Lysias (Syrian chancellor)

Lysias
Regent of the Seleucid Empire (Regent of Syria)
Reign	163–161 BCE
Predecessor	Antiochus IV Epiphanes
Successor	Demetrius I Soter
King and ward	Antiochus V Eupator

Died	162 BCE

Lysias (/ˈlɪsiəs/; Greek: Λυσίας; Hebrew: ליזיאש; died 162 BCE) was a 2nd-century BCE general and governor of Syria under the Seleucid Empire.

Biography[]

He was described as, "A noble man, and one of the blood royal". Antiochus IV Epiphanes (circa 166 BCE) left him with the government of southern Syria and the guardianship of his son, while Antiochus went in person into Persia to collect the revenues which were not coming in satisfactorily.^[1]

According to Josephus,^[2] the instructions of Lysias were "to conquer Judea, enslave its inhabitants, utterly destroy Jerusalem and abolish the whole nation." Accordingly, Lysias armed against Judas Maccabeus a large force under Ptolemy Macron, Nicanor and Gorgias. Judas defeated the two divisions under Nicanor and Gorgias near Emmaus in 166 BCE, and in the following year he defeated Lysias at Beth-zur (Bethsura),^[3] after which he proceeded to purify the temple at Jerusalem.

In the narration of these campaigns there are considerable differences between the writers of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees which scholars have not found easy to explain. Antiochus died at Babylon in 164 BCE during his Persian expedition, and Lysias assumed the office of regent during the minority of Antiochus V, who was yet a child.^[4] He assembled another army at Antioch, and after the re-capture of Beth-zur was besieging Jerusalem when he learned of the approach of Philip to whom Antiochus, on his deathbed, had entrusted the guardianship of the prince.^[5] He defeated Philip in 163 BCE and was supported at Rome, but in the following year he fell with his ward, Antiochus V, into the hands of Demetrius I, who put both of them to death.^[6]

Notes[]

^ 1 Macc 3:32; 2 Macc 10:11
^ Ant., XII, vii, 2
^ 1 Macc 4
^ 1 Macc 6:17
^ 1 Macc 6:48-54; 2 Macc 13:18-22
^ 1 Macc 7:1-23

References[]

Hutchinson, J. (1915). "Lysias". International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Eds. Orr, James, M.A., D.D. Retrieved December 9, 2005.

External links[]

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Hellenistic rulers were preceded by Hellenistic satraps in most of their territories.

Lysias (Syrian chancellor)

Contents

Biography[]

See also[]

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]