Antiochus attempts to stamp out the Jewish religion, giving rise to the Maccabæan rebellion in 167. =Antiochus (V) Eupator= succeeds his father in 164. Lysias is regent, as the king is only nine years old. A peace with the Jews is concluded and then Antiochus is killed, 162, by =Demetrius (I) Soter=, son of Seleucus Philopator, who seizes the throne. The Maccabæans hold their own against this king. Alexander Balas, a pretended son of Antiochus Epiphanes, organises an insurrection. He invades Syria, and Demetrius is killed, 150, in battle. =Alexander Balas= usurps the throne. =Demetrius (II) Nicator=, son of Demetrius I, contests the throne but not with much success. Balas wars with Ptolemy Philopator and is killed, 145. A war of succession begins between Demetrius Nicator and Balas’ young son =Antiochus VI=. The latter is supported by the Jews. Antiochus VI is slain by =Tryphon=, the general of Alexander Balas, in 142. Tryphon rules until 139, when he is put to death by =Antiochus (VII) Sidetes=. Meanwhile one faction recognises Demetrius Nicator as king. He marries Cleopatra, an Egyptian princess, goes to war with the Parthians, is captured, and Antiochus Sidetes takes his place for ten years. Sidetes wages war with the Parthians, and is killed in battle, 128. Demetrius Nicator now resumes his rule, but owing to his misgovernment is assassinated at the instigation of Cleopatra, in 125. The eldest son, =Seleucus V=, is put to death the same year by Cleopatra, and the second son, =Antiochus (VII) Grypus=, takes the throne. He expels Alexander Zabina, a usurper. Civil war breaks out between =Antiochus= and his half-brother, =Antiochus (IX) Cyzicenus=, who in 112 compels a division of the kingdom, taking Phœnicia and Cœle-Syria as his share. Antiochus VIII is assassinated, 96. Antiochus IX is killed in 95 by =Seleucus (VI) Epiphanes=, son of Grypus, who rules only one year. =Antiochus (X) Eusebes=, son of Antiochus IX, follows. His claims are contested by the sons of Grypus, =Philip=, =Demetrius (III) Eucærus=, and =Antiochus (XI) Epiphanes=. The latter is drowned fleeing from Eusebes and the other two rule over the whole of Syria. In 88 Demetrius is captured by the Parthians and another brother =Antiochus (XII) Dionysius=, shares the rule with Philip. He is killed in a war with the Arabians. Civil strife has now reached such a state that the Syrians invite =Tigranes= of Armenia to put an end to it. He conquers Syria in 83, and rules it until 69, when, after his defeat by Lucullus, =Antiochus (XIII) Asiaticus=, son of Antiochus Eusebes, regains the throne. He is deposed, 65, by Pompey, and Syria becomes a Roman province. THE SICILIAN TYRANTS (570-210 B.C.)