Demetrius I

Demetrius I (Demetrius Soter) (dimē'trēus sō'tur) [key], c.187–150 B.C., king of ancient Syria (162–150 B.C.), son of Seleucus IV. He was sent as a hostage to Rome, where he remained during the reigns of his father and his uncle Antiochus IV. After Antiochus died, he was succeeded by his son Antiochus V, but Demetrius escaped (162 B.C.), killed his cousin, and took the throne. He put down the revolt of the general Timarchus in Babylon and set out to crush the Maccabees. The usurper Alexander Balas rose against Demetrius and was supported by the Maccabean party as well as by Egypt and Pergamum. Demetrius was defeated in battle.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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