Seleucid Dynasty

Japanese: セレウコス朝 - セレウコスちょう（英語表記）Seleucid Dynasty

Also known as the Kingdom of Syria. A dynasty of Macedonian Greeks that ruled ancient Western Asia (312-64 BC). After the empire of Alexander III (the Great) was divided, the so-called Wars of Succession followed, but one of his generals, Seleucus I, established his base in Babylon and secured territories in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Iran, Afghanistan, and northwestern India, and began to rule under his dynasty. However, he did not officially become king until 305/4 BC. By the time of Antiochus III (reigned 223-187 BC), the state had gradually lost territory and had become a Hellenistic state centered on Syria and Cilicia, with Antioch on the Orontes River as its capital. Antiochus III carried out internal reforms and tried to expand his territory again, but his restoration was only temporary, as the Parthians gained power in the east and the Roman army reached the east in the west. Antiochus III himself was defeated by the Romans at the Battle of Magnesia. The dynasty weakened after that, and reached a period of stability under Antiochus IV (r. 215-163 BC). However, due to failure to prevent the independence of small kingdoms such as Judea, Comagene, Pontus, Pergamum, and Armenia, and due to intensifying internal conflicts within the dynasty, it was eventually conquered by Rome in 64 BC and became a Roman province. Its society was dominated by a Macedonian ruling class and Greek citizens (soldiers, officials, and landowners), with most of the peasants and urban plebeians being natives. Administratively, the larger cities, which were allowed to govern themselves, were divided into satrapies (provinces) or similar strategia (general territories) of the Achaemenid Empire. The maintenance of the palace and the army was covered by direct and indirect taxes, as well as tributes from cities and local rulers, but the Macedonians were always wealthy due to trade conducted by the king himself and by royal estates using serf-like peasants. Following the example of Alexander III (the Great), they built cities as bases of rule, and the cities inland and on the coast of Syria played important roles as distribution centers for goods and as a source of Greek culture (Antioch, Seleucia-Pieria, etc.). As a conquering dynasty, they were constantly threatened by external enemies, so the army was particularly important. Macedonian garrison soldiers were stationed in various cities and fortresses, but they gradually tended to intermarry with the indigenous peoples, and instead troops and mercenaries made up of conquered peoples appeared. The primary significance of the Seleucid dynasty was that it transplanted Hellenistic civilization to Western Asia, mainly in the cities, which was partially inherited by the Parthian Empire and also supported by the Romans. Secondly, control of Western Asia stimulated East-West trade, which was continued by Parthia and Sassanid Persia after the dynasty declined.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

シリア王国とも呼ばれる。マケドニア系ギリシア人によって古代西アジアを支配した王朝 (前 312～64) 。アレクサンドロス3世 (大王)の帝国が分裂したあと，いわゆる後継者戦争が続いたが，部将の一人であったセレウコス1世がバビロンを拠点とし，小アジア，メソポタミア，イラン，アフガニスタン，インド北西部などの領土を確保し，彼の名を冠する王朝による支配を始めた。しかし正式に王を称したのは前 305/4年であった。その後，アンチオコス3世 (在位前 223～187) のときまでに，次第に領土を失い，シリアとキリキアを中心とし，オロンテス河畔のアンチオキアを首都とするヘレニズム国家になった。アンチオコス3世は内政改革を行う一方，再び領土拡大を目指したが，東方ではパルティア人が勢力を増し，西方ではローマ軍が東に手を伸ばすなど，再興は一時的なもので終った。3世自身マグネシアの戦いでローマに敗れた。その後，王朝は弱体化をたどり，アンチオコス4世 (在位前 215～163) のときに安定期を迎えたが，ユダヤ，コマゲーネ，ポントス，ペルガモン，アルメニアなどの小王国の独立を防げず，また王朝内の内紛が激化したため，結局前 64年ローマに征服され，その属州となった。その社会は，マケドニア人の支配階級とギリシア系市民 (兵士，役人，地主) が上位を占め，大部分の農民や都市下層民は先住民であった。行政上は，自治を認められた大都市のほかは，アケメネス朝ペルシア帝国のサトラピ (州) あるいはそれに似たストラテギア (将軍領) に区分されていた。宮廷と軍隊の維持費は直接，間接の税，都市や地方支配者の貢税によってまかなわれたが，農奴的身分の農民を用いた王領や王みずからの手による交易によって，マケドニア人たちは常に裕福であった。またアレクサンドロス3世 (大王) にならって都市を建設して支配の拠点とし，シリアの内陸部や海岸部の諸都市は，物資の集散地およびギリシア文化のにない手として重要な役割を果した (アンチオキア，セレウキア・ピエリアなど) 。征服王朝として同時に，常に外敵に脅かされていたので，とりわけ軍隊の重要性が大きかった。各地の都市や城塞にはマケドニア系の屯田兵が駐在したが，次第に先住民と混血する傾向にあり，代って征服された国民による部隊や傭兵が出現した。セレウコス朝の第1の意義は都市を中心にヘレニズム文明を西アジアに移植したことで，これはパルティア帝国に部分的に受継がれ，またローマ人もこれを支持した。第2に，西アジアの支配が東西貿易を活発化したことで，王朝衰退後もパルティアやササン朝ペルシアによってこれが受継がれた。

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