List of Syrian monarchs

File:SASH D050 Map of ancient syria.jpg

The region of Syria

The title King of Syria appeared in the second century BC in referring to the Seleucid kings who ruled the entirety of the region of Syria. It was also used to refer to Aramean kings in the Greek translations of the Old Testament, mainly indicating the kings of Aram-Damascus. Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, the region came under the rule of France, the United Kingdom and Prince Faisal of Hejaz, who was proclaimed King of Syria on 8 March 1920. Faisal's reign lasted a few months before he was overthrown by France and the title fell out of use.

Background

The term Syria was first applied by Herodotus in the 5th century BC to indicate a region generally extending between Anatolia and Egypt.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn With the advent of the Hellenistic period, Greeks and their Seleucid dynasty used the term "Syria" to designate the region between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates.Template:Sfn The usage of the name in referring to the region during the Iron Age (ended 586 BC) is a modern practice.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

List of monarchs

Seleucid dynasty

According to Polybius, King Antigonus I Monophthalmus established the Syrian kingdom which included Coele-Syria.Template:Sfn The Seleucid king Antiochus III the Great defeated the Ptolemaic Kingdom in the Battle of Panium (200 BC); he annexed the Syrian lands controlled by Egypt (Coele-Syria) and united them with his Syrian lands, thus gaining control of the entirety of Syria.Template:Sfn Starting from the 2nd century BC, ancient writers, such as Polybius and Posidonius, began referring to the Seleucid ruler as the king of Syria.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The evidence for this title's usage by the kings is provided by the inscription of Antigonus son of Menophilus, who described himself as the "admiral of Alexander, king of Syria" (Alexander refers either to Alexander I Balas or Alexander II Zabinas).Template:Sfn

Portrait	Monarch (and lifespan)	Reign	Consort (and tenure)	Parents, co-regents, and notes
File:Antiochos III coin cropped.jpg	Antiochus III the Great (c. 241–187 BC)	200–187 BC	Laodice III (200–187 BC) Euboea (191–187 BC)	Son of Seleucus II Callinicus and Laodice II.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He appointed his eldest son Antiochus, who preceded him in death, as co-king.Template:Sfn Antiochus III's second wife is attested in the hostile work of Polybius and the story is debated.Template:Sfn
File:Seleucus IV Philopator.png	Seleucus IV Philopator (c. 218–175 BC)	187–175 BC	Laodice IV (187–175 BC)	Son of Antiochus III and Laodice III.Template:Sfn He married Laodice IV, his brother Antiochus' widow.Template:Sfn
File:Antiochos, son of Seleukos IV obverse.jpg	Antiochus (c. 180–170 BC)	175–170 BC	Unmarried	Son of Seleucus IV and Laodice IV.Template:Sfn The minister Heliodorus held real power,Template:Sfn then Antiochus was made co-king by his uncle Antiochus IV.Template:Sfn
File:Antiochos IV Epiphanes face.png	Antiochus IV Epiphanes (c. 215–164 BC)	175–164 BC	Laodice IV (c. 175–c. 164 BC)	Son of Antiochus III and Laodice III.Template:Sfn Married his brother's widow.Template:Sfn
File:Antiochos V Eupator tetradrachm obverse.jpg	Antiochus V Eupator (172–161 BC)	164–162 BC	Unmarried	Son of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and possibly Laodice IV.Template:Sfn His regent Lysias held actual power.Template:Sfn
File:Demetrius I.png	Demetrius I Soter (187–150 BC)	162–150 BC		Son of Seleucus IV and Laodice IV.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Might have married his sister Laodice V, the former wife of Perseus of Macedon.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
File:Antiochus of 150 BC.png	Antiochus	150 BC		Known from a coin minted in the same year Demetrius I lost his throne; his identity is left to speculations.Template:Sfn
File:Alexander I Syria.jpg	Alexander I Balas ( –145 BC)	150–145 BC	Cleopatra Thea (150–145 BC)	Claimed to be a son of Antiochus IV.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He could have been an illegitimate son of Antiochus by a concubine named Antiochis.Template:Sfn
File:DemetriusII, coin, face.jpg	Demetrius II Nicator ( –125 BC)	145–138 BC (first reign)	Cleopatra Thea (145–138 BC)	Son of Demetrius I and possibly Laodice V.Template:Sfn First reign; Ptolemy VI Philometor of Egypt divorced his daughter Cleopatra Thea from Alexander I and married her to Demetrius.Template:Sfn
File:AntiochusVI, coin, face.jpg	Antiochus VI Dionysus (148 BC–142/141 BC)	144–142/141 BC	Unmarried	Son of Alexander I and Cleopatra Thea.Template:Sfn Was proclaimed king against Demetrius II by general Diodotus Tryphon who held actual power and eventually killed Antiochus.Template:Sfn

Non-dynastic

Diodotus Tryphon, who opposed Demetrius II by raising Antiochus VI to the throne, killed his protege and declared himself king ruling until 138 when the Seleucids unified Syria again.Template:Sfn

