VI. The fourth monster won its chief aspect of terribleness from the conquests of Alexander, which blazed over the East with such irresistible force and suddenness.[506] The great Macedonian, after his massacres at Tyre, struck into the Eastern world the intense feeling of terror which we still can recognise in the narrative of Josephus. His rule is therefore symbolised by a monster diverse from all the beasts before it in its sudden leap out of obscurity, in the lightning-like rapidity of its flash from West to East, and in its instantaneous disintegration into four separate kingdoms. It is with one only of those four kingdoms of the Diadochi, the one which so terribly affected the fortunes of the Holy Land, that the writer is predominantly concerned--namely, the empire of the Seleucid kings. It is in that portion of the kingdom--namely, from the Euxine to the confines of Arabia--that the ten horns arise which, we are told, symbolise ten kings. It seems almost certain that these ten kings are intended for:-- B.C. 1. Seleucus I. (_Nicator_)[507] 312-280 2. Antiochus I. (_Soter_) 280-261 3. Antiochus II. (_Theos_) 261-246 4. Seleucus II. (_Kallinikos_) 246-226 5. Seleucus III. (_Keraunos_) 226-223 6. Antiochus III. (_Megas_) 223-187 7. Seleucus IV. (_Philopator_) 187-176 Then followed the three kings (actual or potential) who were plucked up before the little horn: namely-- B.C. 8. Demetrius 175 9. Heliodorus 176 10. Ptolemy Philometor 181-146 Of these three who succumbed to the machinations of Antiochus Epiphanes, or the little horn,[508] the first, Demetrius, was the only son of Seleucus Philopator, and true heir to the crown. His father sent him to Rome as a hostage, and released his brother Antiochus. So far from showing gratitude for this generosity, Antiochus, on the murder of Seleucus IV. (B.C. 175), usurped the rights of his nephew (Dan. xi. 21). The second, Heliodorus, seeing that Demetrius the heir was out of the way, poisoned Seleucus Philopator, and himself usurped the kingdom.[509] Ptolemy Philometor was the son of Cleopatra, the sister of Seleucus Philopator. A large party was in favour of uniting Egypt and Persia under his rule. But Antiochus Epiphanes ignored the compact which had made Cœle-Syria and Phœnicia the dower of Cleopatra, and not only kept Philometor from his rights, but would have deprived him of Egypt also but for the strenuous interposition of the Romans and their ambassador M. Popilius Lænas.[510]