochus V was greatly weakened because Rome sent an emissary to sink his ships and hamstring his elephants for his violation of the Peace of Apamea, storing up too much weaponry. Demetrius escaped from confinement and was welcomed back on the Syrian throne in 161 BC. He immediately killed Antiochus V and Lysias.
  
  Reign as King
  Demetrius I is infamous in Jewish history for his victory over the Maccabees, killing Judas Maccabaeus in Nisan, 160 BC. Demetrius acquired his surname of Soter, or Savior, from the Babylonians, whom he delivered from the tyranny of the Median satrap, Timarchus. Timarchus, who had distinguished himself by defending Media against the emergent Parthians, seems to have treated Demetrius' accession as an excuse to declare himself an independent king and extend his realm into Babylonia. His forces were, however, not enough for the legal Seleucid king: Demetrius defeated and killed Timarchus in 160 BC, and dethroned Ariarathes, king of Cappadocia. The Seleucid empire was temporarily united again. Demetrius may have married his sister Laodice V, by whom he had three sons: Demetrius II Nicator, Antiochus VII Sidetes and Antigonus.
  
  Downfall and death
  Demetrius' downfall may be attributed to Heracleides, a surviving brother of the defeated rebel Timarchus, who championed the cause of Alexander Balas, a boy who claimed to be a natural son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Heracleides convinced the Roman Senate to support the young pretender against Demetrius I.
  
  The Jews also had a role in the downfall of Demetrius I. Alexander Balas came with a mercenary army, landed and occupied Ptolemais, and reigned as a rival king of the Seleucids in 152 BC. He appointed Jonathan Maccabaeus, the brother and successor of Judas Maccabaeus, as the high priest of Judea, in order to make the Jews his allies. Jonathan, who was born of a priestly family but not from Zadok, the high priestly stock, took the title in Tishri, 152 BC. When Demetrius heard of it, he wrote a letter granting more privileges to Jonathan (1 Macc. 10:25-45). The Jews did not believe in him, because of his past persecutions of the Jews. They joined with Balas, who defeated and killed Demetrius I in 150 BC.
  
  Legacy
  In 1919 Constantine Cavafy published a poem about Demetrius's time as a hostage in Rome.
  
  === "BCE" Before Common Era "BC" before Christ no longer used ===
  "BCE" Before Common Era "BC" before Christ no longer used
  
  === Macedon “Mesopotamia” ===
  Macedon “Mesopotamia” “an area largely corresponding to Iraq as well as northeastern Syria some parts of southeastern Turkey and some parts of the Khuzestan Province of southwestern Iran”

1. Title: Wikiwand: Demetrius I Soter
   Publication: Name: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Demetrius_I_Soter;
   Note: Demetrius I (Greek: Δημήτριος Α`, 185 – June 150 BC, reigned September/October 161 – June 150 BC), surnamed Soter (Greek: Σωτήρ - "Savior"), was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. Biography Early confinement and escape Demetrius was sent to Rome as a hostage during the reign of his father Seleucus IV Philopator and his mother Laodice IV. When his father was murdered by his finance minister Heliodorus in 175 BC., his uncle Antiochus IV Epiphanes killed the usurper, but usurped the throne himself. When Antiochus IV died in 163 BC, his 9-year-old son Antiochus V Eupator was made king by Lysias. Demetrius was then 22 years old (thus he was born in 185 BC). He requested the Roman Senate to restore the Syrian throne to him, but was rejected, since the Romans believed that Syria should be ruled by a boy rather than a man. Two years later, Antiochus V was greatly weakened because Rome sent an emissary to sink his ships and hamstring his elephants for his violation of the Peace of Apamea, storing up too much weaponry. Demetrius escaped from confinement and was welcomed back on the Syrian throne in 161 BC. He immediately killed Antiochus V and Lysias. Reign as King Demetrius I is infamous in Jewish history for his victory over the Maccabees, killing Judas Maccabaeus in Nisan, 160 BC. Demetrius acquired his surname of Soter, or Savior, from the Babylonians, whom he delivered from the tyranny of the Median satrap, Timarchus. Timarchus, who had distinguished himself by defending Media against the emergent Parthians, seems to have treated Demetrius' accession as an excuse to declare himself an independent king and extend his realm into Babylonia. His forces were, however, not enough for the legal Seleucid king: Demetrius defeated and killed Timarchus in 160 BC, and dethroned Ariarathes, king of Cappadocia. The Seleucid empire was temporarily united again. Demetrius may have married his sister Laodice V, by whom he had three sons: Demetrius II Nicator, Antiochus VII Sidetes and Antigonus. Downfall and death Demetrius' downfall may be attributed to Heracleides, a surviving brother of the defeated rebel Timarchus, who championed the cause of Alexander Balas, a boy who claimed to be a natural son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Heracleides convinced the Roman Senate to support the young pretender against Demetrius I. The Jews also had a role in the downfall of Demetrius I. Alexander Balas came with a mercenary army, landed and occupied Ptolemais, and reigned as a rival king of the Seleucids in 152 BC. He appointed Jonathan Maccabaeus, the brother and successor of Judas Maccabaeus, as the high priest of Judea, in order to make the Jews his allies. Jonathan, who was born of a priestly family but not from Zadok, the high priestly stock, took the title in Tishri, 152 BC. When Demetrius heard of it, he wrote a letter granting more privileges to Jonathan (1 Macc. 10:25-45). The Jews did not believe in him, because of his past persecutions of the Jews. They joined with Balas, who defeated and killed Demetrius I in 150 BC. Legacy In 1919 Constantine Cavafy published a poem about Demetrius's time as a hostage in Rome.