Portrait	Monarch (and lifespan)	Reign	Consort (and tenure)	Parents, co-regents, and notes
File:Tryphon.png	Diodotus Tryphon ( –138 BC)	142/141–138 BC		Last coins date to 138 BC but his reign might have lasted into early 137 BC.Template:Sfn

Seleucid dynasty

Portrait	Monarch (and lifespan)	Reign	Consort (and tenure)	Parents, co-regents, and notes
File:Antiochos VII.jpg	Antiochus VII Sidetes ( –129 BC)	138–129 BC	Cleopatra Thea (138–129 BC)	Son of Demetrius I and possibly Laodice V.Template:Sfn Married his brother's wife after Demetrius II was captured by the Parthians.Template:Sfn
File:DemetriusII, coin, face.jpg	Demetrius II Nicator ( –125 BC)	129–125 BC (second reign)	Cleopatra Thea (129–125 BC)	Was released by the Parthians and regained his throne and wife following Antiochus VII's death in a battle against Parthia.Template:Sfn
File:Antiochus VIII face.png	Antiochus VIII Grypus ( –96 BC)	128 BC (first reign)		Son of Demetrius II and Cleopatra Thea.Template:Sfn He was elevated as king by his mother in an attempt to establish her authority.Template:Sfn
File:Aleksander II Zabinas face.png	Alexander II Zabinas ( –123 BC)	128–123 BC		Claimed to be of Seleucid heritage.Template:Sfn Declared himself king in opposition to Demetrius II.Template:Sfn

Ptolemaic dynasty

Portrait	Monarch (and lifespan)	Reign	Consort (and tenure)	Parents, co-regents, and notes
File:Cleopatra Thea face.png	Cleopatra Thea (c. 165–121 BC)	125–121 BC		Daughter of Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II of Egypt.Template:Sfn Cleopatra Thea assumed power in her own right; she abandoned her husband Demetrius II and arranged his murder in 125 BC.Template:Sfn

Seleucid dynasty

Portrait	Monarch (and lifespan)	Reign	Consort (and tenure)	Parents, co-regents, and notes
	Seleucus V Philometor ( –125 BC)	125 BC		Son of Demetrius II and Cleopatra Thea.Template:Sfn He declared himself king following his father's murder against the wishes of his mother who killed him.Template:Sfn
File:Antiochus VIII face.png	Antiochus VIII Grypus ( –96 BC)	125–96 BC (second reign)	Tryphaena (124–111 BC) Cleopatra Selene (103–96 BC)	Due to the discontent arising from her becoming a queen regnant, Cleopatra Thea elevated Antiochus VIII as co-king.Template:Sfn
File:Antiochus IX face.png	Antiochus IX Cyzicenus ( –95 BC)	114–95 BC	Cleopatra IV (114–112 BC) Cleopatra Selene (96–95 BC)	Son of Antiochus VII and Cleopatra Thea.Template:Sfn He rose against Antiochus VIII with the help of Cleopatra IV.Template:Sfn
Antiochus VIII died in 96 BC and Antiochus IX followed him in 95 BC;Template:Sfn the country became embroiled in a civil war in which Antiochus VIII's five sons and the descendants of Antiochus IX fought between themselves.Template:Sfn The chronology of all those monarchs is problematic and is specially vague regarding Seleucus VI's successors.Template:Sfn
File:DemetriusIII.png	Demetrius III Eucaerus ( –88 BC)	96–88 BC		Son of Antiochus VIII and Tryphaena.Template:Sfn Declared king in Damascus.Template:Sfn
File:Seleucus VI Epiphanes.png	Seleucus VI Epiphanes ( –94/93 BC)	96–94/93 BC		Son of Antiochus VIII and Tryphaena.Template:Sfn Defeated Antiochus IX but was soon killed.Template:Sfn
File:Antioco X Eusebes.jpg	Antiochus X Eusebes ( –92)	95–92 BC	Cleopatra Selene (95–92 BC)	Son of Antiochus IX and a first wife whose name is lost.Template:Sfn Avenged his father and killed Seleucus VI.Template:Sfn He married his step-mother.Template:Sfn
File:Antiochus 11.png	Antiochus XI Epiphanes ( –93 BC)	94–93 BC		Son of Antiochus VIII and Tryphaena.Template:Sfn Killed by Antiochus X.Template:Sfn
File:Philipus I.png	Philip I Philadelphus ( –83 BC)	94–84/83 BC		Son of Antiochus VIII and Tryphaena.Template:Sfn Took the throne with his twin Antiochus XI.Template:Sfn
File:Antiochus XII.jpg	Antiochus XII Dionysus ( –84 BC)	87–84/83 BC		Son of Antiochus VIII and Tryphaena.Template:Sfn Ruled only in Damascus.Template:Sfn

Ptolemaic dynasty

Portrait	Monarch (and lifespan)	Reign	Consort (and tenure)	Parents, co-regents, and notes
File:Obverse of cleopatra selene.png	Cleopatra Selene (c. 135/130–69 BC)	83–69 BC		Daughter of Ptolemy VIII and his wife Cleopatra III of Egypt.Template:Sfn Cleopatra Selene declared her son Antiochus XIII king following the deaths of both Antiochus XII and Philip I; she seems to have installed herself co-ruler.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Seleucid dynasty

