The Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic state founded by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, in the struggle over Alexander's empire after his death. Seleucus regained Babylon in 312 BCE, a date used to start the Seleucid era, and he later controlled a vast area from Anatolia and Syria to Mesopotamia, Iran and parts of Central Asia. Its main cities were Seleucia on the Tigris and later Antioch in Syria. The empire lost its eastern lands to the Parthians and Bactrians, fought repeated wars with the Ptolemies of Egypt, and was defeated by Rome at Magnesia in 190 BCE. It shrank to a small state in Syria, which the Roman general Pompey made a province in 63 BCE.
Before and after
- 322 BCEDeath of Aristotle
- c. 320 BCERise of pyrrhonism
- 313 BCEThe Appian Way and the first Roman aqueduct
- 312 BCEConstruction of Appian Way
- from 312 BCE to 63 BCESeleucid Empire
- from 311 BCE to 309 BCEBabylonian War
- from 306 BCE to 168 BCEAntigonid dynasty
- from 305 BCE to 30 BCEPtolemaic dynasty
- from 305 BCE to 30 BCEPtolemaic Kingdom
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- from 8th century BCE to 3rd centuryClassical antiquity
- c. 700s BCEConstruction of Great Wall of China
- from 206 BCE to 220 CEHan dynasty
- 200 BCEOrigins of Nazca Lines
- 19 BCEConstruction of Western Wall
- from 375 CE to 568 CEMigration Period
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 4th century BCE.