Portrait	Monarch (and lifespan)	Reign	Consort (and tenure)	Parents, co-regents, and notes
File:Antiochus XIII face.jpg	Antiochus XIII Asiaticus (c. 94–63 BC)	83 or 83–74 BC (first reign)		Son of Antiochus X and Cleopatra Selene.Template:Sfn Might have had a brother, Seleucus VII Philometer, as a co-ruler.Template:Sfn

Artaxiad dynasty

Portrait	Monarch (and lifespan)	Reign	Consort (and tenure)	Parents, co-regents, and notes
File:Coin of Tigranes II the Great, Antioch mint.jpg	Tigranes the Great (140–55 BC)	83/74–69 BC		King of Armenia, invaded Syria; the year of the invasion is up to debate and is traditionally given as 83 BC based on the account of Appian.Template:Sfn The date of the invasion might actually be later, around 74 BC.Template:Sfn The Armenian king captured Cleopatra Selene and killed her in 69 BC,Template:Sfn but he was forced by the Romans to evacuate Syria the same year.Template:Sfn

Seleucid dynasty

Portrait	Monarch (and lifespan)	Reign	Consort (and tenure)	Parents, co-regents, and notes
File:Antiochus XIII face.jpg	Antiochus XIII Asiaticus (c. 94–63 BC)	69–67 BC (second reign)		The Roman general Pompey confirmed Antiochus as king following Tigranes departure.Template:Sfn
	Philip II Philoromaeus ( –after 57 BC)	67–65 BC		Son of Philip I.Template:Sfn Elevated by the people of Antioch following Antiochus XIII's capture by Sampsiceramus I of Emesa.Template:Sfn
File:Antiochus XIII face.jpg	Antiochus XIII Asiaticus (c. 94–63 BC)	65–64 BC (third reign)		Freed by his captor, he ruled for one year before being deposed by Pompey who annexed Syria as a Roman province.Template:Sfn

Antonian dynasty

Portrait	Monarch (and lifespan)	Reign	Consort (and tenure)	Parents, co-regents, and notes
	Ptolemy Philadelphus (36–after 30 BC)	34–30 BC		Son of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII of Egypt.Template:Sfn He was declared king of Syria during the Donations of Alexandria.Template:Sfn

Hashemite dynasty

On 8 March 1920, prince Faysal of the House of Hashim, supported by the Syrian National Congress, declared himself king of the Arab Kingdom of Syria; the kingdom collapsed on 24 July of the same year.Template:Sfn

Portrait	Name (and lifespan)	Reign	Consort (and tenure)	Standard	Notes
File:King Faisal I of Syria in July 1920.jpg	Faisal (20 May 1885 – 8 September 1933)	8 March 1920 – 24 July 1920	Huzaima bint Nasser (8 March 1920 – 24 July 1920)	File:Royal Standard of the King of Syria (1920).svg	Son of Hussein bin Ali and Abdiyah bint Abdullah of Mecca.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Biblical usage for Aramean kings

In the first translation of the Old Testament into Greek written during the third century BC (called the Septuagint),Template:Sfn Aram and Arameans were often translated as Syria and the Syrians;Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn hence, the king was referred to as the king of Syria,Template:Sfn and this was carried on by many English translations.Template:Sfn Aram in the Hebrew Old Testament and Syria in the translation indicated the kingdom of Aram-Damascus most of the times.Template:Sfn Occasionally, other Aramean regions were also referred to as Syria.Template:Sfn In the view of W. Edward Glenny, the rendering of Aram by Syria might be explained by an anti-Syrian bias, since at the time of the translation, Syria belonged to the Seleucids, the Jews' main enemy; Aram-Damascus was the Jews' enemy during its Iron Age prime in the 9th century BC.Template:Sfn

Aramean kings referred to as "kings of Syria"

Portrait	Name	Reign	Notes
	Rezon	10th century BC	Mentioned as "ruling over Syria" in 1 Kings 11:25.Template:Sfn Also named "Ezron",Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn and known only from the Old Testament.Template:Sfn
	Hezion	10th century BC	The name "Hazib" was also used for him.Template:Sfn Known only from the Old Testament.Template:Sfn
	Ben-Hadad I		Known only from the Old Testament.Template:Sfn
	Ben-Hadad II		Equated by many Biblical scholars with Adad-Idri who was mentioned in Assyrian sources.Template:Sfn
File:Hazael bust.jpg	Hazael	c. 842–800 BC	Probably a usurper; described in Assyrian records as "the son of a nobody".Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	Ben-Hadad III		The only king mentioned by the name "Ben-Hadad" both in the Old Testament and extra-biblical sources.Template:Sfn
	Rezin	750s–733 BC	Known in Assyrian inscription as Raqyan.Template:Sfn

See also

• List of Seleucid rulers
• List of Assyrian kings
• List of Palmyrene monarchs
• History of Syria
• the region of Syria
• Syrian nationalism

References

Sources

Template:Syria topics